- BMW is reportedly working on an extended-range version of the next electric X5.
- The EREV system is said to provide up to 621 miles (1,000 km) of combined range.
- If true, this means all of BMW’s larger electric SUVs will likely get an EREV option.
BMW was among the first to offer a production range extender with the i3 REx, pairing the regular i3’s electric drivetrain with a small motorcycle engine to generate power and extra range. Discontinued in 2022, BMW claimed extended-range EVs had “no future,” but a recent report suggests a new EREV might be on the horizon.
It’s not an i3 replacement, though, since the i3 was indirectly replaced by the iX1, iX2 and the electric Mini hatchback. We won’t see another bespoke tall electric box made out of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, even though the i3 was at one point among the world’s best-selling EVs, and the REx certainly brought in additional buyers.
Automobilwoche reports that BMW is now working on a range extender version of the upcoming electric BMW X5, which will likely be called the iX5.
The manufacturer doesn’t officially acknowledge it, but it also doesn’t deny it. Automotive News quotes a BMW spokesperson, who, when asked about range extenders, said “We continuously analyze usage patterns, customer needs, and market developments and review the market potential of various technologies.”
Pivoting to an extended-range solution for its electric X5 makes a lot of sense. Unlike in the i3, which had the same-size battery pack as the regular pure EV version, in the iX5 range extender, BMW could make the battery smaller, allowing the combustion generator to compensate for the difference. The report from Germany also mentions that the extended-range iX5 would be able to cover 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) from a full tank and battery.
However, if we look at the range estimates for its new line of EVs—497 miles (800 km) WLTP for its upcoming iX3—it does strengthen the idea that the iX5 will have a smaller battery than the pure electric version of the same model. Mind you, the iX5 will be built on an evolution of the CLAR platform that underpins today’s model and not the Neue Klasse platform used in the iX3, so maybe it won’t quite be a match for outright range.
It would make sense for BMW to add range extenders to its lineup. A range extender is like a plug-in hybrid, with the main difference that the combustion engine is used solely as a generator and doesn’t drive the wheels. Buyers seem to be into the idea of having an electric vehicle that won’t be stranded when its battery runs out and having the comfort of a combustion generator will help ease the transition to electric for many undecided buyers.
Volkswagen-backed Scout is going to launch range extenders soon, and it says buyers are more interested in these versions with combustion generators than the pure electric variants. The Scout vehicles will also see more towing than anything BMW makes, but Genesis, a direct BMW rival that’s on a definite upward trajectory with its entire product portfolio, is already working to add EREVs to its lineup.
ZF, the automotive supplier known for its transmissions, but which is now working on its own EREV solution, is reportedly working with BMW on its new EREV project. We can only guess as to the specifics, but we believe a BMW 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine would be enough to power a generator. Scout vehicles will reportedly have a four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine powering the generator, but BMW no longer makes non-turbo engines, and the 1.5-liter is the smallest it has available right now.
There is also no reason why the EREV powertrain would only be used in the iX5. If it’s true, then it should also power the mechanically related three-row iX7 and a potential coupe-like iX6 down the line. BMW likely won’t offer EREV versions of the iX3 (and potential iX4) since they will be built on a new EV-only architecture that BMW never said it engineered to take a combustion engine in any role.
