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BMW Targets Mainstream EV Success with Innovative 2022 iX Crossover SUV
BMW's new mid-size crossover EV boasts responsibly sourced materials and a rare earth-free motor design.
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2022 BMW iX xDrive50BMW
BMW put an early stake in the ground of the EV market with its sub-compact hatchback i3 battery-electric and its zoomy i8 hybrid-electric sports car. But those were slow-selling niche-market cars that helped the company learn the ropes of the EV business.
Now, BMW is ready to sell larger numbers of EVs to regular drivers. The new iX is a crossover SUV that is comparable in size, utility, and driving experience to BMW’s popular X5, but it is propelled by electrons rather than hydrocarbons.
It will launch as the iX xDrive50, nomenclature that means that it will have about 500 horsepower and be all-wheel drive.
The iX, as well as the upcoming i4 electric 4-series sedan, will employ BMW’s latest fifth-generation electric motors. These are designed to be modular, so these vehicles can have a single rear-mounted motor/transmission/power inverter module in the rear for rear-wheel drive, or have one at each end of the vehicle for all-wheel drive.
The iX’s production will start in November, with cars reaching showrooms in March 2022. The starting base price will be $84,195, including destination charges.
About the Author
Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.
A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.
Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.
Dan, testing the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish. ANDY MORGAN/ASTON MARTIN
He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.
He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.
He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.
He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.
Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.
He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
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