BMW is readying its all new iX3, the company's first electric SUV. The company has said that production of the electric SUV will commence in 2020. BMW says that the iX3 will boast of a range of more than 440 km and that will be achieved with a battery size of 74 kWh. The first purely electric Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) will come with the 5th generation of the BMW eDrive technology which, starting 2021, will also be deployed in the BMW i4 and the BMW iNEXT. For this purpose, both the drive system and the high-voltage battery unit featuring pioneering battery cell technology have been completely redeveloped.
In 2020 the BMW X3 will become the brand's first model available both with conventional petrol and diesel engines as well as plug-in hybrid and purely electric drive. The BMW iX3 is produced for the world market by the joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive in Shenyang, China.
This is the 5th generation of the BMW eDrive
In the BMW iX3, the BMW eDrive technology comprises a drive unit in which electric motor, system electronics and transmission are brought together into a central housing. As a result, the required installation space of the drive technology and its weight are considerably reduced. The ratio between motor output and weight of the drive system improves around 30 percent compared to the previous generation.
The electric motor featured in the BMW iX3 delivers a maximum power output of 282 bhp and a peak torque of 400 Nm. A further special feature of the electric motor being deployed in the BMW iX3 for the first time is a construction method that eliminates the need for rare earth materials.
The company now confirms that the electric motor used in the BMW iX3 transfers power to the rear wheels. BMW engineers were able to reduce the share of cobalt contained in the battery by another two thirds. Compared to former technology used by BMW Group, the gravimetric energy density on cell level in the BMW iX3 is around 20 percent higher.
With the BMW iX3 the raw materials Cobalt and Lithium for the first time are purchased by BMW directly and then handed over to the producer of the battery cells.
