Not so long ago, if you wanted a new electric vehicle in the US, you had your choice of ... a virtual sea of passenger cars (most of which were compacts), and the Porsche Cayenne S e-Hybrid.

That situation has been rapidly changing of late, as the latest plug-in offerings to enter the US have been utility vehicles - namely, the Tesla Model X and the Volvo XC 90 T8 Plug-In (albeit both still being a few weeks away from mass deliveries).

Now enters the BMW X5 xDrive40e, which has just started arriving at dealerships across the country.

Starting from $62,100 (+$995 DST), the BMW X5 xDrive40e adds another capable, plug-in performance SUV for Americans to choose from.

Some basic stats on the X5 plug-in:

• total system output of 230 kW/308 hp
• 2.0L four-cylinder petrol engine 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque
• ~80 kW/111 hp synchronous electric motor
• 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds
• 130 mph top speed (75 miles per hour in all-electric mode)

InsideEVs own Michael Beinenson recently got the opportunity to take an early US demonstrator model for a spin, and can confirm (thanks to the sticker in the window) that the BMW will indeed get a 13 mile electric range rating from the EPA via its 9 kWh battery.

In Europe, the the X5 plug-in is rated at 31km/19 miles on the NEDC system.

We should note max charging on the BMW is limited to just 3.6 kW - so expect to set aside ~3 hours to get a full boost.

If you are interesting in optioning out your own X5 xDrive40e, BMW just went live with its online configurator - which you can find here.

Of interest, the M Sport line (which adds 19" wheels and all the "M" trimings: steering wheel, seats, door sills, etc.) will set you back an additional $4,350.

Of course, as with all configurators when they are released, we like to see "how high can we make it go" ...with the inclusion of something called "Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection" for $2,300 (which sounds cooler than it likely is), we got the X5 xDrive40e up to $83,395!

Below you can find some expanded specs on the BMW X5 xDrive40e: