Engineers Explain How BMW Made The iX3 Electric SUV A Charging And Range Powerhouse

One of the things I like most about my job is talking to experts who know a lot more than I ever will about some slice of the EV world. 

Last month, when I was in Spain to drive the 2027 BMW iX3 (OK, that’s a pretty nice perk too) I caught up with two of the company’s engineers to ask one simple question: How did you make this SUV such a home run? 

The 2027 MW iX3 has an estimated 400 miles of EPA range and super-fast charging. 

Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs

The iX3 represents a major upgrade from electric BMWs of the past, and it’s the first BMW to use the automaker’s much-hyped Neue Klasse platform. In practice, that means 400 miles of estimated EPA range (the most of any BMW EV so far) and 400-kilowatt DC fast-charging power (about double what most EVs in the U.S. can do).

All of that for a starting price of $60,000, not much more than a gas-powered X3. Check out the video above to learn all about the iX3’s batteries, drivetrain and charging. I hope you learn something, because I definitely did. (You’ll notice there were a few times when these guys—very kindly—corrected me when I got something wrong.)

First, I picked the brain of Philip Guerrero, the battery lead for the Neue Klasse, about the iX3’s new cells, battery pack and motors. We talked about the advent of cell-to-pack systems and why BMW chose the iX3 to debut a structural battery pack—like Tesla has been doing for years. He broke down for me all the improvements BMW made to its battery systems and how that makes a car that’s lighter and more cleverly packaged. 

The iX3 uses new battery cells that are more energy dense and have a different shape. 

Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs

Then I spoke with Lennart Lentge, who’s responsible for charging on the Neue Klasse cars. He explained how you make a system that charges at such high power—a lot of it has to do with the new 800-volt architecture—plus BMW’s new bidirectional charging options, a first. We also discussed an awesome new feature: Now, BMW’s navigation system will call out chargers that don’t meet their advertised power rating. 

If you want to learn more about the iX3, potentially BMW’s best and most important EV ever, read my deep-dive review and check out our first drive video. And let me know: What sorts of videos would you like to see more of when we drive new cars?

Contact the author:Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com

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