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BMW’s Long‑Wheelbase iX3 Completes About 800 km Qinghai Loop on a Single Charge

The run demonstrates that BMW’s Neue Klasse battery and energy-management systems can deliver unusually long real-world efficiency.

Overview

  • A pre-production iX3 50L xDrive finished the Qinghai Lake grand loop on Thursday after roughly 800 kilometers on public roads and arrived with about 2% battery remaining.
  • BMW says the result implies an 835–840 km potential under the test conditions and reports an average consumption of about 12.6 kWh per 100 km for the drive.
  • The car uses BMW’s sixth-generation Neue Klasse hardware, including a 108.7 kWh usable cylindrical‑cell battery, a dual‑motor drivetrain, and an Energy Master unit that optimizes power and regen.
  • BMW also highlights the platform’s 800‑volt architecture with up to 400 kW DC fast charging that the company says can take the battery from 10% to 80% in about 21 minutes.
  • The tested long‑wheelbase iX3 50L is built by BMW Brilliance for China and is scheduled to go on sale there in the second half of 2026 while standard‑wheelbase Neue Klasse iX3 models are planned for other markets.