EVs stress me out. In fact, they still stress a lot of people out. The range has finally caught up and, in some cases, even surpassed conventional (internal combustion engine) ICE cars. The 2022 BMW iX has a range of over 300 miles on a single charge. However, the time it takes to charge gives that declining range a sense of finality. Stress. 

I am coming to the end of my week with the strange and lovely 2022 BMW iX, and I think I finally enjoyed an electric car. 

What is the 2022 BMW iX’s range? 

According to Inside EVs, the new iX can cover 324 miles on a single charge. This is pretty good, considering my Mini Countryman gets around the same out of 12 gallons of fuel. 

The range is good. It feels plenty appropriate for daily life and even weekend day trips. However, access to chargers and charging times still loom over the exciting SUV, like homework you put off over the weekend. While grinning ear to ear from the startling acceleration and even surprisingly agile handling, there is a sense of impending doom.

Anytime you adjust the AC, take an unplanned route, give it a little extra juice on the highway, or just happen to take the long way, my eyes would snap to the remaining range display like an abused dog when someone drops a fork. This anxiety was particularly bad with the Kia EV6 GT-line, which I loved driving. However, it ate range if I even thought about the throttle or AC, much less if I actually used those things. 

The BMW iX ‘sips’ battery juice 

For some reason, the BMW iX was different, though; more relaxing.

Although the simile doesn’t quite work as well as it does for gasoline, the BMW’s range felt more apprehensive to count down. I sheepishly used the cooled seats; the range didn’t change much. The full-blown AC hit it for a loss of about 30 miles. Even the seat massagers didn’t eat up too much battery. 

Admittedly, the EV space is not my area of expertise. That’s why I don’t mind saying that I don’t really understand why one EV would be more fuel efficient than another. With ICE vehicles, I understand how different engines require more fuel than others. 

After driving the BMW iX for a week, I started feeling my hesitation about EVs softening. Unlike the Kia EV6 GT-Line, which I very much enjoyed driving, I didn’t have to watch the range gauge with one eye the entire time. I could actually focus on driving, talking to my partner, enjoying the road, listing to music, and even catching a massage from the BMW’s giving driver’s seat. 

How fast is the 2022 BMW iX?

Even its massive 516 hp was useable. You could stop the right pedal when the coast was clear, and the ballistic acceleration came on like a summer storm; here in an instant and gone just the same. We always talk about the acceleration of EVs but not the braking. The deceleration of the iX was one of the most noteworthy parts of the car. 

With the BMW in efficiency mode and power regeneration turned to 11, the moment you take your foot off the accelerator, it felt like a medium brake application despite not touching the pedal. It was unsettling and even annoying at first. However, after a week or so, I got the hang of it and even began to enjoy the braking assist. Fair warning, though; the hard braking and insane torque can make for some pretty jarring maneuvers if you need to do any serious emergency defensive or offensive driving. 

Is the BMW iX worth it? 

This electric BMW SUV isn’t cheap, with an MSRP starting at $84,195. Hell, my test unit cleared well above that starting MSRP. This isn’t a budget-friendly car for most people. That’s a shame because it is the first truly usable EV I’ve driven. The range and ability to stretch that range is amazing. 

Yes, cars are tools for many of us. However, without enjoying them, we rob ourselves of so much of the value they can provide. Although the BMW isn’t cheap, its practicality and power make it an EV you can drive, as opposed to one that is mostly just hunting chargers.