The BMW iX5 Gets A Range Boost Ahead Of U.S. Launch

BMW originally quoted an estimated EPA range of 435 miles for its first-ever electric X5 SUV. Now that's even higher.

Photo by: BMW

By: Tim Levin

Oct 16, at 11:46am ET

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The BMW iX5 will have even more range than the automaker initially quoted.
BMW targeted an EPA rating of 435 miles when it announced details of the electric X5 earlier this year.
Now it's expecting an EPA rating of 450 miles, though that's not official yet.

When it comes to the first electric version of the X5, BMW isn't playing around. The German automaker initially quoted a healthy EPA range target of 435 miles when it first spilled the details on the iX5 60 xDrive this summer. Now, it's saying the SUV's range will be even higher than that.

BMW now expects the iX5's EPA rating to hit 450 miles, representatives shared at the SUV's press launch this week. "We have the Gen 6 technology in this vehicle, up to 450 miles estimated EPA range, which is really fantastic for a vehicle like this," John Kelly, a product manager for BMW's luxury vehicles, told reporters at the launch of the new X5 line on Tuesday. The official EPA estimate will arrive in the coming weeks, he said.

(Full disclosure: BMW flew me to Newport Beach, California for the launch of the X5 and iX5. It paid for my meals and lodging on site.)

The automaker concluded that 400 miles was the threshold beyond which customers would stop worrying about having enough range, Michael Ahlers, head of the X5 project, told me in an interview. From there, it figured that providing around 450 miles would help account for energy-draining activities people engage in in real-world driving, like driving fast or using the A/C.

EVs with over 400 miles of EPA range used to be a rarity. Tesla first cracked the barrier with the Model S in 2020. Now that small club is growing faster than ever, thanks especially to BMW's latest Neue Klasse EVs. The iX3 is rated for 435 miles, while the i3 landed a killer 468-mile rating last month.

The iX5's whopper of a range estimate is provided by an enormous, 144-kilowatt-hour battery pack that's the largest ever fitted to a BMW production vehicle. It's also one of the largest batteries we've seen in an SUV. The iX5 uses the same number and basic arrangement of battery cells as the iX3 and i3, but the cells are 25 millimeters taller, boosting total capacity. The iX5 uses 46120 cylindrical cells, versus the 4695 batteries found in the iX3 and i3.

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The iX5 will also 460-kilowatt charging, allowing it to go from a 10-80% charge in 22 minutes, BMW says. It goes on sale in the first quarter of 2027.

Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com