There’s still a year before the 2022 BMW iX will go on sale. In that year, there’s a lot to do. BMW is foraging ahead with testing of the new technology flagship SUV. Earlier this year the company showcased the final design of the model.
BMW engineers have taken the 2022 iX to north of Scandinavia near the Arctic Circle to test its endurance in extreme weather conditions. The company will use the testing to fine tune the drive and suspension systems. It also serves to test the iX’s electric motors, four-wheel drive system as well as charging technology, high-voltage batteries and heat management are put to the demanding acid test under sub-zero temperatures.
The SUV is undergoing extreme conditions testing.Photo courtesy of BMW
The icy roads, unsecured tracks, and ice surfaces put the iX’s motor control technology through its paces. This includes the electric four-wheel drive and suspension control systems, and moving them to the limits of longitudinal and lateral vehicle dynamics.
The German automaker has taken the iX on a variety of challenging Northern European terrain and in a variety of environments during the testing process. This includes the deserted roads in Finnish Lapland and to the North Cape on the Norwegian island of Magerøya. The specific goal of the North Cape testing is the final tuning of the iX’s intelligent four-wheel drive system and adaptive adjustment of the axle-specific yaw moment, which in addition to stability and traction also constantly optimizes the SUV’s efficiency.
BMW is hoping that the iX will have impressive efficiency figures. According to the automaker, “The aim of the development is to achieve an extremely low combined power consumption of less than 21 kWh per 100 kilometers in the WLTP test cycle and a range of more than 600 kilometers, likewise according to WLTP, values which are untypical of this class.”
Battery electric vehicles like the iX face challenges regarding fuel management including charge level, range, and operating status as well as the regulation of the car’s heat management system.
