Already a Range Champ
The BMW iX3 has already established itself as quite the range champion. Not only does it back up the manufacturer claims, but it can also actually eke out a little bit more out of its battery packs. While having large batteries does help, it’s the energy efficiency that’s worth commending here.
Per the EPA, the iX3 50 xDrive can go as far as 434 miles on a single charge. However, an independent real-world test managed to beat that by going 485 miles. If anything, BMW can be proud of its EVs and be glad that it didn’t immediately jump into the EV rush of the early 2020s.
Meanwhile in China
Over in China, the iX3 is a little different. It looks the same and has the same architecture, but there are a couple of things that should make it more appealing to Chinese customers. For starters, it’s been stretched, as that market values rear legroom, and it has conventional door handles as required there. It even has its own infotainment system different from the rest of the world.
The powertrain of the Chinese iX3 is exactly the same as the one offered worldwide, though. The iX3 50L xDrive has two motors that put out 469 hp and 476 lb-ft, sending power to all four wheels. Its 800v architecture allows for fast charging, allowing it to recoup about 250 miles after 10 minutes. As for the battery capacity, it’s rated at 108 kWh.
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An Even Longer Range
Cars in China are required to have their respective specs listed before going out on sale, allowing us to see the details before it reaches (Chinese) showrooms. With that, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has its range and energy consumption figures, and it’s pretty impressive.
The Chinese MIIT lists the iX3 50L xDrive range at 919 km, along with an energy consumption rate of 13.6 kWh/100 km. Convert those numbers to imperial, and it’s 571 miles of range and 154 MPGe. For reference, the U.S-spec model does 434 miles with a full charge and up to 105 MPGe.
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Overly Optimistic?
Those are amazing numbers, indeed. The skepticism is understandable, though, as it’s pretty far ahead of EPA ratings. So, what gives? Well, Chinese testing cycles are on the optimistic side, hence the seemingly inflated numbers. Mind you, the cars are actually tested, but what you’re looking at is the best-possible case scenario in the most ideal conditions. Achievable, yes, but incredibly difficult to replicate in the real world.
Still, over 500 miles of range is impressive even if you factor in real-world driving. But given that the specs are identical to the global iX3, we’re happy with that version. If there’s one thing we’d like from the Chinese model, it would be the conventional door handles.
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About the author
Anton Andres
News Editor