Recently, the prototype of BMW iNEXT, the flagship of BMW Group’s future technology, was tested in extreme environments in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa to evaluate and verify the performance of the vehicle and all its components in environments such as severe high temperature, super strong solar radiation, and sand dune gravel. working status. BMW iNEXT has performed well in the face of these severe challenges, and has made sufficient preparations for its official mass production in 2021.
This is another important stage for BMW iNEXT after completing the extreme cold test in the Arctic Circle last year. In addition to the test of the hot desert, it also faces challenges of different terrains and road conditions such as sand, pebbles and gravel. The BMW iNEXT built for pure electric travel, its drive system and chassis suspension, as well as the body, cockpit, driver assistance systems and digital technology, all demonstrated good safety, durability and reliability in this test.
For BMW engineers, the deserts and savannahs of northwestern South Africa are ideal places to test and optimize drivetrain and suspension components in extreme environments. Even for the intelligent four-wheel drive system of BMW iNEXT, it is a great test to be able to switch between sand dunes, gravel and various off-road roads calmly. In severe and high temperature weather, any mobile phone battery may be exhausted immediately, but the BMW iNEXT adopts the integrated cooling concept of high-voltage power battery, electric motor and electronic components, air conditioning system using heat pump technology, its control system and other electronic components. All the components have withstood the test of the extreme desert environment, fully proving the maturity and reliability of BMW iNEXT mass production.
In the harsh high-temperature test, BMW iNEXT experienced hours of repeated exposure and cooling under the scorching sun. Engineers use this to test the operating capability of the vehicle’s electrical system and the stability of the materials used in the vehicle after cooling at high temperatures to ensure that the vehicle will not make abnormal noise due to temperature fluctuations. In addition, the integrity of automotive door, hood and exterior structural seals is also an important part of the test. The BMW iNEXT was tested thousands of kilometers in the Kalahari Desert, galloping in the wilderness, dunes, shrubs and sandy land. Even though a lot of sand and dust were rolled up, the interior of the car remained spotless.
Every new model of BMW must go through a lot of tests and multiple tests before being put into production, and BMW iNEXT is no exception, including the BMW Group test site in Miramar in southern France, the Nürburgring Nordschleife and other circuits in Germany, and Arje, Sweden. Plugg’s winter testing center and extremely hot and dry desert regions. High-speed operation, start and stop at any time, extreme cold and hot weather, icy and snowy roads, sand and gravel, these are all situations that vehicles may encounter during driving. During the test, experienced engineers use efficient on-board evaluation technology to record the state and response of the vehicle under different weather, road conditions and other influencing factors, so as to ensure that the mass-produced BMW models have consistent pure driving pleasure .
The BMW iNEXT will be officially put into production at the Dingolfing plant in 2021. It integrates all the key technologies of the BMW Group in the field of strategic innovation (design, automation, interconnection, electrification, and service), and represents the BMW Group’s conception and practice of future mobility. As a pure electric vehicle similar to BMW’s high-performance Sports Utility Vehicle (SAV), the BMW iNEXT will be equipped with the new fifth-generation BMW eDrive electric drive technology, setting a new standard for pure electric vehicles in terms of sportiness, efficiency and cruising range. set a new benchmark. The car’s suspension control system and driver assistance system have laid a solid foundation for the further realization of autonomous driving. The innovative technology in its operation mode and digitalization also highlights the forward-looking and futuristic sense of BMW iNEXT, the BMW Group’s next-generation technology flagship.
