German luxury car maker BMW has unveiled an electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) called the BMW iX, planned to go on sale in the US in early 2022 to compete with Tesla and other rivals.
BMW said the iX should have a driving range of 480km. That’s less than the estimated driving range of the Tesla Model X Long Range, which is rated almost 600km in the US. BMW said drivers would be able to add 120km of range in 10 minutes at a fast-charging station.
BMW said the iX would be comparable in size to the current BMW X5 SUV. The dashboard will be a sweeping, curved screen.
The electric iX will enter a fast-growing field of battery-powered SUVs aimed at affluent customers.
Tesla’s Model X already has competition from Chinese start-up Nio, and General Motors’ Cadillac brand recently unveiled a mid-size electric SUV called the Lyriq, expected to launch in 2022. Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have electric premium models in the works.
Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is aiming for a slice of the performance enthusiast market that BMW defined decades ago. Ford said on Monday it intended to add a second model built on the foundations of the Mach-E. — Reported by Joe White, (c) 2020 Reuters