BMW is canceling its plan of launching its first electric vehicle in years, the iX3 on US soil. The automaker is following the footsteps of other automakers in shifting their electric vehicle supply to Europe.
The German carmaker said the BMW iX3 will be the first electric vehicle with its fifth-generation electric powertrain technology during an unveiling in 2018. The powertrain technology enables a longer electric range.
“At this time we do not have plans to bring the iX3 to the U.S. market,” a spokesman told Automotive News.
This may be surprising because the X3 is the most popular BMW model in the US. The iX3 is based on the earlier X3 model. It will be manufactured in China and may be available by 2021. Also, it will be powered by a 74-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and that has a 273-mile capacity when it is full.
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BMW isn’t the only automaker holding back from launching their vehicles in the US
As already mention, BMW is not alone in taking a decision to snub the US. Mercedez-Benz is also pulling back on the US launch of its EQC SUV by a year. Volkswagen will also launch its ID.4 (known as ID. Crozz) to the US after a European launch. It will, however, keep the ID.3 out of the US.
Perhaps this is due to Tesla’s firm grip on the American market. The American company delivered a record 112,000 vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2019 and about 367,500 for the full year.
There’s also an extra incentive to shift the electric vehicles to Europe. Automakers face huge fines in 2021 if they fail to reduce their vehicle’s CO2 emissions to an average of 95 grams per kilometer.
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