Munich. The future of driving pleasure is approaching
fast and the BMW iNEXT takes the next hurdle of its path to serial
production maturity. The winter test centre of the BMW Group in
Arjeplog, Sweden is the setting for the current complete vehicle
tests, which serve to optimise, examine and harmonise all drive,
chassis and suspension components under extreme climate and road
conditions. With its purely electric drive, the BMW iNEXT meets
individual mobility needs in an especially sustainable manner. It also
combines the latest developments from the areas of automated driving
and intelligent connectivity offering passengers completely new ways
of enjoying their ride.
The series production version of the BMW iNEXT will be manufactured
in the BMW Plant in Dingolfing from 2021. The new technology flagship
of the BMW Group integrates the key future topics of automated
driving, connectivity, electrification and services (ACES) in the
automobile as defined in the NUMBER ONE NEXT company strategy.
Its innovative technology focusses on people’s needs and requirements.
The BMW iNEXT, in the shape of a modern Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV)
embodies the pioneering interpretation of brand typical driving
pleasure – with purely electric drive, intelligent all-wheel-drive
system and model-specific suspension technology. These components are
currently being winter-tested together under real-world conditions at
the polar circle for the first time. This intensive series of tests,
which is equivalent to those used for conventionally powered models,
illustrates the high degree of maturity of the purely electric drive
technology developed by the BMW Group, which makes the BMW iNEXT the
symbol for the move into a new era of driving pleasure.
The test drives with the camouflaged BMW iNEXT are being conducted on
snow-covered roads and ice-covered lakes, where low temperatures and
minimal road friction dominate everyday testing. The cold poses a
challenge, above all, for the electric motor, the high-voltage battery
and the cooling system of the BMW iNEXT. The testing engineers also
attach particular importance to the eDrive energy management system.
They analyse the way in which the extreme sub-zero temperatures affect
how the energy storage system recharges, how electricity is
transferred to the electric motor, how the electrical system is
supplied with energy and how the heating and air condition systems
respond. The power transmission and suspension regulation systems are
also tested far beyond what is standard in day-to-day traffic
conditions. On closed-off, ice-covered surfaces electronic regulation
can already be provoked at low driving speeds. For the engineers this
means that they can, for example, analyse the interaction of the
all-wheel-drive system, which was especially developed for the
electric drive, and DSC (Dynamic Stability Control). They can then
continuously optimise the processes under exactly reproducible conditions.
The steering and braking system are also fine-tuned under these
conditions. Just like the deceleration performance of the brakes, the
energy recuperation when coasting must be precisely adapted to each
driving situation. The tracks around Arjeplog also provide the ideal
testing ground for these trials. The BMW iNEXT is confronted with the
entire range of dynamic driving challenges when winter-testing on
gravel tracks, dry asphalt and extremely slippery polished ice surfaces.