Electric BMW X1 (iX1) production commence in Germany

-        Expected to arrive in India next year

-         Built at Regensburg plant in Germany

BMW has commenced the production of the electric X1, which goes by the name iX1, at their Regensburg plant in Southeast Germany. Delivering on their promise, every BMW plant in Germany can now produce an EV. 

Revealed in June this year, the iX1 is available with a 64.7kWh battery pack that powers two electric motors in the xDrive30 guise. The combined output of 230kW from the two motors is equal to around 313 horsepower while the twisting force is 494Nm. With its AWD configuration, the iX1 has a claimed 0-100kmph time of just 5.7 seconds. The top speed is clocked at 180kmph. 

BMW is aiming to get at least one in three BMWs coming out of the Bavarian plants to be an electric car by 2024. To achieve this, BMW Group is relying on the speed and short distances of their production plants. For instance, the high-voltage battery in the BMW iX1 is built at the Regensburg facility itself. 

This also means that Regensburg is now manufacturing all drive technologies on a single line – combustion-engine, plug-in hybrid and fully-electric models. Moreover, artificial intelligence is also used at Regensburg; specifically, AI-supported image recognition that assists with quality inspections. 

By the end of 2022, BMW Group will have invested a total of more than 1.6 billion euros in electric component production at its German locations in Dingolfing, Leipzig and Regensburg.