Engineers working on the third generation of the BMW X1 – and the new fully-electric BMW iX1 have completed driving dynamics testing at the BMW Group’s winter testing centre in Arjeplog, northern Sweden.
On snow-covered roads and specially prepared ice tracks around the town of Arjeplog close to the Arctic Circle, the all/new BMW iX1 it joined the conventionally powered and plug-in hybrid variants of the new BMW X1 in passing integrated application tests for its powertrain and chassis systems. Another fully electric model from the BMW Group has therefore reached the final phase of series development process.
This test of strength and endurance in bitterly cold temperatures and wintery road conditions subjected the electric motors, electric all-wheel-drive technology, high-voltage battery, power electronics and charging technology of the BMW iX1 to a particularly exacting examination. Its fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology uses the latest battery cell technology and intelligently controlled heat management to enable short charging times and a long-range, even in extreme sub-zero temperatures.
At the BMW Group’s winter testing centre in Arjeplog, the powertrain and chassis systems of new models are put through exceptionally detailed fine-tuning. Snow-covered roads and areas of frozen lakes prepared specially for these testing programmes present the BMW Group’s development and testing engineers with the ideal conditions in which to hone the interplay of the motors, electric all-wheel-drive technology and suspension control systems at the longitudinal and lateral dynamic limits.
The ice surfaces, in particular, provide the perfect, reproducible conditions in which to explore in detail and optimise how the powertrain and chassis work together. This intensive testing programme lays the foundations for reliable, assured driving characteristics – with the sporting edge drivers expect of a BMW – and a well resolved overall vehicle experience.
The fully electrically powered model is based on a flexible vehicle architecture and will be produced on the same assembly line as the combustion-engined and plug-in hybrid variants.
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