BMW in Germany began full-scale introduction of electric vehicles (EV) early among European cars. The i3 was launched in Europe in 2013 and was introduced to the Japanese market the following year. The iX is positioned as a new-generation EV-only vehicle that follows.
When Toyota launched the hybrid vehicle (HV) Prius in 1997, Europe, including Germany, was not enthusiastic about electrification. We tried to overcome carbon dioxide with a diesel turbo car that can make use of existing technology. However, in 2015, Volkswagen (VW) decided to switch to electrification in the wake of the diesel exhaust camouflage problem. The i3 will be released before then.
The reason behind this is probably because they realized that hydrogen engine vehicles are difficult. BMW tried to burn hydrogen with the V-type 12-cylinder engine of the highest-end 4-door car 7 series, aiming for zero emission of harmful substances. He prototyped many hydrogen-powered vehicles and drove them around the world. I also came to Japan. However, with hydrogen gas fuel, only half the output of a gasoline engine car can be produced, and hydrogen fuel can only be stored in an on-board tank for a short period of time (BMW tried to store it in liquid hydrogen). As a car, you should have realized that it has a long way to go.
Based on such actual experience, BMW made a big turn to EV, but did not suddenly develop a new car. First, we started by building a concept of what kind of car an EV should be, and asked the world about it. Named Mega City Vehicle, it solidified the appearance of EV that functions as a means of transportation in the city. Using the MINI, which has been a BMW brand since 2001, he produced many prototype EVs and ran them around the world. It runs in Japan too. Then came the i3.
The i3 incorporates a variety of enthusiasm for EV. In order to cope with the weight increase of the on-board battery, a carbon fiber body was specially made. The interior uses materials that are naturally derived or recycled. With the cooperation of Bridgestone, we developed a special tire called Ologic, which is ultra-fine. Also in the production, it clarified the attitude to work on decarbonization.
On the other hand, it was criticized for its short mileage per charge. However, it was clearly an EV aimed at moving around the city, and it should have played a role in imagining the new future that EVs will bring. The same idea can be applied to the Honda e. At the same time, there is the option of a range extender equipped with a gasoline engine generator.
Still, it's true that sales weren't good. This is because consumer preferences have not caught up. Germany, in particular, has the world's only autobahn with no speed limits. If you drive an EV unconsciously, it will quickly consume electricity. At the time the i3 was launched in Europe, diesel turbo engine vehicles were at their peak, and it was difficult to change the mindset of consumers who had become accustomed to being able to travel 1000km on a single refueling.
Based on such bitter experiences, BMW has launched the iX as the next stage of EV-only vehicles.
Currently, SUVs (sport utility vehicles) are the hot seller in the global automobile market. iX also appeared in a similar form. However, BMW calls it an SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle), not an SUV. Engine cars such as X3 and X5 are said to be able to run on the circuit. This is the commitment of an automaker that advocates "driving pleasure".
Two models of iX have been introduced in Japan. xDrive50 and xDrive40. The battery capacity is different, and the mileage per charge of the 50 is 650km in WLTC mode (approximately 491km according to EPA standards *vehicles equipped with 21-inch wheels), while the 40 is 450km (approximately 360km according to EPA standards). The 50 is an air suspension that uses air springs, has a rear wheel steering function, and has a minimum turning radius of 6.0m. The test drive this time was xDrive50.
From a distance, the kidney grill looks like a remnant of the engine car era, making me wonder if EVs need it. However, in front of the actual car, the glittering decoration was applied to the surface of the kidney grille, which reminded me of its value as a design. However, I thought that a slightly more modest size would be better, and I could appeal the new BMW-likeness of the EV era.
When I opened the door, the interior of the test car was brown, and for BMW, which has been advocating the joy of running, it seemed to convey the challenge of new value that emphasizes comfort. The rear seats are curved at both ends, reminiscent of a living room sofa.
There are three driving modes: Personal (Comfort) / Sports / Efficient (Eco). The standard is personal, and even if I select sports mode, I didn't feel a big difference from personal when driving on public roads. It may be different when running on the autobahn. Also, even in efficient mode, I didn't feel that the output was clearly suppressed, probably because of the motor drive. I didn't let them remember the difference between the modes so much, and I thought that it would be sufficient to keep it personal in Japan.
As a new equipment, an artificial creative sound that impresses the sense of driving with the ears flows into the room. The tone and volume are different depending on the driving mode. However, in both cases, I felt that the sound was only unnecessary for EV, and the tone was not so good. You can also choose a setting that does not produce this onomatopoeia.
So far, BMW has sought a value that is clearly different from Mercedes-Benz, even for the same German car, but the overall impression of the iX is that it is a comfortable moving space rather than the joy of driving that the company continues to advocate. was stronger. Mercedes-Benz does well there. It seems that he wanted to do something new in advocating pioneering EV initiatives among German cars and the joy of running. One of them is artificial onomatopoeia. In the 20th century, it made me think of the anguish of German cars that had pursued ultra-high performance against the backdrop of the Autobahn. I was impressed by the difficulty of searching for the value of the next EV after the i3.
In the equipment, the heating function that applied radiant heat was fresh and comfortable. Seat heaters and steering wheel heaters consume an order of magnitude less power than air conditioners that warm the air in the room. The application of radiant heat is similar. For EVs who want to reduce power consumption, it is worth making it standard equipment. We have confirmed that the Toyota bZ4X prototype is also equipped with radiant heaters.
New functions such as operation using the touch function of the car navigation screen and route guidance that incorporates augmented reality (AR) are also features of iX. It may be due to the influence of Tesla in the United States, and it may be possible to switch from the command-type operation so far.
However, the item selection switch provided on the console part closer to the front than the armrest is made of wood as a high-class design and the items are written in white, making it difficult to distinguish at a glance. You have to turn your eyes away from the front sight. Furthermore, there was also the inconvenience that it would be difficult to see if the sun shined in from the outside.
AR, which was introduced for route guidance, switches half of the car navigation map display screen to the front camera image, and an arrow pointing to the direction to turn is superimposed on the image. For this reason, the arrows made it difficult to understand the surrounding scenery, and made me feel uneasy. Of course, since the scene is difficult to understand, you will also have to stare at the camera image on the navigation screen.
The driver usually sees the surrounding scenery through the front window with his own eyes, so I wonder if it is necessary to display the camera image, which tends to make it difficult to understand the perspective. . What makes drivers anxious in unfamiliar terrain is that they don't know which lane to turn in in the first place. Turning corners are not accurate on a map, but rather, they are reachable distances that include the sense of time that the driver can recognize turning corners in advance in the moving speed of the car while driving. Even today, there are many occasions where even if you are suddenly instructed to turn here, you won't be able to make it in time.
The most confusing thing was when I tried to park and shift to parking (P), I could not find the P range or the P button, and the answer was to operate the parking brake P switch. Tesla does not operate the parking brake, but it has a P range, and you can park by putting it in P with the same lever operation as drive (D) or reverse (R). It does not confuse the driver.
With such a series of HMI (Human Machine Interface), I felt that iX's equipment was still insufficient for human sensitivity.
German cars, which have dominated the world so far, have surpassed others with their ultra-high-speed driving performance. However, with the shift from petroleum to electricity, people are beginning to seek a comfortable life by using moderate performance comfortably. There is a concern that it may become insane.
The i3, which was conceived as a megacity vehicle, is not the only future image of EV, but when I tried to create the next value of an EV that allows me to go out a little more safely, I felt the hesitation of the iX. Nonetheless, I think that it is an EV that satisfies the feelings of those who want to run on the Autobahn.
(Interview and text / Naotsugu Mihori)