Tag: JB Straubel

At Climate Week NYC, BMW unveiled its new all-electric flagship, the BMW iX3, marking the U.S. debut of its Neue Klasse platform and reaffirming the automaker’s pledge to electrify more than 40 models in the coming years. The launch comes at a time when EV demand appears to be slowing and many automakers are rethinking their electric strategies.

BMW CTO Joachim Post emphasized that the iX3 is more than just another crossover. “It’s a new era for us,” Post told a small group of media, including Observer, ahead of the event this week. He explained that BMW engineers have merged technology, design and computing power into a single platform adaptable across the lineup, from sports cars to SUVs.

The iX3 promises about 400 miles of range and can add roughly 175 miles of charge in just ten minutes on a 400kW charger. Inside, it features a panoramic head-up display stretching from pillar to pillar across the windshield and four “superbrain” computers managing everything from vehicle dynamics to navigation and climate control.

Such advances come as competition in the EV space heats up. Tesla, Hyundai and BYD are rolling out efficient, long-range, fast-charging models at competitive prices. BMW is betting that it can combine performance and luxury while insulating itself from the geopolitical turbulence shaping the global auto industry.

Part of that strategy is what BMW calls its “local-for-local” footprint, with factories in Hungary, Munich, and Spartanburg, S.C. “Production follows the market and supply chain follows production,” Post said, noting the company’s $1.7 billion investment in U.S. battery and vehicle assembly plants. That approach, he added, allows BMW to adapt regardless of shifting incentives or political headwinds.

At the same time, BMW is pursuing a “technology open” philosophy. Post stressed that combustion engines and hybrids won’t disappear from the lineup, even as EVs like the iX3 and upcoming electric X5 roll out. “The customer decides which car they are buying,” he said. “Government can make regulations, but the customer will decide what they want.”

The iX3’s look has been met with mixed, but largely positive reviews here in the States. The new design moves away from the oversized “chipmunk” grille, with cues inspired by the classic BMW 2002 kidney grilles. Post dismissed the idea that BMW’s previous bold designs were driven by Chinese demand. “BMW makes designs that work all over the world,” he said, noting that market-specific adjustments, like longer wheelbases in China and sport packages in the U.S., have always been part of the strategy.

Inside, BMW’s new Panoramic iDrive system aims to restore its driver-centric reputation. Augmented reality projected on the windshield reimagines how drivers engage with their surroundings, addressing criticism that BMW had strayed too far from its performance roots.

Beyond luxury and design, BMW is sharpening its focus on sustainability. It has partnered with SK On and Redwood Materials (Tesla co-founder JB Straubel’s EV battery company) in the U.S. to develop closed-loop battery recycling. While large-scale recycling is still years away due to the limited supply of used batteries, BMW executives stressed its importance. “EVs are mines on wheels,” said Glenn Schmidt, BMW’s vice president of sustainability. “We need to treat vehicles as resources, where a bumper doesn’t end up as a bottle, but rather a high-value component in a future car.”

Executives also highlighted BMW’s push toward circularity as a hedge against geopolitical risk. The company is using A.I. to track the lifecycle of vehicle components, and has already mapped the complete carbon footprint of its kidney grilles.

The iX3’s debut underscores BMW’s commitment to the U.S. market, EVs and the Paris Accords—even as adoption in the U.S. lags behind Europe and China. Post acknowledged American skepticism about EVs but noted that “most customers don’t go back to combustion engines once they’ve tried an EV.” He also pointed to BMW’s sixth-generation battery technology as a path toward affordability without reliance on fading government subsidies.

In the end, the iX3 is both BMW’s calling card and a test case in an uncertain U.S. EV market. The real question is whether BMW’s strategy of flexibility—in design, powertrains and supply chains—will be enough to win over consumers who remain undecided about electric cars.