The BMW iNEXT is currently undergoing the next hurdle of its path to series production. BMW Group's winter test centre in Arjeplog, Sweden is the setting for the current vehicle tests, which serve to optimise, examine and harmonise all drive, chassis and suspension components under extreme climate and road conditions.

The electric drive, intelligent all-wheel-drive system and model-specific suspension technology are currently being winter-tested under real-world conditions at the polar circle for the first time. This intensive series of tests, which is equivalent to those used for conventionally-powered models, demonstrates the high degree of maturity of the purely electric drive technology developed by the BMW Group.

The test drives with the camouflaged BMW iNEXT are being conducted on snow-covered roads and ice-covered lakes, where low temperatures and minimal road friction dominate everyday testing. The cold poses a challenge for the electric motor, the high-voltage battery and the cooling system.

The testing of the eDrive energy management system is also of particular importance. Engineers analyse the way in which the extreme sub-zero temperatures affect how the energy storage system recharges, how electricity is transferred to the electric motor, how the electrical system is supplied with energy and how the heating and air condition systems respond.

The power transmission and suspension regulation systems are also tested far beyond what is standard in day-to-day traffic conditions. On closed-off, ice-covered surfaces, electronic regulation can already be provoked at low driving speeds. For the engineers this means that they can, for example, analyse the interaction of the all-wheel-drive system, which was especially developed for the electric drive, and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC). They can then continuously optimise the processes under reproducible conditions.

The steering and braking system are also being fine-tuned. Just like the deceleration performance of the brakes, the energy recuperation when coasting must be precisely adapted to each driving situation. The tracks around Arjeplog provide the ideal testing ground for these trials. The BMW iNEXT is confronted with the entire range of dynamic driving challenges when winter-testing on gravel tracks, dry asphalt and extremely slippery ice surfaces.

Discover more about the BMW iNEXT here.