The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
BMW and Nissan unveil new all-electric long-range cars
BMW has revealed its latest electric vehicle – the iX3.
Sitting as the firm’s second battery electric vehicle (BEV), the iX3 arrives after first being showcased at the 2018 Beijing motor show. Arriving above the smaller i3 in BMW’s range of EVs, the iX3 is the first car from the German car maker to be produced in China for export around the world.
Essentially an electric version of BMW’s popular X3 SUV, the iX3 packs a newly developed rear-mounted electric motor and battery set-up, which produces 282bhp and should help it to travel up to a claimed 285 miles between charges. Power is driven through a single-speed gearbox.
BMW claims that 0-60mph will take 6.5 seconds, while its top speed is limited to 112mph. The iX3 boasts 150kW DC rapid charging too, which should result in an 80% charge time of just 34 minutes.
In terms of design, it follows the look of the regular X3, albeit with a few noticeable changes. The front grille is blanked off, for instance, while the sills and rear bumper have been lightly revised. Blue styling elements have been included in the grille, sills and rear bumper which do help to differentiate the EV from its petrol-powered stablemates.
The first of three new electric BMW models set to go on sale in the next 18 months, the iX3 is the result of a partnership between BMW and Chinese car maker Brilliance. It is expected that the iX3 will arrive in the UK in March next year.
In other EV news, Nissan has unveiled its new electric Ariya. Nissan’s first electric coupe crossover is set to deliver a claimed electric range of up to 310 miles – with even less powerful models returning a claimed 211 miles.
The Ariya will be available with a twinor single-motor set-up with outputs of either 63kWh or 87kWh. In total, there will be five different versions of the Ariya available in the UK.