Kilowatts replacing litres

 I spoke to Nicolas from Luxembourg City who told me about the BMW iX  he was lent in February.

Nicolas is a company manager, work which sees him drive over 40,000km in a typical year. He is not alone, with his firm having a substantial car fleet. Nicolas has loved driving from an early age. His father has known an ex-Formula 1 driver for many years, and arranged a family visit to a racing circuit when his son was young. Nicolas got the bug, eventually going on to participate in car races himself. He even won a few!

Vanquished doubts

"I've tried electric cars for a few days in the past, but nothing can beat the opportunity of a month-long full-scale test," Nicolas said. He had some reservations about electric mobility, particularly regarding the performance of big SUVs, but was pleasantly surprised after just a few days behind the wheel of the BMW iX.

He saw immediately that this model has a sharp design, with this futuristic exterior being something you either love or not. He was impressed by many of the features, but it was the air of robustness that appealed most. He saw that the car has a low build compared to other vehicles of its type, but that it appears to sit well on the road.

Silence…

His first impressions were confirmed quickly. "We used the car for our winter vacation, covering nearly 2,000km, and the whole family loved it. I enjoyed the pleasant driving experience, the kids liked the USB sockets and heated seats, but what struck the whole family most was the relaxing silence. There was no need to raise our voices to have a conversation."

Nevertheless, the typical BMW driving experience remains despite the lack of a combustion engine. The motor’s response to the slightest touch of the accelerator and the quality of the braking impressed this seasoned driver. The car's handling – even on tight mountain roads – is extremely forgiving, and Nicolas enjoyed it thoroughly. One of his children sometimes gets motion sickness, but he never complained, even on the most winding roads.

Adapting your driving to electric

Of course, long trips in an electric car require planning to avoid a flat battery. "You have to drive differently and perform some mental gymnastics," he said. On some parts of the journey energy consumption was minimal when recharging on downhill roads, and for the rest, the on-board computer enabled him to plan recharging stops.

However, Nicolas sees room for improvement with the charging points. "The service stations must really offer services to make the time spent charging the car more enjoyable,” he said.

Comfortable and relaxing

Overall, his first serious experience with electric motoring was positive. "It's a very comfortable car to drive, in all conditions, both at night and in broad daylight. The silence, the comfort of the headlights and the non-aggressive dashboard display add up to deliver a relaxing driving experience.

Experience the thrill of electric driving for yourself in your very own BMW iX. To learn more, visit bmw.lu or a BMW dealer near you.