According to BMW CEO Oliver Zipse, the carmaker expects the iX3 fully-electric crossover to go into production this summer. Zipse shared this news recently with his company’s shareholders.
The iX3 will be BMW’s first model built exclusively at the Chinese joint venture plant in Shenyang, as well as the first model to use a platform that can underpin combustion engine, phev and battery-powered cars. It will also underpin the i4 EV fastback, due next year.
“The preparations are proceeding according to plan despite uncertainties that have resulted from the coronavirus pandemic,” said the company’s CEO during an annual general meeting.
Read Also: 2021 BMW iX3 Production EV Makes Another Fully Undisguised Appearance
We’ve been getting really good looks at undisguised iX3 crossovers lately, such as those from images that surfaced on Instagram, courtesy of scott26.unofficial. Those are the images you’re looking at here, showing the vehicle with its production-ready grille, as opposed to what we saw on the concept.
The iX3 will be powered by a 74 kWh battery, providing a range of more than 440 km (273 miles) per Europe’s WLTP cycle. The battery holds high-density cells that are 80 percent nickel and 10 percent each for cobalt and manganese, allowing for a range that matches that of rivals with larger capacity batteries, reports Autonews Europe.
Unlike the VW Group and Daimler with their dedicated PPE and EVA2 electric platforms, BMW decided against developing an EV architecture for battery-electric models. Former CEO Harald Krueger felt that was a better strategy from a financial standpoint, especially since building a new EV plant would cost roughly 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion).
