BMW iX3 50 xDrive Neue Klasse shows tremendous results in a highway range test

In an extensive YouTube review by popular YouTuber @CarManiac_Chris of the new BMW iX3 50 Neue Klasse we see the car pull an impressive performance in the real world. We should be posting our own review of the iX3 in the near future, but for now we’ll have to rely on others’ impressions to get a more complete picture of the Neue Klasse.

A common concern for EVs is range. The new iX3 addresses that with a huge battery, but also excellent efficiency.

His first test is for city efficiency. That is a broad statement and cannot be replicated easily as there are many variables like speed, stops, acceleration, driver input, topographic characteristics, road condition and many more. In that segment the iX3 50 used 3.1 mi/kWh, which isn’t particularly impressive.

We see that this value is based on a 28-minute drive for a distance of 6.2 miles at 59°F ambient temperature. This means that the average speed was just over 13 mph. The values are all not uncommon for urban driving, especially with a lot of stop-and-go traffic.

Interestingly, almost 31% of the overall consumption for this period was from the A/C unit. Given the outside temperature of 59°F and the interior being set to 70°F, this means that either the air conditioner is highly inefficient or the car was stationary for a long time before setting off.

The highway test is more scientific as it was done in a similar way to our own testing. Chris set the cruise control to 81 mph and drove for almost 19 miles. We do the same thing but in both directions to eliminate variation caused by elevation change and wind.

The average consumption was 2.9 mi/kWh and the average speed he drove was 76 mph with an ambient temperature of 64°F.

With a usable battery size of 108.7 kWh this consumption will result in 314 miles of highway range. That is a tremendous result, especially when it's based on real-world testing.

Chris promises a German-specific range test of the iX3 50 xDrive at 124 mph to determine how well it can handle the autobahns.

Thanks to the 800V architecture, charging times are also significantly improved compared to other BMW models like the iX. His test vehicle started charging at 347 kW at 8% SoC and kept the rate over 300 kW up until the 45% charge was reached.

Charging power at different battery levels.

To see the full video with all of its findings, head over to Chris’ YouTube channel or just watch it down below!