The electric Neue Klasse platform, which debuted on the 2027 BMW iX3, offers a number of efficiency and technological improvements to help it deliver very impressive range. Better still, the automaker is making its stylish EV crossover more appealing before it even hits the US market, raising its estimated range from the previous claim of 400 miles to 434. If the EPA's internal testing bears that number out, the new iX3 will travel the third-longest on a charge of any US-market electric car, following only the Lucid Air and the Lucid Gravity. A Sneaky Little Improvement BMWBlog was the first to report the news after noticing the change on the company's consumer-facing website. Although still unofficial, the automaker's revised calculations are based on the EPA test cycle, which tends to be more realistic than the official European WLTP range rating of 500 miles for the iX3. We've reached out to BMW for comment on how the range estimate went up by 9 percent, because apart from the consumer site, there isn't documentation of the update in any media materials. BMWStill, it's good news for anyone considering an EV, especially since the iX3 is capable of such fast charging speeds. Hooked up to a suitably outfitted charger, the electric Bimmer can suck down electrons at a rate of 400 kilowatts, a number that ties the Lucid Gravity for fastest charge rate. That'll bring the battery's charge from 10 to 80 percent in about 21 minutes – that's more than 300 miles in the amount of time it takes to grab a mediocre cup of service station coffee. How Does The iX3 Compare Now? The updated range estimate for the iX3 puts it well ahead of almost every electric SUV on the market today. For example, the similarly sized (although likely cheaper) Tesla Model Y does a maximum of 357 miles per charge, while the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV can only muster 306 miles in its longest-legged form. Several versions of the Lucid Air (topping out at the record-breaking 516-mile Grand Touring) beat out the iX3, as does the 450-mile Lucid Gravity.BMWBMW's more efficient Gen6 electric motors and battery cells deserve some credit for the impressive estimates. The automaker's Neue Klasse battery and propulsion enhancements are rolling out across all of the automaker's EVs, including the extensively refreshed 2027 BMW i7. The flagship luxury sedan has about 10 percent greater range than it did before, meaning we could potentially expect 350 miles or so. Is The Sedan Next On The List? The 2027 BMW i3, the automaker's most recent electric vehicle offering, also rides on the Neue Klasse platform, and like its SUV-shaped sibling, it also has some pretty impressive range estimates. At the time of its debut last month, BMW thought it'd be able to achieve 440 miles per charge. But given the iX3 enjoyed a little marketing boost a few months before going on sale, we presume the i3 will follow a similar path.It might be asking too much for 500 miles of range from the electric four-door, but if that were to happen, BMW would just be a breath behind the Lucid Air's 512-mile max rating.
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