First units of pure-electric BMW iX3 to appear in China by yearend

MANILA: The BMW Group is methodically following its electrification plan for the standard production of the new BMW iX3, the first fully electric SUV of the brand, at the BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) Plant in Dadong, China. The vehicle is set to roll out into the market by the end of 2020.

The testing needed for the homologation of the new BMW iX3 has been completed effectively, and the results were brought to the regulatory authorities in major automobile markets.

Head of Development of BMW iX3 Arno Keller stated that this is the first time that the auto brand has accomplished the whole homologation process for the purely electric model in Europe and China at the same time. More than 7,700 kms of test drives and over 340 hours of testing had to be finished within four weeks for this particular model.

Manufacture preparations of the BMW iX3 were enhanced, and BBA has been generating BMW iX3 pre-production vehicles at the Dadong facility in China since mid-2019. The 200^th pre-production model recently emerged from the assembly line. Test driving also began, and test and development engineers will make some final adjustments on the vehicle.

BBA plant director of Dadong, Robert Küssel said that the BMW Group would be using cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence for monitoring components and the custom installation of the new high-voltage battery of the vehicle. They will also generate the purely-electric BMW iX3 and the BMW X3 equipped with a combustion engine on the same manufacturing line. This allows them to attain flexibility and high efficiency during the production process.

The electric vehicle is based on the successful BMW X3. It merges the robust functionality and flexibility of an exceptional mid-size Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) with revolutionary drive technology for an emission-free driving experience. The BMW X3 is also regarded as the first model of the auto brand to come with conventional diesel and petrol engines, a purely electric drive train, or a plug-in hybrid system.

The “Power of Choice” strategy enables the BMW Group to handle the various preferences and needs of customers globally and optimize its effect in decreasing global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The BMW iX3 is available with fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology, which includes power electronics, a drive unit with the electric engine, and transmission that is highly incorporated into the main housing. This allows the reduction of the installation space and mass of the drive technology relative to the output. It also provides additional versatility for the installation of new electric powertrain parts in various vehicle derivatives.

The BMW iX3 also has a range of about 440 km in the WLTP test cycle (initial data), which lays the groundwork for the BMW eDrive technology to be utilized in the BMW iNEXT and BMW i4 models from 2021 onwards.

The BMW iX3 will not only be available for new customer groups, but it will also come off the market at a period when there is a significant demand for electric vehicles (EVs). Thus, Filipino  BMW customers can hope that the BMW iX3 will also be available in the Philippines in the future.

Photos from BMW

Also read: BMW PH opens digital showroom, introduces service packages, BMW iX3 EV is set for production in 2020 and comes with 440 km range