Are all the Malaysian BMW iX buyers thinking about a greener earth?
The all battery powered BMW iX, whose market launch in Malaysia was just 5 days ago has recorded a healthy 100 bookings. Yes, 100 wealthy Malaysians, obviously with more than 2 other cars in their garage have booked this all new electric SUV.
So, why do we assume these 100 buyers have more than 2 other cars in their garage. Well, to start lets looking at the charging infrastructure for electric cars in Malaysia. It is still in its infancy and there are too many luxury plug-in hybrids already using the existing facilities in selected locations.
Next, with a booking fee of RM5,000 and a selling price of RM435,800 it is easy to assume that the buyers are from the small percentage of the very wealthy in Malaysia. These are not all tree-hugging individuals as we have seen how it took Nissan Leaf a full 12 months to find 100 buyers (these are mostly tree-huggers). Meanwhile the Nissan Leaf is the best selling EV in the world and not in Malaysia.
Soon, when the BMW i4 EV sedan is launched in Malaysia, there will also be a high take up rate of this luxury EV sedan which competes with Tesla which is not yet selling officially in Malaysia (only used via AP importers) but already operational in Singapore.
The iX is the first BMW model to be based on a new, modular, scalable toolkit on which the future of the BMW Group will be built. Conceived from the outset for purely electric mobility, the iX sees BMW redefining the successful Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) concept.
The BMW iX harnesses the latest innovations in the fields of electrification, automated driving and connectivity to deliver a mobility experience which puts people more than ever at its heart. To this end, its design has been developed from the inside out.
The BMW iX has been created to provide quality of life and wellbeing for drivers and passengers. The clear and minimalist design of its exterior showcases a new form of mobility geared squarely to the needs of the vehicle’s occupants. Its interior offers those on board innovative options for using the time during a journey and enjoying relaxation, safety, security, and a new form of luxury in the process.
Fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology delivers outstanding efficiency and long range
The fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology – which encompasses the two electric motors, the power electronics, the charging technology and the high-voltage battery – guarantees exceptional efficiency. The power unit developed by the BMW Group and manufactured sustainably without the use of critical raw materials known as rare earths will, by the most recent calculations, develop maximum output of more than 370 kW/500 hp. That will be enough to power the BMW iX from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 5.0 seconds.
At the same time, the vehicle’s clear aim is to post an exceptionally low combined electric power consumption figure for its segment of less than 21 kWh per 100 kilometres (62 miles) in the WLTP test cycle. A gross energy content of more than 100 kWh should enable the latest-generation high-voltage battery to record a range of over 600 kilometres in the WLTP cycle. That equates to more than 300 miles according to the EPA’s FTP-75 test procedure.
DC fast charging: over 120 kilometres of extra range in ten minutes
The new charging technology of the BMW iX enables DC fast charging at up to 200 kW. In this way, the battery can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent of its full capacity in under 40 minutes. Added to which, within ten minutes enough energy can be fed into the battery to increase the car’s range by more than 120 kilometres. It takes less than eleven hours to charge the high-voltage battery from 0 to 100 percent at 11 kW from a Wallbox.
The batteries fitted in the BMW iX are designed as part of a long-term resource cycle and enable an exceptionally high recycling rate. The power used to produce the battery cells and the high-voltage battery as a whole come exclusively from renewable sources.
