BMW iX3 range, battery & charging

The BMW iX3 not only matches rivals for range and charging speed, but in many cases, beats them. With a range of up to 286 miles, it exceeds the Mercedes EQC and Audi e-tron's official numbers and is only outdone by the Jaguar I-Pace. However, in our experience the BMW is more efficient in the real world.

When it comes to charging, the iX3 is among the fastest, too, thanks to its 150kW maximum speed from public points. And if you have the necessary three-phase electrics, it can charge at home at up to 11kW. Most owners will be limited to a 7.4kW home charging speed, however.

BMW iX3 range

BMW claims a range of up to 286 miles for the iX3 – beating rivals like the above-mentioned EQC and e-tron, but falling just shy of the I-Pace. On a full charge, our test car showed a range of just 180 miles – but that was on a cold, wet, winter’s day; we reckon 220 to 230 miles is realistic in milder weather. If you make the most of the car’s regenerative brakes and spend a lot of time in town, it could be better still.

More importantly, however, is a car's efficiency – normally measured in miles per kilowatt hour (mi/kWh). In our experience, the iX3 trumps its rivals in this regard; on our cold, damp test route, we managed a fairly impressive 2.6 to 2.7mi/kWh – even with several full-throttle launches and quick motorway runs. For comparison, while a Mercedes EQC will officially do between 3.0 and 3.2 miles per kWh, a figure of between 2.0 and 2.2 is more easily attainable.

Charge time

The iX3 is bang up to date in this area, supporting charging speeds up to 150kW. That means it can top up from 0-80% in just under 30 minutes if you find one of the ultra-rapid public chargers that are becoming increasingly common in the UK.

At home, using an 11kW wallbox (which requires three-phase electricity) the iX3 can be fully charged in around eight hours. Many homes will be limited to a 7.4kW unit, however; this needs just under 12 hours to do the same job.