The uptake of electric vehicles has been slow, but BMW’s new wave of electric vehicles aim to be as easy to own and use as the petrol combustion cars once were
When BMW introduced the groundbreaking i3 electric car back in 2013, it represented what to expect of an electric future, but its cherubic styling was not to everyone's taste. BMW was not alone, as the entire industry at that time was draping their electric cars (EV) with a rather controversial styling, making it hard for consumers to embrace EVs wholeheartedly.
Today, manufacturers are styling their EV offerings much like any normal car. Indeed, the latest iX3 from BMW is styled almost exactly like the petrol-driven X3 SUV. Better styling addresses this particular resistance to ownership, signalling that EVs are now mainstream and better poised to eventually take the lion's share of sales.
In the past few years, supercar rivalling models have made headlines and we are now aware that EVs are inherently capable of spectacular performance thanks to the superior power delivery of the electric motor. While such extreme capability creates interesting conversation, it hardly finds use in our crowded city streets, not to mention the price tag that only a slim margin can afford.
BMW's take on the next-generation EV is one of practicality and affordability. Not everyone wants a pricey SUV to challenge supercars. They are far more accepting of what they owned previously, only now with an electric motor instead of the petrol power plant. It is not surprising that the new BMW iX3 could be mistaken as just another BMW X3 SUV because that is exactly what BMW did. Instead of creating a costly, separate platform for the EV models, BMW decided to incorporate EV models into its current range of cars.
See also: BMW Ups the Ante With a New Dynamic Duo, the M3 and M4
The X3 model range is an ideal starting point because the SUV form lends itself well to the EV configuration as size and weight are not the primary concern of the typical SUV buyer. One of the biggest concerns of the EV is its maximum range. Though most owners will never travel over 400 km in a single day, they still want the assurance of such capability and manufacturers have been targeting that figure.
BMW has achieved a 450 to 459 km range for the iX3 not because they have a huge, hefty battery pack but because they have avoided performance overkill and settled for a level considered decent. With a modest 286 hp electric motor and 400 Nm of torque, it will get to 100 km/h in a reasonable 6.8 seconds. Its top speed is an electronically governed 180 km/h. It looks weedy on paper but rest assured it is not.
See also: Sonia Ong Connects With the BMW 7 Series’ Strength of Character