The new BMW iX5 60 xDrive will arrive with a battery pack offering 144 kWh of usable capacity for the US market and 141 kWh in Europe, the largest ever fitted to a series-production electric BMW. Although the German brand has not yet released official EPA or WLTP range figures, a battery of this size suggests very long driving distances for a large SUV, even if the final result will depend on the interaction between weight, aerodynamics and powertrain efficiency.
2027 BMW iX5: electric SUV targets long range with huge 144 kWh battery
A comparison with the premium segment shows that the iX5 battery exceeds those used by direct rivals such as the Porsche Cayenne Electric and Lucid Gravity. To find significantly larger packs, one has to look at large American electric pick-ups and SUVs from General Motors, vehicles belonging to a higher category in terms of size and positioning.
The technology behind the iX5 is BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive system, with cylindrical cells and an 800-volt electrical architecture. However, the model will not use the Neue Klasse platform reserved for the iX3, but the Cluster Architecture, a base designed to accommodate several types of powertrain. The next X5 will in fact become the first BMW offered simultaneously in five variants: fully electric, plug-in hybrid, petrol mild hybrid, diesel mild hybrid and, from 2028, hydrogen-powered with the iX5 Hydrogen.
A battery of this size inevitably means a high overall weight, which according to rumours should approach three tonnes. Such mass can affect efficiency, dynamic behaviour and ride comfort, which explains why BMW has invested heavily in the chassis. Adaptive suspension will come as standard, while more advanced versions will be available with two-axle air suspension, integral rear-wheel steering and active roll stabilisation, a package designed to contain the effects of the weight and preserve the most precise driving experience possible.
Production of the new X5 will take place at the Spartanburg plant in the United States, where the model is completing the final calibration phase. The iX5 will position itself among the most anticipated new BMW models in markets where large premium electric SUVs are gaining increasing commercial importance.
