Photo: BMW
Ahead of the 2018 Beijing Motor Show, BMW confirmed that the X3 would be made at the Dadong plant in Shenyang in addition to the Spartanburg plant in the United States, serving the People’s Republic and other markets in Asia.
What we didn’t know, however, was if the iX3 electric crossover based on the X3 would be manufactured in the Middle Kingdom as well. And as the headline implies, it will.
From Automotive News: “BMW plans to begin producing its first full-electric SUV, dubbed the iX3, in 2020 at its joint-venture plant in the northern city of Shenyang.” According to the report, the German automaker and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. “will sell the model abroad.”
BMW offered potential customers an early taste of the car at Auto China 2018, with the iX3 looking extremely similar to the X3. The kidney grilles and design of the bumpers are the biggest changes, as is the charging port door on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The door will be shared with the X3 iPerformance plug-in hybrid as well.
Contrary to expectations, the concept features one electric motor instead of a dual-motor setup in the same vein as Tesla and Jaguar. Quoted to develop more than 270 horsepower, the iX3 will deliver “over 400 kilometers (249 miles)” of range in the WLTP test cycle.
The lithium-ion battery, on the other hand, has a net capacity of “over 70 kWh.” For reference, the Tesla Model S comes from the get-go with 75 kWh and the much, much smaller Chevrolet Bolt relies on the energy stored in a 60-kWh battery pack.
When all is said and done, the iX3 isn't a bad effort at all. In fact, it’s the building block towards “fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology.” By that, the automaker refers to an electric drivetrain that will launch in 2021. The party piece is the driving range, estimated at 700 kilometers (435 miles).
From Automotive News: “BMW plans to begin producing its first full-electric SUV, dubbed the iX3, in 2020 at its joint-venture plant in the northern city of Shenyang.” According to the report, the German automaker and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. “will sell the model abroad.”
BMW offered potential customers an early taste of the car at Auto China 2018, with the iX3 looking extremely similar to the X3. The kidney grilles and design of the bumpers are the biggest changes, as is the charging port door on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The door will be shared with the X3 iPerformance plug-in hybrid as well.
Contrary to expectations, the concept features one electric motor instead of a dual-motor setup in the same vein as Tesla and Jaguar. Quoted to develop more than 270 horsepower, the iX3 will deliver “over 400 kilometers (249 miles)” of range in the WLTP test cycle.
The lithium-ion battery, on the other hand, has a net capacity of “over 70 kWh.” For reference, the Tesla Model S comes from the get-go with 75 kWh and the much, much smaller Chevrolet Bolt relies on the energy stored in a 60-kWh battery pack.
When all is said and done, the iX3 isn't a bad effort at all. In fact, it’s the building block towards “fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology.” By that, the automaker refers to an electric drivetrain that will launch in 2021. The party piece is the driving range, estimated at 700 kilometers (435 miles).
Google News