The new BMW iX5 electric is ready to break records with a huge 141 kWh battery

BMW has now begun the final testing phase of the fifth-generation X5 SUV, under the internal code G65, around the Bavarian brand’s US plant in Spartanburg. This new model will bring a disruptive change by adding electric versions to the range for the first time, under the name iX5.

One notable element of the new iX5 is the capacity of its battery pack. BMW is not messing around, and we now know that the 60 xDrive version will arrive in Europe with an impressive battery pack of no less than 141 net kWh, reaching up to 144 usable kWh in the North American market.

In this way, the Bavarian manufacturer will far surpass the limit set so far by other premium electric SUVs from the competition, such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS or the Lucid Gravity, which do not reach 125 kWh. This is therefore the highest-capacity high-voltage battery pack fitted by BMW to one of its electric models, and one of the largest on the entire market. The BMW iX5 will feature an 800-volt architecture, absolutely essential so that charging times do not balloon with a battery of such capacity.

A heavyweight in the electric market

As expected, the BMW iX5 60 xDrive will offer all-wheel drive with a combined motor output of 425 kW, using the sixth generation of BMW’s eDrive technology. It remains to be seen, however, what the vehicle’s real-world performance will be and how its substantial weight will affect efficiency and real-world range. The Bavarian manufacturer has not yet released specific figures, but what we do know is that on the scales the new iX5 goes up to 2,950 kg. No joke.

It is also worth noting that, contrary to what many expected, the new iX5 is not based on BMW’s promising Neue Klasse architecture, but on the CLAR platform introduced in 2015. Even so, it incorporates some advanced components developed for the Neue Klasse, such as the high-performance control unit Heart of Joy, which includes the Driving Stack dynamic control system developed in-house by BMW.

The new X5 will be the first model from the brand to offer five different types of propulsion. In addition to the fully electric version we have referred to in the preceding paragraphs, there will also be versions with petrol and diesel engines featuring 48-volt mild-hybrid technology, plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and, for the first time, a hydrogen fuel cell version called iX5 Hydrogen, planned for 2028, about which we have already spoken on previous occasions here at HighMotor.

Series production of the new X5, including the combustion, plug-in hybrid and electric iX5 versions, will begin in the second half of 2026. First customer deliveries are expected between late 2026 and early 2027. Likewise, as we have already mentioned, the hydrogen version will arrive later, in 2028.

Technical specifications of this car

Off-RoadBMW X55 versions · from 96,150 €