Ahead of the Auto China 2018 show in Beijing, BMW have unveiled an all-new electric concept car that expresses an expansion of their all-electric model line-up. ​

This new concept wears the name BMW iX3, is similar in size to BMW’s existing X3 SUV and demonstrates that the brand is in the process of strengthening their already strong position within the field of electric mobility. Featuring significant technological advancements when it comes to electric powertrain development, the all-new BMW Concept iX3 is a very exciting car. ​

These powertrain innovations come in the form of a fifth generation of BMW’s eDrive technology. In this iteration, BMW have upgraded the batteries to new, more powerful ones, and have cleverly managed to combine the electric motor, transmission and power electrics into a single component.

One of the major advantages of this is that the powertrain is now incredibly flexible; with BMW saying that it could easily be added to different vehicle architectures and accommodate all types of front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations. This means that BMW could integrate this new powertrain technology into any model that they desire.

Performance wise, BMW say that the fifth generation eDrive technology that has been used in the new Concept iX3 (named a Sports Activity Vehicle or SAV by BMW) benefits from a maximum output of 200kW/270hp and a range of more than 249 miles.

Thanks to the new high-voltage battery and Charging Control Unit, which have been specially developed for this drivetrain, BMW say that fast-charging stations (150kW) can charge the BMW iX3 in just 30 minutes.

Styling has, of course, been revised to fall more in line with the BMW i brand, meaning a closed-off BMW kidney grille, the BMW i car graphic and BMW i blue accents, to name just a few elements. Unlike the previous BMW i models, however, this new Concept iX3 only hints at its emission free nature, favouring an aesthetic that is altogether more akin to the existing BMW range than the futuristic design of the i3 and i8.