BMW iX3, i4, iNEXT: the new electric cars from BMW

BMW is preparing an offensive led by its new electric cars, the BMW iX3, the BMW i4 and the BMW iNEXT, which are already in testing phase in the Arctic Circle.

BMW is speeding up in the race that all manufacturers seem to have started towards electrifying their ranges. In addition to currently having one of the broadest offers of plug-in hybrid cars, BMW now wants to add new electric cars to its “i” range, which currently includes the BMW i3 and BMW i8.

And BMW’s short-term plans include the launch of three new electric cars: the BMW iX3, which will be on sale in 2020, and the BMW i4 and BMW iNEXT, which will arrive in 2021. All three are undergoing tough real-world tests under extreme conditions in the Arctic Circle, where electric cars face more problems due to low temperatures.

Here, BMW is fine-tuning the battery system and power electronics of its eDrive technology.

BMW iX3: the first electric SUV from BMW

The first of BMW’s three new electric cars to reach the market will be the BMW iX3, the electric version of the BMW X3, of which we already saw a preview in the form of a prototype with the BMW iX3 Concept.

BMW assures that its future electric SUV will have a powerful motor and a state-of-the-art battery system that will guarantee dynamic qualities that will be a benchmark in its category. And it confirms that, thanks to the ability to charge at up to 150 kW (like the new Audi e-tron), it will once again be possible to have enough battery capacity for long-distance journeys in just 30 minutes.

The WLTP cycle range will exceed 400 km, and the BMW iX3 will be manufactured by BMW Brilliance Automotive, at the Shenyang plant in China.

BMW i4: the rival of the Audi e-tron Sportback

From 2021, the BMW i4 will roll out of BMW’s Munich plant. A sporty four-door coupé that will use what will be the fifth generation of eDrive technology.

Among others, it will compete with a car from its most direct rival, which by then will already be on the market: the Audi e-tron Sportback. And it promises more than a spectacular design. To start with, performance, with an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in under 4 seconds, and a top speed of 200 km/h, which is not bad for an electric car. But above all, its range, which according to the brand will exceed 600 km.

BMW iNEXT: designed to be electric

As for the BMW iNEXT, which the brand presented as a prototype at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year, we are looking at an SUV designed from scratch to be electric, like the Audi e-tron or Mercedes EQC.

As with the BMW i4, the fifth-generation eDrive system also makes it possible in this case to announce a range of more than 600 km. But the iNEXT goes much further. It will debut a new modular platform that will serve as the basis for future developments, and it will be prepared for Level 3 automated driving.

The BMW iNEXT is expected to be manufactured at BMW’s Dingolfing plant from 2021.