BMW Is Readying Its EV Offensive For India With The iX SUV Set For Mid-December Launch
BMW’s primary rivals, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, already offer multiple EVs each in India
BMW is late to the EV party in India, but it wants to make up for that by launching three electric models in the next six months. The German carmaker plans to launch the iX SUV by mid-December, followed by the Mini Electric in three months, and the i4 electric sedan in six months’ time. Its chief rivals, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, already sell two EV models in the country, with Porsche also recently bringing in the Taycan.
For those wondering why BMW is late to the party, it's majorly to do with introducing a new technology in a market that is not all that developed. Mercedes, Hyundai and Tesla have all recently voiced their opinion that a reduction in import duty on EVs should be considered by the Indian government, to boost their sales in India. Domestic players like Maruti, Tata Motors and Ola have been in strong opposition to this, and want the government to support those who manufacture in India. BMW lies in the former category.
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When quizzed on the subject, Vikran Pawah, president, BMW Group India, said, “I don’t think any one of us doesn’t want to manufacture [locally]. We already do. What we are talking about is do we want to wait for certain years before bringing these technologies into the country or are we ready to fast-track these technologies into the country for the betterment of the country,”
He further added, “We need some volume to happen and what we are seeking from the government is support for some limited time...three year or five years, give us some subsidies on the custom duties. Allow us to fast track this technology into the country, create the demand, so that we can locally produce...even if I want to produce let’s say batteries in India today, the technology doesn’t exist. The ecosystem doesn’t exist for localising batteries which is the major part of the electric car.”
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The iX SUV that BMW plans to bring next year is the brand’s only electric SUV, and also its flagship electric vehicle. In its raciest avatar, the iX can do the 0-100kmph run in 4.3 seconds, and with its biggest battery pack, it has a range of 631km according to the WLTP cycle. With quick charging, the iX’s batteries can be topped up to tackle 150km in just 10 minutes and 80 percent of the battery pack can be charged in under 40 minutes.
We expect BMW to price the iX anywhere between Rs 1 crore and Rs 1.5 crore. For reference, the Audi e-tron is priced between Rs 1 crore and Rs 1.18 crore and the Mercedes-Benz EQC goes for Rs 1.06 crore (all prices are ex-showroom, India). They will also be its natural rivals in the Indian market.