BMW to build iX3 SUV in China that will be exported across the world

BMW is scheduled to launch its electric iX3 SUV later this year in China, which will be the company's first model made in this country destined for global markets.

The German premium carmaker made the announcement at the global premiere of the SUV last week.

"Our timing is perfect, because customer demand is rising," said BMW Chairman Oliver Zipse.

The model will hit the market later this year and then be exported to other countries and regions.

BMW said the model was added to China's catalog of new energy vehicles, which is a necessary step for vehicle launches in the country.

The iX3 will be produced by BMW Brilliance, the German carmaker's Chinese joint venture, in Shenyang, Liaoning province.

The company said the iX3 is a testament to its "in China for China and the world" commitment and also proof of the high-caliber production standards at its Chinese joint venture.

It is the first model to feature BMW's fifth-generation eDrive technology.

Zipse said the self-developed and self-produced electric drivetrain is highly integrated, without any rare earth materials and is extremely efficient.

The updated eDrive technology will be applied to the forthcoming i4 compact sedan and iNEXT SUV.

In the iX3, the electric motor produces a maximum output of 210 kilowatts and a peak torque of 400 Newton meters.

It can go 0-100 kilometers per hour in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 180 km/h.

The fifth-generation eDrive technology features new and more powerful high-voltage batteries. They will also be made in BMW Brilliance's battery facilities in Shenyang.

Such batteries have an energy density 20 percent higher than those in current BMW electric vehicles.

They enable the iX3 to run for more than 500 km after one charge. It takes just 34 minutes for the batteries to be 80 percent charged. A 10-minute charge adds 100 km of range, added the carmaker.

The iX3 is equipped with the carmaker's latest Operating System 7, which enables secure and convenient over-the-air updates.

In collaboration with music composer Hans Zimmer, BWM is developing sounds for electric vehicles. The iX3 will feature the first composition.

BMW said the X3 is the first model to be available with a petrol or diesel engine, plug-in hybrid drive system or all-electric drive system.

"The BMW X3 clearly embodies our strategy of intelligent and flexible vehicle platforms," said Zipse.

"We can fit this model with any drivetrain we need and produce them on the same production line. Whatever our customers demand, we deliver," he said.

BMW's first attempt at electrified vehicles was in 1972. In China, it now has more than 60,000 new energy vehicle customers.

By 2023, BMW said it will offer its customers no fewer than 25 electrified models, around half of them with a pure electric drivetrain.