BMW iX5 Blows Away The Competition With 460-kW Charging, 435-Mile Range

The iX5 gets the largest battery pack ever installed in an electric BMW.

Photo by: BMW

Suvrat Kothari

By: Suvrat Kothari

Jun 30, at 11:01am ET

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The BMW iX5 will be one of the fastest-charging electric vehicles in the U.S.
It’s BMW’s third EV aith more than 400 miles of range, after the iX3 and i3.
It will get plenty of Neue Klasse tech, like the Panoramic Vision display and Gen6 battery cells.

BMW revealed the first-ever iX5 on Tuesday, continuing its electric vehicle offensive despite the cooling of plug-in vehicle sales in the U.S. The iX5 is the bigger sibling of the iX3, and it will be one of the longest-range and fastest-charging EVs in America when it goes on sale in the first quarter of 2027.

The iX5 is part of a broad fifth-generation X5 lineup that now includes five powertrain options: gas, diesel, plug-in hybrid, battery-electric, and hydrogen fuel-cell. The iX5 is of particular importance to the German automaker; it’s the first-ever fully electric model BMW will manufacture in the U.S. It will also use locally-sourced batteries, which BMW is producing at its Woodruff plant, its new battery facility just down the road from its main production line in South Carolina.

It’s the automaker’s latest effort to bring more production stateside, as the ever-changing U.S. tariffs on foreign-made cars squeeze automakers’ bottom lines and create uncertainty. President Trump recently said that he would raise the tariffs on cars imported from the European Union from 15% to 25%.

Gallery: 2027 BMW iX5

Source: BMW

2027 BMW iX5 Range And Charging

The iX5 uses BMW's latest and greatest battery and charging technology. For starters, it will use the same Gen6 800-volt battery architecture that first debuted on the iX3. But the iX5 takes things further by using 120-millimeter cylindrical cells, taller than the 95 mm cells used on the iX3. The increased height results in 30% more usable energy, according to the automaker.

Thanks to a cell-to-pack design, these cells are directly integrated into the battery without using modules or extra structural elements, simplifying the pack and increasing its energy density. As a result, the iX5 now features the automaker’s largest-ever battery pack and delivers the highest charging rate on an electric BMW, and among the highest rates from non-Chinese automakers.

The pack contains 144 kilowatt-hours of usable energy and will deliver a whopping 435 miles of manufacturer-estimated range. That puts it in the same ballpark as the i3 sedan and iX3, which are set to offer 440 miles and 434 miles, respectively. It will charge at a peak rate of 460 kilowatts, allowing a 10-80% charge in just 22 minutes when plugged into a compatible station. BMW said just 10 minutes of charging will allow owners to add 170 miles of range.

This puts the iX5 in the big-boy league of the fastest-charging EVs in America, such as the Lucid Gravity and Porsche Cayenne Electric, both of which peak at 400 kW, and the Tesla Cybertruck, which can unofficially reach speeds of up to 500 kW. The forthcoming Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door still has it beat, with 600 kW speeds, but the X5 is top dog among SUVs here, at least for now.

2027 BMW iX5 Electric Motors And Performance

The iX5 xDrive60 will use what BMW calls an electrically excited synchronous motor on the rear axle, unlike the more common permanent magnet synchronous motor. BMW said this switch allows for more control and traction adjustability, with fewer efficiency losses at slower speeds along with higher torque and more consistent power delivery during more spirited driving. The front induction motor can switch off for better efficiency when all-wheel drive isn’t needed.

As a result, the iX5 xDrive60’s combined output is 570 horsepower and 593 pound-feet of torque. It will accelerate from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in just 4.4 seconds.

Photo by: BMW

Like the iX3, the iX5 will also get BMW’s “Heart of Joy” computer, which is the automaker’s driving management system capable of processing data ten times faster than current electronic control units. It can allow precise control of things like acceleration, braking, traction, and regenerative braking. For example, when we drove the iX3 last year, we found its cornering precision and the ability to “soft stop” without head jerking pretty impressive.

2027 BMW iX5 Neue Klasse Interior And Technology

All new BMW models are adopting the Neue Klasse design language we first saw on the iX3. That means the iX5 will feature the latest Panoramic Vision display, a pillar-to-pillar projection across the lower windshield that shows key functions close to the driver’s line of sight. It will also get a 17.9-inch central display and an optional passenger screen similar to what BMW is now offering on the new i7.

It’s all powered by the new Operating System X based on Google’s Android Open-Source Project, which serves as the building blocks for developers with a lot of customizability and the ability to frequently release new features and upgrades. Having this software-defined vehicle platform will also allow BMW to use Amazon’s Alexa+ AI for conversational voice commands.

Photo by: BMW

This generative AI-based personal assistant will constantly learn from driving situations and driving behavior. For example, drivers can teach the assistant “routines” where the system will automatically execute certain personalized functions—like lowering the temperature and turning on seat ventilation if the cabin gets toasty in summer. There’s plenty more tech in the new X5, with things like optional automatic doors with soft close, available Bowers & Wilkins surround sound with Dolby Atmos, and adaptive suspension with a 48-volt electric motor on both axles to counter body roll and keep the ride flat in corners.

2027 BMW iX5 Production And Availability

The 2027 iX5 xDrive 60 will start at $81,250 with destination fees, costing $10,000 more than the base gas-powered X5 40, and about $2,500 more than the plug-in hybrid X5 50e xDrive. It will rival the Rivian R1S, Porsche Cayenne Electric, and the Mercedes EQE SUV.

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BMW hasn’t announced a lower-range and lower-priced iX5 yet, although it would be logical to launch that at a later date. Not all buyers will want such an expensive EV with a gigantic 144 kWh battery and 435 miles of range. There’s also a hydrogen fuel-cell-powered iX5 that will arrive at a later date, but details are thin on that model. All trims will be made at the automaker’s factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com