BMW has been very vocal about their move towards Electric, but plug in hybrids have been their focus but the are sprinkling in a few pure electric vehicles. With the BMW iX3 which was launched today we’re seeing a competitor for the Audi eTron, Mercedes Benz EQC and the Tesla Model Y. The estimated 460km range blows it’s competition out of the water with the eTron’s 336km and the EQC’s 417km. We’re a little skeptical how BMW has outpaced Mercedes considering they are sporting the same size battery. It could be they’ve got some of Tesla’s aggressive recuperation magic under the hood or the WPTP rating was very generous which is sometimes the case.
The iX3 has a single electric motor powering the rear wheels. There is no talk of a dual-motor xDrive variant at this point. It produces 282 horsepower (210 kilowatts) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) of torque to enable a 0 to 96 km/h sprint in 6.8 seconds.
Electric cars offer a lot of punch when it comes to acceleration but like most EVs the top speed is electronically governed at 180 km/h (112 mph) to preserve range.
The 80-kWh battery pack has a 74-kWh usable capacity and offers 460km (286 miles) of range per WLTP. The 150-kW charger will give you 0 to 80% in 34 minutes.
Infotaiment system wise it will have the latest 7 Series which is capable of OTAs.
The market launch is scheduled for later this year and will be manufactured in China which is the first market it’s going to be launching in. Arguably, this is the least exciting of BMW’s upcoming EVs, as the i4 sedan and iNEXT SUV will ride on a bespoke platform. Still it’s going after the flagship EVs from it’s competitors.
