Back in October of this year, we reported that BMW Philippines distributor SMC Asia Car Distributors Corporation is looking to offer plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). With it, the German automaker is set to offer not just pure internal combustion engine (ICE) models and electric vehicles (EVs), but also PHEVs which will further diversify its multi-powertrain lineup.

Fast forward to the present day, and there have been new developments with regard to BMW's plan to bring PHEVs. Remember when we reported that the X5 could get a plug-in hybrid variant? Well, the Department of Energy (DOE) recently released an updated list of PHEVs. Lo and behold, the BMW X5 xDrive50e is on the list.

It's listed as a 2025 model year vehicle which means we can expect its launch very soon. Interestingly, the DOE list also mentions its dimensions; it measures 4935mm long, 2004mm wide, and 1755mm tall. It also has a gross vehicle weight of 3200 kg which makes it one hefty crossover SUV.

With the plug-in hybrid X5 already on the DOE's list of recognized PHEVs, perhaps it might not be long before BMW Philippines officially launches it. But what can we expect from the electrified X5?

As mentioned before, the X5 xDrive50e consists of a 3.0L TwinPower Turbo inline-six that's assisted by an electric motor and a 25.7 kWh battery pack. It has a combined system output of 483 PS and 700 Nm of torque. Even more impressive is the fact that BMW claims it can go from 0 – 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. With a fully charged battery, BMW says the X5 xDrive50e can travel up to 64 km without using a drop of fuel.

We can expect more details about the upcoming plug-in hybrid X5 once we get closer to its eventual launch date, perhaps sometime next year.