BMW’s New iX3 Just Smashed Its Range Rating With a 1,000-km Run on One Charge

The BMW iX3 is exceeding expectations in more ways than one. Not only is demand for the futuristic-looking electric crossover so great that BMW can’t build it fast enough, but the iX3 has also managed to impress in the one department where EVs are typically disappointing: range. In a video on the BMW Group’s YouTube channel (embedded at the end of this article), the iX3 traveled over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) on a single charge on public roads, from its Debrecen plant to its Munich headquarters – and it still had 2% of its battery remaining (roughly 20 km/12.4 miles). To be more specific, the iX3 traveled 1,007.7 km/626.1 miles, exceeding its official WLTP estimate of 800km/497 miles by more than 200 km/120 miles. And if we look at the Environmental Protection Agency’s rating, the feat is even more impressive – the EPA puts the iX3’s range at up to 400 miles.

How BMW Beat The Official Estimates

To conserve as much energy as possible, the team at BMW employed numerous energy-saving measures, such as refraining from using the air conditioning or heating systems and keeping the multimedia system off. Boring, but necessary. The testers also avoided freeways, as moving at such high speeds would increase air resistance. Naturally, the team also chose a route that avoided as many traffic lights as possible. Interestingly, while most manufacturers might have chosen a mostly downhill path to minimize energy consumption, the route from Debrecen to Munich is actually uphill, with the former city 120 meters above sea level and the latter 520 meters above sea level. In addition, the team had to activate the iX3’s headlights for part of the trip, losing around 60 watts in the process. There were also, obviously, a few instances where the team had to use the brakes, so conditions were not absolutely ideal.

BMW iX3 Specifications

The remarkable achievement was thanks to BMW’s all-new sixth-generation eDrive technology, a hallmark of the Neue Klasse electric architecture. This uses new motors (an asynchronous motor on the front axle and an electrically excited synchronous motor on the rear) and a new 800-volt electrical system that is claimed to be 40% more efficient than the Gen-5 system, also reducing weight by 10%. In this 50 xDrive configuration, the iX3 boasts 463 horsepower and 476 lb-ft of torque, enough to get from 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 130 mph. Towing capacity comes in at 4,400 lbs. On paper, the iX3 is already impressive, but after this real-world test, the EV is a standout performer – even better than Mercedes’ 749-mile EQS, which was only a prototype. Well done, Bavarians.