Despite being early to the EV marketplace with the toe-in-the-water city hatch that was the i3, BMW hasn’t really capitalized on the march it stole over its rivals. Nevertheless, the German automaker is launching a new range of BEVs that are set to enter the market in 2025 and will be based on the New Class platform.
In the meantime, we’ll see EV versions of
vehicles that use the brand’s existing architectures. The iX1 spied here will
use the same FAAR 2 platform as the new X1 that supports ICE, hybrid and pure
EV models, with front- or all-wheel drive.
The BEV credentials are given away by the
“electric test vehicle” stickers and the lack of tailpipes. Due to the heavy
camo, it’s difficult to make out the SUV’s details, although we can discern
that it will sport a reasonably-sized grille that, like the iX3, will be closed
off.
While no official details have been
released about the iX1’s range, BMW’s E-Mobility road map that was released in
late 2017 suggests that, as a compact model, it should be available in 30e and
40e guise and have either a 60 kWh battery pack that delivers approximately 450
km of range or a 90 kWh battery pack that increases the range to
around 550 km.
Last December, BMW confirmed that
production of ICE and plug-in hybrid versions of the new X1 will commence in
2022, while the all-electric iX1 will follow in 2023.
