This year’s Beijing Motor Show will host a number of interesting pre-production models, several electric cars, and a dozen of concepts. Some of the models cover all three aspects. Take the BMW iX3 crossover concept for an example: the high-riding concept relies on electric power only and will hit the production lines in the coming year.
Single Motor, 270 Horsepower, and 250 Miles Of Drive Range
According to the German car manufacturer, the BMW iX3 crossover concept uses a single electric motor, which delivers 270 horsepower. The motor is packed together with the transmission, and power control units within a compact modular unit. The manufacturer claims that the package, so-to-say, can be scaled up and compatible with a big number of models. For the iX3, however, the carmaker promises at least 250 miles of drive range on a single charging. Speaking of that, the crossover will reportedly use a fast charge, which will fill up around 80 percent of battery in just 30 minutes. Even though the drivetrain seems to be pretty good, we are not impressed at all, because the Bavarian currently works on a new generation battery, which will provide a far more impressive drive range of more than 400 miles. Still, the new technology won’t be ready before the end of the decade, so it’s not going to be available when the production version of the BMW iX3 arrives next year.
Special Grille and Wheels
Styling-wise, well, as you can see, the electric crossover doesn’t look too futuristic as it was the case with some earlier electric BMWs. Instead, the manufacturer has decided to make it a bit different from models with internal combustion engines, and yet realistic enough so it can hit the showrooms right away. The car hosts some blue accent across the exterior, as well as the all-new grille, which is sealed off in order to reduce air resistance. The crossover features specific wheels too. They are fitted with aerodynamic patterns.
Arrival and Price
Judging by the first reports, the production-ready BMW iX3 will appear in 2020, though we think that the model could become available even earlier. The carmaker hasn’t said anything regarding the price, but let’s say that the SUV won’t lack behind the biggest rivals such as the Jaguar i-Pace and future Mercedes-Benz EQC and Tesla Model Y.