BMW's Biggest EV Battery Only Beats The iX3 By One Mile
An Already Impressive Range
The BMW iX3 has one of the longest ranges among compact luxury crossovers. Based on EPA ratings, the 50 xDrive model can get up to 434 miles on a single charge. More interestingly, the Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF) managed to eke more out of it. NAF tested a group of EVs during summer, and the EV crossover managed 485 miles in real-world testing, over 50 miles more than the EPA rating.
A big factor in that is the large battery pack. The 50 xDrive has a 108.7 kWh capacity, which is sizable compared to its peers, and even the two-wheel-drive 40 model still has a fairly large 82.6 kWh pack. That said, it's not even the largest battery pack BMW puts in one of its cars.
The iX5's Whopping Battery Size
But the iX3's pack pales in comparison to the iX5. The midsize luxury crossover comes in at 144 kWh, easily making it the largest pack BMW has put in any vehicle. Although it doesn't use the Neue Klasse platform, the folks from Munich managed to turn the old CLAR platform into an 800V architecture.
So, how did BMW achieve that? That's thanks to the taller battery cells, but likely due to the car's weight, the EPA range is 435 miles, just one more than the iX3. That said, if it had the same cells as the iX3, the iX5 would probably have far less range than currently advertised. It wouldn't be a good look for it, either.
No Sharing?
In this age of platform sharing and cost minimization, one would think that the iX5's arrangement would be lent to the iX3. However, that won't be the case, according to BMW. Speaking to BMWBlog, the very reason why the iX5 has that much capacity is why the packs can't be placed in its smaller sibling.
The cells in the iX5 are 120mm (4.7 inches) tall, whereas they are 95mm (3.7 inches) in the iX3. Packaging limitations mean that's a no from the get-go. Again, the iX5 is not a Neue Klasse-platform vehicle despite appearances, and the CLAR platform floor can apparently accommodate the taller cells. All in all, a logical and reasonable explanation. Either way, if that kind of battery capacity were put in the iX3, it would probably come with an absurd amount of range that's bordering on overkill. There's a chance it would bring the price up by a shocking amount.
Could Other Cars Use It?
BMW didn't say if the iX5's battery pack will be used for other models. That said, the next-generation X7 is expected to get an EV version, and it could be called the iX7. If anything, it'll probably need even taller cells, given the model's potential weight and size. Another model that could benefit from it would be the i7, but likely for the next generation, as the current one was just given a major facelift.
Perhaps future iterations of the Neue Klasse architecture can fit larger battery packs. Then again, battery technology is advancing at a pace where efficiency breakthroughs can occur quickly. That means large packs won't be needed to achieve long ranges, which is the long-term goal for EVs. For now, though, big packs are the way to go, just like the one in the iX5.
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This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 5:02 PM.