Translation in English Markdown
Author: Tuantuan
What is 2.5 tons equal to? It is equivalent to the weight of 2 Ferrari 488pista and 1 Ford F150 pickup truck, and also the weight of an innovative BMW iX.
We all know that electric cars are naturally heavier than gasoline cars of the same level due to the weight of the battery. But in the past, we never seemed to consider the impact of a heavier body on a car, because everyone’s focus was on the range of electric cars. Therefore, the battery pack has been getting bigger, and the car has been getting heavier.
Batteries around 100 degrees can already meet the basic travel needs of electric car users, but looking back, the curb weight of a medium- to large-sized pure electric SUV has already caught up with that of a gasoline pickup truck model. And the weight of the best mass-produced track version sports car of this century is only half of that.
Weight has a huge impact on the handling performance of a car. Even BMW cannot change the physical deficiencies caused by the excessive curb weight of pure electric vehicles. However, because the car manufacturer that created the innovative BMW iX is BMW, this car has to be meticulous about handling.
Performance Matters
Nowadays, the focus of car companies’ development is on electrification and intelligence. Therefore, for general car companies, electric cars have long been an unreachable existence in their product matrix. But for BMW, in addition to the development of electrification and intelligence, continuing the excellent driving experience has made the BMW brand invincible in the luxury car market.
In a sense, a pure electric product with excellent driving experience is a relatively “split” existence. The weight issue mentioned above is an insurmountable gap. However, electrification has brought incredibly strong power parameters to the car.
Under the BMW Efficient Dynamics strategy framework, the BMW Group adheres to the development concept of lightweight, small, integrated, scalable, and sustainable, and has launched the fifth-generation BMW eDrive electric drive technology, enabling the innovative BMW iX with powerful power performance. The maximum power of the innovative BMW iX xDrive 50 can reach 385 kW / 523 horsepower, with a peak torque of 765 Nm, and the fastest acceleration time of 4.6 seconds per 100 kilometers.
In addition to strong performance, high efficiency is also a required course for current pure electric power systems. The innovative BMW iX achieves long-lasting endurance not by using larger and heavier power batteries, but by benefiting from the outstanding energy efficiency of the fifth-generation BMW eDrive electric drive system and the higher energy density of the battery. The xDrive50 model has a maximum standard-range of up to 665 kilometers, releases a maximum output power of 385 kilowatts, a peak torque of 765 Newton meters, an acceleration from zero to 100 km in 4.6 seconds, and a low energy consumption of up to 18.5 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers.
The innovative BMW iX is equipped with a heat pump system that integrates heating and cooling functions, allowing the high-voltage power battery and the drive assembly to have excellent performance at all times. This system can use ambient heat and the heat generated by the electric drive system to significantly reduce energy consumption.
The acceleration experience of an electric car doesn’t need much explanation because it has abundant power. Even if the car weighs 2.5 tons, the innovative BMW iX still feels light and not bulky when driven in Comfort and Eco modes. At the same time, the braking system equipped with 17-inch brake discs can give drivers confidence, and the braking pedal response is very linear.
Since we’re talking about brakes, we have to talk about the kinetic energy recovery problem that has always plagued veteran drivers of electric cars. In terms of brake force adjustment for kinetic energy recovery, the innovative BMW iX also has an integrated brake control system to assist kinetic energy recovery. The system can predict the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle or obstacle in front through the high-definition front camera and radar sensors of the vehicle, so as to reasonably adjust the braking force when the driver releases the accelerator pedal. This function can not only help drivers better handle pure electric vehicles, but also achieve the most efficient kinetic energy recovery by combining road information.
Perhaps this is the best product in BMW’s history
It’s somewhat inappropriate to crown an SUV as the “best in BMW’s history,” but after looking at the body structure of the innovative BMW iX, we can clearly feel that the engineers have put in a lot of effort to improve the rigidity of the body, make up for the disadvantage in gross weight, and introduce many technologies that are currently unique to the innovative BMW iX.
The innovative BMW iX features an aluminum spaceframe body structure supplemented with high-strength steel, and coupled with carbon fiber reinforced composite materials. Combined with innovative design and production techniques, this pioneering architecture achieves lightweighting while enhancing body rigidity and stability. It reduces the center of gravity and improves handling while the reinforced front and rear subframes and stabilizer bar designs provide better stability for the body structure. Carbon fiber reinforced composites are widely used in the side frames of the innovative BMW iX body.
