BMW i8 Hybrid Powerplant Wins International Engine + Powertrain Of The Year Award For The Fifth Time

The 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid engine that power the BMW i8 has bagged the award for the Best Hybrid Powertrain for the fifth time running at the annual International Engine + Powertrain of the Year awards.

This year it was competing in a brand new category: Best Hybrid Powertrain. A big surprise was the distance in the score: the powertrain of the BMW i8 took the award with 233 points, 138 points ahead of its closest competitor; the 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 hybrid powertrain found in the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. Toyota’s 1.8-litre Hybrid (C-HR Hybrid, Prius, Lexus CT) and Volvo’s 2.0-litre Twin Engine Hybrid (XC90, V90, S90) took third and fourth places respectively.  

The BMW i8’s powertrain came onto the market in 2014 and has scooped the coveted award in its category since 2015. In that first year, it was also crowned Best New Engine and took the overall International Engine of the Year award.

The i8’s 1.5-litre three-cylinder combustion engine delivers 231 hp and 320 Nm to the rear wheels, while the electric motor, produces an additional 143 hp/105 kW (in the New i8 Coupe and Roadster) which draws energy from an 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery that drives the front wheels.

The engine’s power is channelled to the rear wheels through a six-speed Steptronic transmission, while the electric motor drives the front wheels via a two-speed automatic gearbox.

The i8 Coupé is able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds onto a top speed of 250 km/h. BMW claims fuel consumption of 1.8-litre/100km in the combined cycle. The electric range now stands at 55 km.

2019 marked the 21st edition of the International Engine of the Year awards. Since the event’s inception, power units developed by the BMW Group have racked up a total of 70 wins in their categories and overall.

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