During my final snowboarding excursion of the season, the iX really stood out.
Cold-weather testing is an important thing for EVs , since battery-powered cars traditionally haven't done well when the temperatures drop. While new chemistries and more advanced active thermal management systems have helped a lot, anyone who's been doing the EV thing for a while will probably find themselves thinking twice before heading out for a long drive on a cold day.
My preferred chilly drives lead all the way up to Vermont. Although I reside just north of the border in Upstate New York, once I enter the Green Mountain state, things feel somewhat distinct and more pleasant.
This holds particularly true during the colder season. Whenever feasible, I attempt to take one-day excursions to southern Vermont to enjoy early mornings skiing at Mount Snow ski area. The journey spans about 75 miles and usually consumes around 90 minutes provided I do not encounter numerous school buses or snowplows en route, offering an ideal blend of different road conditions. You'll find stretches of highways mixed with higher speed local routes, alongside plenty of twisty mountain roads.
In other words, this is a great track for putting various types of vehicles through their paces, including our long-term 2024 model. BMW iX .
Pre-Charged
I had wished to take the iX out for a day of skiing earlier this winter, but as I mentioned in the last update, A sudden inability to charge resulted in insufficient battery power for my needs. To follow up on this issue: The iX occasionally reverts to time slot mode upon connection, as previously mentioned. However, following the publication of our latest update, a BMW representative reached out to us and is currently investigating the matter.
For added safety, the evening before, I double-checked that the iX was both connected and genuinely charging. When I packed my equipment the next day, it showed a reassuring 90%, just as I had hoped.
I'm still encountering some issues with charging my iX.
This alone demonstrates my trust in the iX; I was embarking on a long journey. in winter conditions, And I didn't feel compelled to charge it completely.
I lowered the passenger seat and positioned my snowboard on it with the bindings facing up, securing it with the seat belt to keep it steady. Throughout our journey, even with all the curves and bends, the board remained perfectly still.
I began my journey with some highway driving directly towards the rising sun. I own several pairs of sunglasses which seem to be problematic for the Driver Monitoring Camera included in the Driving Assistance Pro package. On this particular morning, I didn’t wear them at all; however, the system struggled to detect my eyes because of additional reflections caused by the early sunlight’s glare.
I found myself either squinting due to the assistive system being active or having to drive manually throughout the journey, keeping my hands firmly on the steering wheel.
The Drive Over
That was the sole small hiccup during my journey. The iX proved to be both comfortable and silent as I sat among morning commuters queuing uphill in Troy, NY. When the road cleared, the BMW’s powerful performance and responsive throttle made swift overtakes on two-lane highways effortless.
I arrived well ahead of when the ski lift operations were set to begin, managing everything efficiently even though we used the air conditioning and enjoyed ourselves during the trip. Once more, the estimated range proved accurate. As soon as I exited the garage, my vehicle stated that I would reach Mount Snow with 55% battery left. Sure enough, after driving for about 75 miles, the gauge still showed 55%. This held true even considering the outside temperature was below 30°F.
The chilly temperatures resulted in frosty trail conditions early in the morning. However, the milder weather in the preceding weeks led to just a few trails being accessible at Mount Snow. Despite this, I enjoyed a fantastic morning session, which unfortunately turned out to be my second and last outing of the season. My busy travel itinerary along with bringing home a new puppy have made it difficult for me to hit the slopes regularly.
As it was time to consider returning, during my final ascent in the elevator, I opened the My BMW app and instructed the vehicle to begin preconditioning. We first discovered that remote requests such as controlling the temperature were quite inconsistent. The vehicle has recently become much more dependable when reacting to commands issued through the application.
I had parked just beneath the start of the trail, allowing me to exit my vehicle and immediately enter a cozy cabin with welcoming warmth. The rear seats of the iX offered ample space for me to remove my boots and equipment without needing to twist uncomfortably.
Returning Home
With my board secured at the rear and multiple insulated layers spread throughout the cabin, I set off downhill towards home. Since I had utilized just 35% of the battery charge on the ascent and the vehicle estimated about 26% would remain upon arrival, I pressed the accelerator more freely during the descent.
The roads were well-maintained, free from ice and snow, yet remained somewhat grimy at certain points. The residue from winter salts and sands hadn’t completely been rinsed away. Nonetheless, the iX handles remarkably well considering its size, and the Nokian Remedy WRG5 tires continue to provide excellent traction under various circumstances.
Using the built-in navigation system, I opted for a somewhat shorter path on my return journey, reducing the overall distance by approximately five miles. Coupled with marginally higher temperatures above 34 degrees and increased descent sections of the road, this resulted in only a 32% fuel consumption rate for the trip back.
The positive aspect of this situation is clear. However, there was a minor letdown regarding the BMW’s range estimation, which proved inaccurate. When I arrived back home, the car indicated that 26 percent battery life remained, whereas I actually had 32 percent left.
That's one of the largest inaccuracies in distance estimation I've observed with iDrive’s built-in navigation system, which really says something. Usually, missing by just six percent would be seen as quite good for most vehicles. Moreover, if my electric vehicle is going to have an error margin, I prefer it to underestimate rather than overestimate.
The nearly 150-mile round trip, mostly in sub- or near-freezing temperatures, used 58 percent of the battery, a consumption of 2.8 mi/kWh, giving me an extremely comfortable window. There's still not much of a charging network in Vermont, but I didn't even think twice about it.
However, the snow has completely melted away now, making it perfect for milder adventures. Additionally, we'll delve deeper into how the iX performs as a dog-carrying vehicle in our upcoming discussion.
Additional BMW iX Owner Updates Coming Soon
- 2024 BMW iX Long-Term Test: Insights Gained From Charging Hiccups
- 2024 BMW iX xDrive50 Long-Term Test: Harsh Winter Conditions and Software Issues
- BMW iX xDrive50 Long-Term Test: Transporting Luggage
- 2024 BMW iX xDrive50 Long-Term Test: Evaluating the App Interface