Reports about the possible return of the Range Extender. After Autocar claims that the next X5 will receive the Rex treatment, Automotive week claims to know more. The luxury SUV is supposedly to offer a total driver of 1,000 kilometers. The drivers could achieve this with a full gas tank and a fully charged battery.
It was a few years ago that BMW has set the i3 Rex, but the range extender could make a comeback. Why now? Due to the increasing interest in electric vehicles (EREVS) in China. Although BMW’s sales in the region are no longer the way they were in the past, China remains far from the company’s largest individual market. Of all cars that it sold last year, 29.2%in China went to customers, more than in the USA (16.3%) and Germany (10.8%). Automobile messages Quoted data from the China car association, which the EREV sales rose by almost 50% in the first five months from 2025.
But the IX5 Rex may not be exclusively for China. Interest in Erevs is also growing in the USA, especially for larger vehicles. The Ramcharger truck is a first -class example. Scouts Traveler and Terra will also contain a range extender. Automotive week Allegations that this solution could also become viable in Europe, since EREVS may be exempt from the ban on internal combustion engines for 2035. However, nothing is officially yet.
In the meantime, BMW remains closely over the IX5 Rex. A company spokesman only said that BMW “continuously analyzes the usage patterns, customer needs and market developments and checks the market potential of different technologies”. It’s not a “yes”, but it’s not a “no” either. If the SUV of the next generation receives a range extender, it can be a small petrol engine that is operated at a constant speed to maximize efficiency. The engine would only serve as a generator to charge the battery without a mechanical connection to the wheels.
BMW is reportedly working with the supplier ZF to reintroduce the range extender. If it returns, it would make sense to see a Rex version of the upcoming IX7. The larger three-row SUV comes in 2027, about a year after the IX5.
Source: automotive week, automotive news
