It will be the company's first purely electric Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV), employing fifth-generation eDrive technology. The i4 and iNEXT would exploit such tech from 2021.
BMW will still continue to offer the X3 with conventional petrol and diesel engines as well as a plug-in hybrid to meet different market requirements around the world.
The Concept iX3.
Both the drive system and the high-voltage battery unit featuring pioneering battery cell technology have been completely redeveloped in the iX3.
The rear-wheel drive iX3 would be produced in Shenyang, China, for global markets through BMW's joint venture company BMW Brilliance Automotive.
The advanced 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. BMW also claimed energy density in the iX3 is around 20 percent higher.
The electric motor featured in the iX3 delivers a maximum power output of 210 kW/286hp (preliminary). The torque of 400Nm allows for high initial acceleration and keeps a high level even at the upper motor speeds..
The construction method eliminates the need for rare earth materials. BMW engineers were able to reduce the use of cobalt in the battery by two thirds.
The battery cells are grouped into modules at specialised BMW production locations and finally assembled as high-voltage battery packs aligned to each model. The high-voltage battery unit in the iX3 is installed in an extremely flat position in the vehicle floor. As a result of this arrangement, there is no loss of space for passengers and the luggage compartment compared to the conventionally powered versions of the BMW X3.
Within its segment, the BMW iX3 boasts not only a unique low power consumption of less than 20 kWh/100km accordingly to the WLTP test cycle, but also stands for a novel ratio between battery size and range.
Because of the favourable efficiency rating of the drive components and the high energy density of the high-voltage battery unit, the iX3 achieves a range that is only possible for common electric vehicles with larger and thus heavier batteries.
In addition, BMW said the high-voltage battery can be reused as a stationary battery pack once its utility as a car battery ends.
