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2023 BMW i5 Endures Testing in Sub-Zero Conditions, Passes With Flying Colors

BMW is working on the first 5 Series-based EV. When it hits the road, the i5 will be available in two body styles: the i5 Sedan and i5 Touring. The Germans have been working hard on testing the EVs in harsh conditions. The team wants to make sure they get it right when these two roll off the assembly line. The i5s have made their way through various challenging environments, such as the Arctic Circle and the Alps.
BMW i5 Winter Testing 85 photos
Photo: BMW
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The eighth generation of the 5 Series will have an extensive range featuring gasoline engines, mild hybrids, and plug-in hybrids, while the diesels will only end up in Europe. There’s also the M5 in the cards. For the first time, BMW brings an electric version to the lineup. Or more, actually. The i5 40 and the range-topping M60 xDrive are part of the Bavarians' plan.

Tests for the i5 have been going on for about a year and there's still a long way to go. BMW’s development engineers have worked day in, day out on the car’s ability to withstand low temperatures and surfaces with little grip.

The i5 Sedan is still wearing camouflage, so we can only guess the new design cues. But there are things we can be sure of. The front fascia will display a closed grille. There will be redesigned front and rear bumpers, while the tailpipes are, of course, out of the question.

The first time the new BMW i5 had to prove its worth was in February 2022. Back then, it completed a road trip from Munich to the BMW test center in Arjeplog, Sweden. It set off on a five-day test drive from the Bavarian Alps to Denmark and then to the edge of the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland.

That meant around 3,000 km (1,864 miles) of intense testing, an opportunity for engineers to see how the motors, power electronics, the battery, and the heating and cooling systems behave in a long-distance drive. The i5 features the fifth generation of the BMW eDrive technology, further upgraded for the upcoming EV. It enables the vehicle to offer long ranges and short charging times, even when operating in sub-zero temperatures.

After arriving in Arjeplog, BMW’s team tested how the chassis components, steering, and braking systems in the perfect extreme setting on the snowy roads and frozen lakes of northern Sweden. Moreover, the driving dynamics and stability systems were also evaluated to see how they fared in these conditions.

Extensive testing followed throughout 2022, in and around Munich and near the BMW Group Plant Dingolfing. There, BMW focused on developing the chassis technology and acoustic properties and worked on fine-tuning the drive unit’s power delivery. The Nurburgring has also been the i5's playground.

Last winter, the BMW i5 was regularly sent out on the icy and snowy roads in the Alpine foothills, only it featured less camouflage than what we had seen before, as well as near-production headlights. The functionality and reliability of the powertrain and chassis control systems continued to be analyzed.

In February 2023, the BMW i5 returned to Sweden for the second round of testing, where the focus was placed on fine-tuning all powertrain and chassis control systems. In the i5, the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system is interlinked with the drive torque control system and the near-actuator wheel slip limitation function to provide the best response in all driving situations by interacting and complementing one another.

The BMW i5 series is starting production this summer. Its launch in Germany is scheduled for October. The United States will be among the first markets across the globe to get the new EV.
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 Download: BMW i5 Winter Testing (PDF)

About the author: Mircea Mazuru
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Starting out with a motorcycle permit just because he could get one two years earlier than a driver's license, Mircea keeps his passion for bikes (motor or no motor) alive to this day. His lifelong dream is to build his own custom camper van.
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