BMW's electric avenue: Flagship iX SUV will cost £85,000 and have a 376-mile range to take on the might of Tesla (and if the car is too big it's launching a scooter instead)
- The iX has two electric motors developing 500 horsepower and accelerates from rest to 62mph in 5 seconds
- A 100kWh battery provides 372 miles of range and charging to 80% takes 40 minutes using a DC fast charger
- The family-size SUV with be autonomous-ready, hiding all the tech required for self-driving behind the grille
- Production will start mid-2021 and first deliveries by the end of next year, with prices starting at around £85k
- BMW will also launch an electric scooter from next year, which also features a connected parka jacket that illuminates to make the rider more visible in traffic
German car giant BMW has today launched a new all-electric iX SUV that will take on the might of Tesla and other battery-powered rivals with a price tag in the region of £85,000.
Bosses say it is the most technically advanced BMW to date and has the capacity to become an autonomous vehicle, with much of its tech hidden away out of view behind the traditional kidney-shaped grille.
The plug-in SUV was launched in tandem with an electric scooter as part of BMW's 'NextGen 2020' programme to showcase the vehicles and technology it intends to bring to market from 2021.
BMW electric avenue: This is the German car giant's new flagship iX SUV, which will be on sale from next year with prices starting from around £85,000BMW says the iX marks a step change in the car-firm's future direction towards intelligent mobility and self-driving technology by bringing together the car-giant's latest development in design, automated driving, connectivity, electrification and sustainability.
It says: 'The BMW iX is the first representative of a trailblazing generation of cars poised to redefine the driving experience.'
Equipped initially with a modest level of automated self-driving tech, it has the capability of upgrading in future.Driven by two powerful electric motors developing 500 horsepower, the new iX accelerates from rest to 62mph in under five seconds and the top speed is likely to be electronically limited to 155mph - just like BMW petrol and diesel cars.
A high voltage 100kWh battery should allow up to 372 miles of range. That compares to the 348-mile range of the best Tesla Model X SUV.
Charging up to 80 per cent takes 40 minutes on a 200kW DC fast charger. And a ten minute burst is enough to add 75 miles of range, it says. Charging from a domestic 11kW wallbox tales under 11 hours.
Charging up to 80% takes 40 minutes using a fast charger while replenishing the batteries from a domestic 11kW wallbox tales under 11 hours
The iX is powered by a pair of electric motors developing a combined 500 horsepower
The large electris SUV will be able to accelerates from rest to 62mph in under 5 seconds and the top speed is likely to be electronically limited to 155mph - just like BMW petrol and diesel cars
Production is to start in the second half of next year at BMW's Dingolfing factory in Bavaria, with sales from late November 2021.
Although no prices have been announced, as the flagship sports activity vehicle with electric power it is expected to cost from around £85,000.
Explaining why the new flagship iX exemplifies its modest and hidden 'shy-tech' approach, BMW said much of the prominent trademark kidney grille - which has grown much larger in recent years with almost cartoon-like proportions - has been blanked off because the car's electric drive system requires only a small amount of cooling air.
Instead the covered grille now conceals a host of sensors and scanners: 'Camera technology, radar functions and other sensors are integrated seamlessly into the grille behind a transparent surface.
'The grille has reinvented itself as an innovative and multifunctional high-tech interface for the advanced driver assistance systems with which the BMW iX paves the way for automated driving.'
A high voltage 100kWh battery should allow up to 372 miles of range in the new BMW iX, which would be class-leading if it hit the market right now
How does it compare to Tesla? The longest-range Model X SUV is the the Long Range Plus version, which can cover up to 348 miles on a single charge. It is priced at £82,980, so it going to go head-to-head with the battery-powered Beemer
Instead of providing cooling to a petrol or diesel engine, the huge kidney grille now acts as a cover to conceals a host of sensors and scanners that can be used for autonomous driving when it becomes legal in the UK in years to come
Production is to start in the second half of next year at BMW's Dingolfing factory in Bavaria, with sales from late November 2021
The firm adds: 'The BMW kidney grille is not the only example of how the principle of shy tech has been integrated into the design of the BMW iX.
'An array of other cameras and sensors are positioned discreetly, the door openers are flush, the windscreen washer-fluid cap is concealed under the BMW logo on the bonnet and the rear-view camera has been integrated into the BMW logo on the tailgate.
'In each case, the technology stays in the background and only becomes apparent as and when the relevant functions are called into action.'
