After the big debuts of the BMW i3 and i8, the Munich-based automaker feels as if the beginning of the i Division was only phase one of its plan. Now, the BMW Group as a whole will be entering the next phase, something BMW feels puts it ahead of its competitors. Just last month, BMW CEO Harald Krueger announced the company’s new electric plans, one which will also include an X3 powered by electric batteries.
One such vehicle that BMW is currently planning on is a plug-in hybrid variant of the BMW X3. The next-generation of X3 is on its way and BMW wants to create a hybrid variant as BMW sees it as a more mainstream offering to the consumer. Whereas the current BMW plug-in hybrid cars are mostly quite expensive (BMW X5 xDrive40e and 740e), the X3 would give buyers another mainstream offering next to the BMW 330e.
According to Automobile Magazine, the new X3 eDrive arrives in late 2018, but it’s a relatively straightforward X3 spin-off powered by a 225-kW motor fed by a 70-kW-hr battery that will be built in China to Chinese rules. The X3 would be based on the next generation X3 which is due out in 2017.
The electric SUV will likely deliver a range above 200 miles and will feature the latest and greatest in recharging battery technology. The pricing of the all-electric SUV will probably also make it the most expensive offering in the X3 lineup.
