By Deji Osas
BMW iX Now Beats Every Tesla in Range—And the i5 Gets a Boost Too
BMW is quietly raising the bar for electric vehicle performance. The 2026 BMW iX xDrive60 now boasts an EPA-estimated range of 364 miles, making it the longest-range EV BMW has ever produced—and officially edging past the Tesla Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, which tops out at 363 miles.
This latest version of the iX debuted earlier in the year with a slightly larger 113.4-kWh usable battery, along with a series of upgrades designed to improve overall efficiency. At launch, BMW estimated a range between 316 and 340 miles. But the final EPA figure of 364 miles represents a 7% increase over those projections, thanks to under-the-hood enhancements like a new inverter with silicon carbide components, refined wheel bearings, and more efficient headlights. According to BMW, these changes together deliver a 10% boost in efficiency.
Power has also been bumped up. The new xDrive60 delivers 536 horsepower, replacing the outgoing xDrive50’s 516 hp, though the max DC charging rate remains at 195 kW.
Meanwhile, the 2026 BMW i5 electric sedan sees range increases across the lineup. The standout is the i5 eDrive40 with 19-inch wheels, now rated at 310 miles—a 5% improvement over last year’s model. The version with 20-inch wheels gets the biggest jump, now offering 300 miles of range, up 8%. Models with larger wheels or xDrive all-wheel drive fall between 259 and 278 miles.
Even BMW’s plug-in hybrids get an upgrade for 2026: models like the 550e Drive, X5 xDrive50e, and M5 PHEV now support faster AC charging at 11 kW, up from 7.4 kW.
All told, these incremental but meaningful upgrades show BMW is serious about staying competitive in the EV space—whether it’s by extending range, boosting performance, or making day-to-day charging more convenient.
