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BMW IX Brings 5,500 Lbs to the Moose Test, Shows Us How Inertia Works in Real Life

BMW's iX, the largest electric vehicle offered by the German brand so far, has faced the moose test. As you will observe, the long and wide body, along with the vehicle's weight, work against it when it has to change direction quickly.
2022 BMW iX performing the moose test in Spain 6 photos
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video by km77
2022 BMW iX performing the moose test in Spain2022 BMW iX performing the moose test in Spain2022 BMW iX performing the moose test in Spain2022 BMW iX performing the moose test in Spain2022 BMW iX performing the moose test in Spain
As seen in the video, the vehicle weighs 2,530 kilograms (5,577 lbs.) including driver and its width is 1.9 meters (c. 74.8 inches). Both values are high, and they reflect a wide and heavy vehicle.

While the “gates” made of cones are adapted accordingly for the width of the vehicle, the distance between them is never changed, so wider and longer vehicles tend to have less impressive results in this kind of test. The tested example was a 2022 BMW iX xDrive40 with Pirelli PZero Elect 255/50 R21 109Y tires.

For this test, the Spaniards at km77 drove the BMW iX at 80 kph (49.7 mph) for its first attempt, which was faster than the regular 77 kph (47.8 mph) employed by them.

The first attempt was failed from the start, as the vehicle touched a cone, and then understeer ensued in such a way that there was no point in continuing the test.

While the reactions of the vehicle were never dangerous or concerning, the driver could not manage to keep the vehicle between the cones at the normal test speed. On the contrary, as the Spaniards noted, the iX is a vehicle with a good stability, little body roll, and the intervention of the electronic stability control is described as "barely noticeable."

The situation is similar to that of many other EVs, although many models passed with ease, while others struggled in this test. As the Spaniards underline, managing the resulting inertia of weight like this is not easy, and the tires have to work the most. When it does not come together, the effect is understeer, and it gets worse as the speed increases.

It is worth noting that an increase in aggression when maneuvering the steering wheel can lead to an increase in understeer, so watch out for input like that in any vehicle, not just in the BMW iX. Watch the video below and see how the German EV handles itself between the cones.

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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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