Full electric mobility makes its debut in the BMW brand's product line-up as a Sports Activity Vehicle ushers in a new form of locally emission-free driving pleasure. The new BMW iX3 is the first vehicle in the core brand's model range to be driven purely on electric power. The arrival of the new BMW iX3 represents the latest stage in the rollout of the BMW Group's electrification strategy. This is the first time a pure-electric drive system has been combined with the rugged characteristics, multi-faceted functionality and spaciousness, comfort and hallmark sporting ability of a BMW X model.
The premiere of the new BMW iX3 also fires the starting gun for the fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology and kicks off a new era of electrified drive systems for premium cars. Significant progress has been made in terms of performance characteristics, operating range, weight, the installation space required and flexibility. The latest innovations developed by the BMW Group to optimise the electric motor, power electronics, charging technology and high-voltage battery give the new BMW iX3 a maximum output of 210 kW/286 hp, a range of up to 460 kilometres (285 miles) in the WLTP test cycle - equivalent to up to 520 kilometres (323 miles) in the NEDC test cycle - and a level of energy efficiency beyond that of any other model in its class. These innovations will also be feature in the upcoming fully electric BMW i4 and BMW iNEXT models.
Bespoke products and services from BMW Charging and innovative digital services from BMW Connected Charging give customers a broad variety of choices when it comes to simple, fast and convenient charging of the high-voltage battery at home, at the workplace or mid-journey. This wide-ranging offer reflects the BMW Group's all-encompassing approach on electric mobility, which continues beyond the vehicle itself. It covers a variety of customer requirements and circumstances and helps new BMW iX3 owners to make optimum use of their car's capabilities both in everyday driving and over longer distances.
Power of Choice: BMW X3 model range with flexible drive system technology and wide-reaching charging strategy answers mobility needs worldwide
The new BMW iX3 is a fully-fledged Sports Activity Vehicle whose myriad qualities are rooted in the conceptual blueprint of the globally successful, conventionally powered BMW X3. The SAV for the premium midsize segment is one of the BMW brand's first models whose architecture offers a new level of flexibility within the drive system technology developed for it. Thanks to this future-focused approach, the BMW X3 will be the brand's first model to be available with highly efficient petrol and diesel engines, a locally emission-free plug-in hybrid system or a pure-electric drive.
The flexibility built into the BMW X3 embodies the strategic Power of Choice approach the BMW Group has implemented to meet the specific mobility needs of customers around the world. To this end, a wide spectrum of drive system technologies has spawned a selection of precisely targeted models adapted to meet a vast array of legal parameters and individual requirements.
The BMW iX3 has a unique rear axle subframe and bespoke chassis integration to help it meet the particular demands on a pure-electric vehicle concept. As well as the instantaneous power delivery of its electric motor and model-specific suspension tuning, it offers the combination of sporty, agile handling, excellent direction stability and supreme traction in adverse weather conditions and on loose ground, fulfilling customers expectations of a Sports Activity Vehicle.
With these qualities in place, the new BMW iX3 has an eye on both the current requirements of the electric vehicle segment and its future face. In its fifth generation, the BMW eDrive technology has reached a level of development beyond the one of market rivals and it provides an outstanding basis for economically sustainable applications in volume production models. At the same time, the strong appeal of its vehicle concept goes hand in hand with the rising demand worldwide for all-electric premium cars. The arrival of a highly efficient electric model in the globally popular premium midsize Sports Activity Vehicle segment contributes hugely to the reduction in CO2 emissions from road traffic. The new BMW iX3 is therefore the right electric vehicle at the right time.
Sports Activity Vehicle blazes a trail for sustainable mobility
And so a BMW X model once again acts as a pioneer for a new and ground-breaking take on the brand's hallmark driving pleasure. In 2015 the predecessor of the current BMW X5 xDrive45e became the first plug-in hybrid to be offered by the core BMW brand, joining the BMW i8 as the second PHEV in the BMW Group range. Following in the tyre tracks of the BMW i3 and MINI Cooper SE, the BMW iX3 is now the first pure-electric X model in the BMW Group portfolio. By 2023 the plan is for the number of electrified models in the line-up to have reached 25, of which 13 will run on electric power alone.
The development of the BMW iX3 was based on the experience amassed by the BMW i brand since 2011 and the BMW Group's well-grounded expertise in the field of electric mobility. The history of electric mobility at BMW can be traced back to 1972, when electrically powered variants of the BMW 02 saw action as support vehicles for marathon races at the Olympic Games in Munich. The years that followed yielded a number of prototypes with electric drive systems, which helped the engineers to build up a substantial knowledge base on e-mobility and the technology required to make it work. The launch of Project i in 2007 lit the fuse for the development of a series-produced model conceived from the ground up to provide electric mobility in urban areas. The BMW i3 went on sale in 2013, followed by the BMW i8 - still the world's most successful plug-in hybrid sports car - in 2014.
Since then, the BMW i brand has acted as a breeding ground for the electrified drive systems now found in BMW and MINI brand models, as electrified vehicles roll off the assembly lines at ten BMW Group production facilities around the world. Their BMW eDrive components are produced at the factories in Dingolfing (Germany), Shenyang (China) and Spartanburg (USA).
