When BMW introduced the iX3 2026 a few months ago, the company assumed a maximum WLTP range of 805 kilometers (500 miles). Even before customer deliveries begin next spring, the brand new electric vehicle has already exceeded this figure. During a hypermiling test, the “NA5” traveled from its birthplace at the Debrecen factory in Hungary to BMW’s hometown of Munich and completed its run in the world.
The second generation iX3 didn’t make a single stop along the way. Its 108.7 kWh round cell battery lasted more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles). To be precise, the electric crossover traveled 1007.7 km (626.1 miles) and still had 2% of its charge left. BMW could have traveled another 20 kilometers before the battery was completely discharged.
As you would expect, BMW has prepared the trip to maximize the chances of covering 1,000 kilometers on a single charge. The iX3 50 xDrive avoided highways, where higher speeds and wind resistance would have affected efficiency. It also rode on aerodynamic 20-inch M wheels instead of the larger 21- or 22-inch options. As a rule, larger wheels reduce the range, although the design can make exceptions to this.
The team also designed a route that minimized traffic and the number of traffic lights. In addition, the drivers turned off the heating, cooling and even the radio. BMW didn’t even want to use the low beam, but it was getting dark and there was no other option. You will also notice that the illuminated outline of the kidney is missing. Still, the iX3 completed the test on public roads and not in a controlled environment like Mobil 1’s lab-based million-mile test of the E30 3 Series mentioned a few days ago.
It’s highly unlikely that future iX3 owners will ever cover 1,000 kilometers on a single charge unless they do everything they can to maximize efficiency, as BMW has done here as part of a marketing exercise. The average speed is not mentioned, but since highways were avoided we can assume it was not high.
Nevertheless, range anxiety becomes less and less of a problem with every new electric vehicle that comes onto the market with the famous roundel. Next year’s i3 is expected to be even more efficient, as sedans are typically more aerodynamic than SUVs. For reference, the iX3 has a drag coefficient of 0.24 and the sedan should fall below this already impressive figure.
When it comes time to recharge, downtime should be minimal. New Class electric vehicles support 400 kW charging, giving the iX3 a range of up to 231 miles (372 kilometers) in just ten minutes. A 10-80% charge takes 21 minutes, although finding a station that can deliver that speed is a whole other challenge.
