World premiere: BMW iX xDrive40 and the new iX xDrive50!

Photos by BMW

The highest requirements in terms of environmental compatibility are met across the entire value chain and the entire product life cycle of the vehicle. The BMW iX is currently completing the final phase of its series development process. The two model variants BMW iX xDrive2021 and BMW iX xDrive50 are available for its market launch, which begins at the end of 40. With the BMW iX, the successful Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) concept is being redefined. It is the first model based on a new, modular, scalable future construction kit from the BMW Group. The development and production of the BMW iX follow a holistic concept for sustainability, which includes compliance with strict environmental and social standards in the extraction of raw materials, the use of electricity from renewable sources and a high proportion of recycled materials.

BMW iX xDrive40 and xDrive50

“Technology drives the progress we need to meet even the greatest challenges. This applies in particular to climate protection, ”says Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “We are firmly convinced that truly outstanding mobility must be sustainable. For the BMW Group, there is no such thing as premium mobility without responsibility. "

"We have promised and we will deliver: The market launch of the BMW iX will start at the end of this year - and that in two versions: as a BMW iX xDrive40 and as a BMW iX xDrive50," says Pieter Nota, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG. responsible for customers, brands and sales. “We have already set the prices for Germany: The BMW iX xDrive40, for example, starts at 77 euros, which is the price level of a comparable BMW X300 with a conventional combustion engine. In addition, our customers benefit for the first time from additional offers for the vehicle functions that can be booked as well as from a seamless and particularly customer-oriented configuration process with personalized offers, ”continues Nota.

Controlled extraction of raw materials, production with 100 percent green electricity, high proportion of natural and recycled materials.

The cobalt and lithium required for the high-voltage storage system is procured by the BMW Group from controlled sources in Australia and Morocco and delivered to the manufacturers of the battery cells. For the manufacture of the battery cells as well as for the vehicle production at the BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, 100 percent green electricity from certified sources is used. In addition, the company has been purchasing aluminum since February 2021, which is produced using electricity from solar energy systems. A high proportion of secondary aluminum and recycled plastic also contribute to the resource-saving production of the BMW iX. FSC-certified wood, leather tanned with olive tree leaf extract and other natural materials are used in the interior. Recycled fishing nets, among other things, serve as the raw material for floor coverings and floor mats.

“We don't just hand over responsibility to the supplier network, but take on responsibility together with our direct suppliers. We benefit from our many years of experience and create processes to achieve better transparency and traceability, ”explains Dr. Andreas Wendt, Board Member of BMW AG for Purchasing and Supplier Network.

Electric motors: more dynamism, fewer critical raw materials.

In addition, the electric motors of the BMW iX are characterized by a design that makes it possible to dispense with so-called rare earths. They work on the principle of a current-excited synchronous machine. Instead of permanently installed permanent magnets, the excitation of the rotor in the motors of the BMW iX is triggered by the supply of electrical energy. This eliminates the use of critical raw materials for the manufacture of magnets, and the BMW Group makes itself independent of their availability.

The specific construction also has a positive effect on the performance characteristics. Due to the excitation of the rotor, which can be precisely controlled by means of a power supply, its maximum torque is already fully available immediately from a standstill. In addition, unlike conventional electric motors, it can be maintained over a particularly wide speed range. The driving experience in the BMW iX is not only characterized by an extremely spontaneous, but also by an exceptionally constant power delivery, which underlines the sportiness of the vehicle that is typical of the brand.

In the BMW iX xDrive50, the drive system, which consists of one motor on the front and one on the rear axle, develops a total output of more than 370 kW / 500 hp and enables acceleration from zero to 100 km / h in less than 5,0 seconds. The more than 240 kW or 300 hp drive system of the BMW iX xDrive40 ensures that the sprint from standstill to 100 km / h can be completed in just over 6,0 seconds.

Long range thanks to efficient drive technology and the latest battery cell technology.

The electric motor, transmission and power electronics of the BMW iX are highly integrated in a common housing. The compact design also benefits the efficiency of the drive system. The BMW iX has an outstanding level of efficiency in the competitive environment, which is further increased by optimized aerodynamic properties and intelligent lightweight construction. This enables average power consumption values ​​according to WLTP of less than 21,0 kWh per 100 kilometers for the BMW iX xDrive50 and less than 20,0 kWh per 100 kilometers for the BMW iX xDrive40.

Just like the engines, power electronics and charging technology, the high-voltage batteries in the BMW iX are part of the fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology. As an integral part of the body, they are arranged deep in the vehicle floor. The gravimetric energy density of the lithium-ion storage system has been increased by around 20 percent compared to the previous battery generation.

The battery cells are manufactured according to the precise specifications of the BMW Group and integrated in each model-specific high-voltage battery. In this way, the BMW iX xDrive50 at the BMW Group Plant Dingolfing receives a battery with a gross energy content of more than 100 kWh. The storage unit designed for the BMW iX xDrive40 has a gross energy content of more than 70 kWh. The BMW iX xDrive50 thus achieves a range of more than 600 kilometers determined in the WLTP test cycle. The range of the BMW iX xDrive40 is more than 400 kilometers. (All information on driving performance, energy consumption and range are forecasts based on the previous level of development of the vehicle.)

The new charging technology of the BMW iX enables direct current fast charging with particularly high performance. The BMW iX xDrive50 can charge its high-voltage battery with an output of up to 200 kW. The maximum charging power of the BMW iX xDrive40 is 150 kW. In this way, enough energy can be fed in within ten minutes to increase the range by more than 120 kilometers or more than 90 kilometers. With both model variants, the charge level of the high-voltage battery can be increased from 40 to 10 percent of its total capacity in less than 80 minutes.

New modular technology as the basis for further progress on the way to automated driving.

The new modular technology, used for the first time in the BMW iX, also forms the basis for significant progress in the areas of automated driving and digital services. For example, the computing power is geared towards processing a data volume that is 20 times higher than that of previous models. This means that around twice as much data from the vehicle sensors can be processed as before.

"With the technology of the BMW iX we are setting standards in the industry: The BMW iX has more computing power for data processing, more powerful sensors than the latest vehicles in our current portfolio, is 5G-capable, and will receive and use new and improved automated driving and parking functions the powerful fifth generation of our electric drive, ”says Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for development.

New design for a new driving experience.

The BMW iX is a pioneer for a future generation of automobiles with which the company is redefining sustainability, driving pleasure and premium characteristics. This pioneering character is clearly expressed in its design. It was developed from the inside out. The BMW iX is thus designed as an individual place for quality of life and well-being.

The clear and minimalist design of its exterior expresses the dawn of a new form of mobility that is consistently oriented towards the needs of the occupants. Its interior offers pioneering opportunities to use the time of driving in a self-determined manner while enjoying relaxation, security and a new form of luxury.

“The BMW iX shows how we can give new technologies a very modern and emotional design. The vehicle is technologically highly complex, but its appearance is very clear and uncomplicated, ”says Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design. "The BMW iX offers a mobile living space in which people feel comfortable and the vehicle's intelligence is always available without being obtrusive."

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BMW iX xDrive40 and the new BMW iX xDrive50 (I20)

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