BMW reveals electric SUV to challenge Tesla, plans U.S. launch in 2022

BMW revealed on Wednesday that an electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) called the BMW iX, is being planned to go on sale in the United States in early 2022 to compete with Tesla Inc and others.

The automaker said the car should have a driving range of 300 miles (480 km) which is less than the estimated driving range of the Tesla Model X Long Range, which is rated at 371 miles in the United States. The automaker said drivers would be able to include 75 miles of range in ten minutes at a fast-charging station.

iX would be comparable in size to the existing BMW X5 SUV. The dashboard will be a sweeping, curved screen.

The car will enter a fast-growing field of battery-powered SUVs intended at affluent consumers.

Tesla’s Model X is facing competition from Chinese startup Nio and General Motors’ Cadillac brand recently revealed a mid-size electric SUV called the Lyriq, expected to launch in 2022.

Ford Motor’s Mustang Mach-E is aiming for a share of the performance enthusiast market that BMW defined decades ago. Ford said this week that it intended to add a second model built on the foundations of the Mach-E.