BMW Starts iX Production
BMW’s next fully electric vehicle is now rolling off of production lines in Dingolfing, Germany, which is BMW Group’s largest production facility in Europe. BMW iX production is getting rolling thanks to more than €400 million of investment at the factory.
The BMW iX xDrive50 has a range rating of 600 kilometers (373 miles) thanks to its 100 kWh battery (WLTP). The BMW iX xDrive40 ends up above 400 kilometers (249 miles). The electric SUV has a 150 kW max charging capability.
Despite the variety of models produced at this facility — including models with internal combustion engine powertrains and hybrid powertrains that are produced right on the same line as the iX — Milan Nedeljković, the member of the Board of Management of BMW AG in charge of production, states that the iX will be one of the highest volume models coming out of the Dingolfing factory next year.
Further, on the clean electric side of things, it’s not only the BMW iX that is produced in Dingfoling. BMW also produces “the highly integrated e-drive and fifth-generation battery, as well as the complete electric axle” at that factory. “Production capacity will be systematically expanded and, from 2022, Dingolfing will be able to produce e-drives for more than half a million electrified vehicles.”
There’s no doubt that BMW is making a difference with the iX. The press release notes that its “greenhouse gas potential” is ~45% lower than the greenhouse gas potential of a comparable SUV powered by fossil fuels.
“The BMW Group has already succeeded in lowering resource consumption per vehicle produced by more than half between 2006 and 2020,” the company adds. “CO2 emissions have been reduced even more significantly – by as much as 78 percent. The aim is to reduce CO2 emissions per vehicle produced by another 80 percent by 2030.”
BMW gets more words in here about how great the production system is as well. “The BMW iX* creates a need for additional training beyond the extensive experience and expertise that is already available. It is accelerating the shift in competence already taking place within the production network and helping prepare the workforce for the demands of a new era.
“In this way, employee development across the entire company is being geared towards digitalisation and e-mobility. As part of the biggest training offensive in the company’s history, 75,000 staff are being trained in future areas of activity.”
You can read much more about BMW’s Dingolfing factory, production ecosystem, and various other facts over on the BMW website.
The BMW iX won’t sell like a blockbuster anywhere, especially since it has a rather higher starting price of €77,300 ($91,716), but it should find a consistent stream of buyers as the years go on.
What are your thoughts about the large electric BMW?
All images courtesy of BMW Group.
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