The car's so-called 'new technology tool-kit' allows for 'significant progress in the area of automated driving and digital services' and enables it for the latest super-fast 5G cellular mobile connectivity – that can transmit the data in a DVD in just over a second.
Computing power alone has been boosted to process 20 times the amount of data on previous models: 'As a result, around double the amount of data from vehicle sensors can be processed than was previously possible,' the German car giant states.
BMW says the iX marks a step change in the car-firm's future direction towards intelligent mobility and self-driving technology by bringing together the car-giant's latest development in design, automated driving, connectivity, electrification and sustainability
The new iX is the product of the electric BMWi division and has been developed at the firm's lightweight design and technology centre in Landshut, Bavaria
Its green credentials are enhanced by efficient aerodynamics from its minimalist exterior which helps reduce drag and extend range, a lightweight design, and extensive use of natural and recycled materials
BMW development director Frank Weber said: 'We are setting new industry standards with the technology in the BMW iX.It has more computing power for data processing and more powerful sensor technology than the newest vehicles in our current line-up, is 5G-capable, will be given new and improved automated driving and parking functions and uses the high-performing fifth generation of our electric drive system.'
The new iX is the product of the electric BMWi division and has been developed at the firm's lightweight design and technology centre in Landshut, Bavaria.
In terms of size, BMW says the new electric sports activity vehicle is similar in length and width to the X5 and, thanks to its flowing roof line, almost the same height as the BMW X6. The large wheels are more in keeping with the BMW X7.
Its green credentials are enhanced by efficient aerodynamics from its minimalist exterior which helps reduce drag and extend range, a lightweight design, and extensive use of natural and recycled materials.
The electric powertrain is also constructed without reliance on rare earth materials whose supplies are being rapidly depleted.
The firm added: 'The batteries fitted in the BMW iX are designed as part of a long term resource cycle and enable an exceptionally high recycling rate.'
The spacious and minimalist cabin interior is stripped back and uncluttered to emphasise calm and relaxation. A mixture of high-quality materials, five newly developed seats with integral head restraints, a large panoramic glass roof are designed to create 'a luxurious, lounge-like ambience'.
The spacious and minimalist cabin interior is stripped back and uncluttered to emphasise calm and relaxation
Displays and controls are all stripped down to the essentials. Technology inside is intelligent and intuitive and only becomes visible when it is needed, says BMW bosses
The lack of a conventional petrol or diesel engine and drivetrain means there is no central tunnel running through the cabin. Instead, there's a flashy centre console BMW says is 'crafted to look like a high-quality piece of furniture'
The lack of a conventional petrol or diesel engine and drivetrain means there is no central tunnel running through the cabin – adding to a spacious feeling and creating extra legroom in the front and rear, plenty of storage space and a flashy centre console BMW says is 'crafted to look like a high-quality piece of furniture'.
'The hexagonally shaped steering wheel, a rocker switch for gear selection and the BMW curved display – which forms part of the next-generation BMW operating system – signals the futuristic form of driving on offer.'
BMW chief executive Oliver Zipse said: 'The BMW Group is constantly trying to re-invent itself. That is a central element of our corporate strategy. The BMW iX expresses this approach in an extremely concentrated form.'
Design boss Adrian van Hooydonk added: 'The BMW iX offers a mobile living space in which people will feel at ease and the car's intelligence is always available without becoming obtrusive.
'The car is technologically highly complex, but it feels very clear and uncomplicated.'
While there is no claimed boot capacity, it should be relatively capacious given the hulking dimensions of the iX.
And there is also no storage space up front, despite there not being a combustion engine under the hood. Instead, the clamshell bonnet is fixed and can't be opened.
However, to access the windscreen washer bottle located within, owners will need to push down on the BMW badge at the front and the container for the fluid rises on a spring through the hole left by the famous emblem.
Last year the BMW Group – which includes MINI in Oxford, Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, and the Hams Hall engine plant in the Midlands - sold over 2.5 million passenger vehicles and more than 175,000 motorcycles worldwide.
It already builds the electric MINI-e at Oxford and Rolls-Royce has announced it is to build a fully electric limousine within a decade.
The iX will be similar in size to the BMW X5, so will seat a family of 5 in supreme comfort with plenty of boot storage space
A mixture of high-quality materials, five newly developed seats with integral head restraints, a large panoramic glass roof are designed to create 'a luxurious, lounge-like ambience'
Can it take on the might of Tesla? Time will tell...
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