The drive components based on BMW eDrive technology are in-house developments by the BMW Group. The electric motor, the power electronics and high-voltage battery are built in the company's own production facilities. This ensures the BMW Group has a direct hand in determining the product attributes and quality of the individual components. For example, producing prototype battery cells helps the BMW Group develop a deep understanding of the chemical properties of high-voltage battery systems and enables it to prepare the relevant suppliers to manufacture the cells according to its specific requirements.
The BMW Group has therefore carried over its development and manufacturing expertise with drive system technology to BMW eDrive components, leading to the creation of standalone solutions and outstanding concepts for electric vehicles. The new BMW iX3 owes its forward-looking character to the unique combination of its electric drive system's efficiency, the optimised energy density of its high-voltage battery and its high charging power. This is the result of the BMW Group's many years of unwavering development work in the field of electric mobility. The advances achieved since the market launch of the BMW i3 - combined with a helping hand from fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology - enable improvements in operating range through intelligently enhanced efficiency. This means that disproportionately large batteries, which would have a negative effect on vehicle weight, driving dynamics and electric power consumption, can be avoided. This typical BMW concept not only reduces energy costs but also optimises the car's sporty driving characteristics and enables long-distance journeys to be completed at high average speeds.
Positive environmental rating over the entire vehicle lifecycle
At the BMW Group, every electrified model has to demonstrate a clearly superior CO2 environmental performance - from procurement of raw materials to the supply chain, production, use phase and recycling - over a comparable conventionally powered vehicle. The BMW iX3 outperforms the diesel-powered BMW X3 xDrive 20d by more than 30 per cent when charging with average European electricity in the use phase and roughly 60 per cent when exclusively green energy is used.
The extensive use of secondary raw materials in the manufacture of aluminium castings and thermoplastics, the absence of rare earths thanks to an innovative design for the electric motor and the across-the-board use of renewable energy in the production of the new BMW iX3, including the cell manufacturing for the high-voltage battery, have also had a positive effect on the car's environmental footprint. The analysis and conclusions of the environmental assessment for the iX3 - spanning the full value chain and the vehicle's entire lifecycle - will be verified and certified by an independent testing institute by the time production begins.
The first all-electric Sports Activity Vehicle therefore sets new standards in its class when it comes to efficiency and range, the sparing use of raw materials and the lowering of CO2 emissions throughout the product lifecycle.
The drive system
The new BMW iX3 blazes a trail for the latest development stage in electrified drive systems. The fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology stands out with its all-new, highly integrated design principle for the drive components. The electric motor, power electronics and transmission are now arranged together in a single housing. The highly integrated electric drive system topology allows a substantial reduction in the installation space required and the weight of the components relative to the power they produce. This has brought about an increase in power density of around 30 per cent compared with the BMW eDrive technology featured in existing electrified models.
The fifth-generation electric drive system will also be fitted in the BMW i4 and BMW iNEXT models from 2021. It is highly scalable and can be adapted to varying vehicle concepts, installation space and power requirements.
The electric motor developed for the new BMW iX3 produces a maximum output of 210 kW/286 hp and develops peak torque of 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) from rest. The new BMW iX3 therefore has by far the most powerful e-drive system ever fitted in an electrified model from the BMW brand. It also helps to generate the driving pleasure for which BMW is renowned, courtesy of its signature performance characteristics and consummate silence. The latest version of the electric motor developed in-house by the BMW Group displays exceptional efficiency of up to 93 per cent.
Universal solution for charging at home or work: the new Flexible Fast Charger
The charging voucher allows its holder to order the newly developed Flexible Fast Charger at no extra cost. This new type of power cable is being offered for the first time and can be used for charging at home or at work. Market-specific adapters make it possible to hook up the high-voltage battery in the new BMW iX3 to either a standard domestic socket or an industrial socket using the Flexible Fast Charger, which is approximately six metres in length. In this way, the car can be charged at a rate of up to 11 kW (three-phase supply).
A mode 3 cable for connecting the new BMW iX3 to a public charging point offering high-power charging is also supplied as standard.
Convenient charging on the go with the BMW Charging Card and special rates at IONITY fast-charging stations
BMW has been actively involved in the expansion of the public charging infrastructure from day one. As well as setting up charging stations on both the company's own premises and public sites, it has also focused on creating a global network that makes the process of charging, payment and billing straightforward for customers. Today, the BMW Charging Card or a suitable app let customers top up their electric vehicle with power easily and conveniently using a simple billing model. They can do so at currently around 450,000 public charging points run by different operators all over the world. This constantly growing network represents a good solution for customers who are not able to install an adequate charging infrastructure at home, who would like to combine parking and charging (while shopping, going out for dinner, etc.) or who are planning to drive long distances - to holiday destinations, for example.
The BMW Charging network also incorporates high-power charging stations, including the fast-charging stations in Europe run by IONITY, a joint venture launched by the BMW Group and various partners and designed to facilitate long-distance electric mobility. IONITY operates a steadily increasing number of high-power charging stations along Europe's key traffic arteries. The high feed-in power at DC fast-charging stations allows BMW iX3 drivers to replenish the high-voltage battery's energy reserves in a short amount of time.
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