On the sidelines of a 2022 edition of CES in Las Vegas made complex by the COVID-19 pandemic, BMW, which has chosen to replace its physical presence there with a presentation from Munich (Germany), notably unveils the iX M60.
“Sport” version of the iX, this SUV should enter the firm’s catalog from the summer of 2022.
Up to 450 km of autonomy announced by BMW
BMW, which wants to reach the 50% mark of electric vehicles in its total sales by 2030, continues to work towards suitable car proposals. And the latest iX M60 is a concrete illustration of this, because if, in terms of looks and bodywork, the differences between the standard model and its sporty little brother are not legion, it is under the hood that it happens.
Equipped with two engines, the iX M60 would be able to reach 0 to 100 km / h in less than 4 seconds, since official sources announce a 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Its maximum speed should be around 250 km / h. And for good reason, with about 630 horsepower, there is enough to press the mushroom.
On the autonomy side, the statistics are also interesting, with an on-board battery of 111.5 kWh, of which 106.3 kWh can be used. It is to be compared with those, in particular, of the Tesla Model S (100 kWh) and the Mercedes EQS Sedan (107.8 kWh), as regards capacity. As for the iX M60, you should be able to drive up to 450 km, compared to 560 km for the EQS Sedan and Model S (660 km).
One goal: not to use rare materials
On the recharging side, BMW announces 1 h 30 with a 50 kW charger (from 10 to 80% charge), 49 minutes for a 100 kW charger (always from 10 to 80%), and only 35 minutes to regain 70 % with fast charge (250 kW). This certain efficiency will prevent you from wasting too much time on the road and, in the mind of a sportswoman, will keep the latter above all efficient.
Launched in 1972, the sporting branch of BMW, called “M”, takes, even more, a 180 ° turn (it is on the other hand much colder in Munich) to adapt to the world after 2020, and this iX M60 in is the illustration. Thus, the German firm is concerned about the debate around the use of scarce resources in the components used to manufacture electric vehicles, for which the recycling of batteries is an important issue. It intends to do well in terms of the two engines.
The traditional permanent magnet synchronous motor is now obsolete. This equips many electric cars on the market today. It requires the extraction of rare materials mainly from China (neodymium magnets) and causes significant pollution during mining. Instead of permanent magnets, a direct current winding will be used, without friction to avoid the usual pitfall of this system which wears out the part. The movements of the rotor are thus enabled by a very precise calculation of the electrical energy allocated to it. This should make it possible to gain in energy density and performance, ideal for continuing the history of the BMW M series with dignity.
On the same subject :
2021 retrospective: electric cars in the spotlight
Source: The verge
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