Another day, another car manufacturer committing to electrification. Speaking with German newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine, BMW chief executive Oliver Zipse told the daily that the carmaker is aiming for roughly 20 percent of all cars sold to be fully-electric vehicles (EV) by 2023, compared to roughly 8 percent this year.
“We are significantly increasing the number of electric vehicles. Between 2021 and 2023, we will build a quarter of a million more electric cars than originally planned”, Zipse said.
That’s one in every five cars. And in order to achieve that, Zipse admitted that BMW will need to step up in its efforts for expanding electric car charging infrastructure. “15,000 private and about 1,300 public charging points would have to be put into operation every week as of today. Unfortunately, we are a long way from that.”
BMW’s most significant EV to date, the BMW iX, is slated to be launched next year. Featuring the carmaker’s fifth-generation eDrive powertrain (which was unveiled alongside the iX3), the dual-motor set-up promises to make at least 500 hp, resulting in a 0-100 km/h time of under five seconds.
The German carmaker also says that the BMW iX will feature a battery pack with a capacity of over 100 kWh (at least on the range-topping variant), which should translate to a range of over 600 km based on the WLTP cycle, or a power consumption figure of 21 kWh per 100 km.
Charging the battery from 10 to 80% capacity will take only 40 minutes – or 120 km range in about 10 minutes – using a 200 kW DC fast charging. A complete charge using a standard 11 kW AC wallbox takes 11 hours.
In terms of dimensions, BMW says that the iX is “similar in size to the X5, with the height of an X6, and a wheelhouse size of an X7“, thanks to its new skateboard-style EV drivetrain layout clearing out space for the passenger cell.
Also in BMW’s plan is the BMW Concept i4, a four-door gran-coupe-styled EV which will go head-to-head against the Tesla Model 3 and other models in the same segment next year. In top spec, the Concept i4 will have 530 hp, translating to a 0-100 km/h time of four seconds, and a top speed of over 200 km/h. Additionally, the BMW Concept i4 will also feature “driving sounds” developed by the legendary Hans Zimmer!
