Forget Teslas, BMW's EVs must feel like BMWs

Singapore

SEVEN years after launching its first electric vehicle (EV) in Singapore, BMW is planning to put three more on sale here, the first of them in July.

A battery-powered Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) called the iX3 debuts next month, and last week, BMW revealed production versions of the iX and i4, two EVs it aims to sell here by December and early 2022, respectively.

Like other legacy carmakers, BMW is scrambling to roll out battery-powered models as EV sales rise sharply around the world. EV Volumes, a consultancy, says the share of electric cars and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles doubled to 6.1 per cent in April in the 55 markets it tracks, compared to the same month in 2020. BMW expects half its global sales to come from such cars by 2030.

While the iX3 is a battery-powered edition of the X3, an existing model already mid-way through its life cycle, the iX and i4 are pure electric cars designed to compete directly with Tesla's electric-only lineup, and fend off rival EVs from Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar.

Mercedes is launching its own maiden EV, the EQC, in Singapore next week, with plans to introduce the smaller EQA before 2021 is over.

BMW is hoping the iX will get buyers to view the Munich-headquartered brand as a leader in the EV game. The most basic xDrive40e version of the burly SUV can travel around 425km on a single charge and could cost an estimated S$320,000 here, at today's Certificate Of Entitlement prices and with incentives and tax rebates for clean electric cars.

It ushers in a new user interface designed around a 12.3-inch curved display screen and a 14.9-inch touchscreen, as well as natural language voice commands.

Christopher Wehner, the managing director of BMW Group Asia, describes the iX as a "game changer" that is BMW's tech flagship. "To me, the iX represents everything I want in an electrified BMW. When you combine seriously rapid acceleration, with a modern and spacious cabin and the most advanced driving assistance systems BMW has to offer, you have a trifecta!" he told The Business Times.

"I believe the BMW iX is in a class of its own and will be the spearhead to convince drivers in Singapore that electromobility is a viable solution for their daily commuting needs."

The i4 is a more conventional-looking car, but shares much of its battery and motor technology with the iX. A full charge can take the basic 340 horsepower eDrive40 version up to 590km. BMW says its motors contain no rare earth metals, which are environmentally ruinous to mine.

But what sets BMW's new EVs apart is that they drive like BMWs, said Johann Kistler, a 43-year company veteran who led the iX project and covered more than 5,000km in prototypes. "Driving this car is really fascinating. It has the acceleration of a motorcycle. You will get out of this car with a grand smile on your face," he told BT. "It's like a flying carpet. It's soundless and noiseless."

Electric cars generally offer a homogenous driving experience, however: snappy acceleration, near silence and stable cornering from having the weight of the batteries under the floor.

Yet, David Ferrufino, the project lead for the i4, told BT that making it feel like a BMW involved plenty of tinkering. His team heavily reinforced the bodyshell to increase its stiffness, used shock absorbers specifically designed for the car, sculpted the aerodynamics for high speed stability and set the wheels wider apart than on BMW's own 3 Series, for cornering poise.

"Yes, every electrified car could accelerate fast in a straight line, but for BMW that is not good enough," he told BT.

The iX and i4 may be tailor-made EVs, but the people behind them have kept an i on BMW's reputation for sportiness.