iX

Make
BMW
Segment
SUV

BMW may just be getting started in the electric game, but there's already lots to look forward to. The range-topping version of the iX, called the M60, is rumored to offer over 550 horsepower. At the same time, the high-performance version of the i4 sedan has been leaked, and this looks rather special too. It seems that BMW is set to hit the ground running, and yesterday the Munich-based automaker announced that production for both the iX and i4 is set to commence shortly, as production of the powertrains has just begun at the Competence Center for Drive Production in Dingolfing, Germany.

These vehicles will be quite clean for battery electrics too: "Each vehicle uses up to two highly integrated eDrives, which combine the electric motor, power electronics, and transmission in a single housing. Based on the design principle of a current-excited rotor, the fifth-generation eDrive does not require any materials classified as rare-earth metals."

Only renewable green power will be used to produce these battery cells and they are claimed to boast outstanding performance, charging and discharging characteristics, durability, and safety. And because the fifth-generation eDrive technology can be flexibly scaled, it's not just the iX and i4 that will have sustainably produced batteries and drivetrains.

BMW has invested a lot into the technology, and will spend more than $610 million on expanding production capacity for these eDrive systems at its Dingolfing location alone. From 2022, the BMW Group will produce eDrive systems for more than half a million hybrids and EVs. Including investments at other locations like its Leipzig, Regensburg, and Steyr locations, BMW's total investment in expanding capacity for electric powertrain components will exceed $960 million by 2022. The company seems quite well prepared for the electric future - now we just have to see if the cars themselves will be any good.