BMW: check. Crossover: check. Electric: check.
BMW will not have a dedicated electric vehicle platform before 2025, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be introducing new EVs. The automaker is introducing several zero-emission models to meet increasing demand. One of these is the all-electric IX1.
The EV X1 was seen here being tested on German public roads. It is based on the next generation small crossover and will be supported by the FAAR 2 architecture. This is an evolution from the FAAR platform’s scalable front-wheel drive, which can be adapted to internal combustion, hybrid and all-electric powertrains.
The next-gen X1 will come with many powertrain options. The options include petrol, diesel, plug in hybrid and fully-electric models. These versions should be nearly identical to their combustion counterparts.
The spy photos above show that the iX1 remains in its early stages of development. However, it has already been fitted with its production body. We don’t know much about the design of the iX1 as it has fake panels that cover certain sections.
How can we tell if this is a BEV The front badges indicating that this is an “Electric Test Vehicle”, are a clear indicator. However, closer inspection will reveal that there are no tailpipes underneath the rear bumper. Instead, the undertray is made of flat protection plastic.
The iX1 is not known much else at this time, but a recent report suggests that there will be a variety of powertrain options and batteries when sales start. There is a base FWD model with a single motor and a possible dual-motor AWD model.