Compared to the BMW X5, the innovative BMW iX already achieved an 80 kg weight reduction in the bare body and significantly improved body rigidity. As for handling, under the limit state, due to the limitation of the body rigidity, the vehicle is unable to withstand greater pressure, leading to steering problems or inability to follow the expected line in the corners.
It is like installing various body supports on the chassis after removing unnecessary things in the stripped-down car of racing circuits. The purpose is to increase vehicle rigidity and meet the demands of intense driving. Although the decisive factor in determining the handling of a car lies in the tuning of the chassis suspension, the rigidity of the body is the foundational attribute for various tuning of the vehicle.
The mountain road experience undoubtedly tests the rigidity of the body. The performance of the innovative BMW iX in this regard is commendable. In sport mode, the vehicle can provide excellent lateral support, enhancing the driver’s sense of control and improving confidence against unexpected situations. The innovative BMW iX, which weighs 2.5 tons and has a 3-meter wheelbase, is indeed an “elephant-sized” car, but its performance on winding mountain roads feels like “dancing.”
At the same time, BMW has also introduced a large number of aluminum profiles into the pure electric platform. Although the use of aluminum profiles is not particularly noteworthy, in the past, we could only see this material on mid-engine supercars. BMW has once again pioneered this direction.
Smart Driving Assistance Features
In the era of intelligent vehicles, driving has become more effortless. We can see that more and more high-end comfort features are labeled “adaptive” to actively adjust to different road conditions. Whether they have sport or comfort orientations, they make drivers more worry-free.The innovative BMW iX offers users an adaptive dual-axis air suspension system that improves both agility and stability during turns while maintaining comfort. This suspension system also keeps the innovative BMW iX at a reasonable chassis height at all speeds. By default, if the speed exceeds 140 km/h, the chassis automatically lowers by 10mm to optimize high-speed stability, aerodynamic characteristics, and thus improved safety and range. In Sport mode, the chassis height is always at its lowest position. On uneven roads or in a garage parking lot with a speed below 35 km/h, the chassis automatically raises by 20mm to ensure the vehicle has the best traction.
The innovative BMW iX is also BMW’s first pure electric vehicle to incorporate the xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system, providing ideal torque distribution to the front and rear axles in real-time based on driving needs to enhance vehicle stability and safety in different weather and road conditions.
The innovative BMW iX also offers an integrated active steering system found in large luxury cars. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction of the front wheels to reduce the turning radius, while at high speeds, the rear wheels follow the front wheels in the same direction to enhance stability during high-speed lane changes and turns. Because of the integrated active steering system, driving a nearly five-meter-long innovative BMW iX in the city doesn’t feel bulky and is easier to maneuver through traffic. Furthermore, the integrated active steering system aids drivers when parking in a tight space.
During driving, the innovative BMW iX’s Dynamic Stability Control system helps improve driving stability and steering ability. When the driver sets the vehicle to Sport mode, the Dynamic Stability Control system allows for more wheel slip, enabling the vehicle to exhibit controlled drifting, making driving more enjoyable. Additionally, the Dynamic Stability Control system is also supported by a power distribution system, a brake preparation function, a brake assist system, a brake fading compensation system, a dry brake function, and trailer stability control.
In conclusion, after test driving the innovative BMW iX, I have a more profound understanding of BMW’s pure electric products. They can keep up with the trend of electrification and transfer their brand tone to pure electric products while even making the “elephant” dance in their area of expertise.# 这是一篇关于 Markdown 的文章
Markdown 是一种轻量级的标记语言
Markdown 的优点
- 简单易学
- 语法简洁明了
- 兼容 HTML 标记
- 跨平台支持
- 可读性高，适合写作
Markdown 的缺点
- 样式单一
- 不支持复杂排版
- 无法插入多媒体文件
译文：
This is an article about Markdown
Markdown is a lightweight markup language
The advantages of Markdown
- Easy to learn
- Simple and concise syntax
- Compatible with HTML tags
- Cross-platform support
- High readability, suitable for writing
The disadvantages of Markdown
- Uniform style
- Does not support complex page layout
- Cannot insert multimedia files
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.