We tested BMW iX3 40 fast charging: 120 kW on an iHunt charger, battery warms from 14 to 24°C, and battery care holds it at 100 kW
The full video from our channel, Masina Timpului: a morning with the BMW iX3 40, from its "Welcome" greeting to charging on a 120 kW, 800 V iHunt station, with the battery care setting capping power at about 100 kW.
The full video of our BMW iX3 40 fast-charging test is now live on our channel, "Masina Timpului". After the short on the battery care setting, this one shows the whole morning: walking up to the car, charging on a 120 kW "iHunt" station, and what happens to the battery along the way. The video is supported by "iHunt Romania".
A morning with the iX3
With the key in a pocket, the car picks it up from a few steps away and unlocks as you approach. Get in and it greets you with "Welcome", then starts heating on its own, including the driver's seat. Steering wheel heating is there too; it was simply switched off.
It was 11°C outside and the battery sat at 14°C. Fast charging works best at around 20–22°C, so we were curious how the iX3 would handle it.
120 kW, the station's full output
The iHunt charger delivers 120 kW on 800 V, matching the iX3's architecture. The car pulled the full 120 kW straight away and showed the time it would reach 80% and 100%. The charge limit can be dragged right on that screen; at 30%, for example, the car estimated 167 km of range.
Photo: Screenshot from the Masina Timpului video
Battery care: 100 kW instead of 120
Under charging mode there is a "Battery care" option. The screen explains it: DC charging power is reduced to protect the battery, and charging stops at 80%. With it on, power eased from 93 to 96 and then to about 100 kW. Switching it off brought the iX3 straight back to 120 kW, cable still plugged in.
A nice bonus: during the session the battery warmed from 14°C to 24°C, right into its fast-charging sweet spot.
Head-up display and the official numbers
We also switched on the head-up display, which shows the next turn, the distance to it and the traffic ahead.
The car tested is the iX3 40, the entry point to the range. According to BMW, it has rear-wheel drive, 320 hp, 500 Nm, 0–100 km/h in about 5.9 s and 82.6 kWh of usable battery capacity from Gen6 cylindrical cells. It DC charges at up to 300 kW, 10–80% in 21 minutes, with up to 635 km of WLTP range. The iX3 50 xDrive steps up to 108.7 kWh and up to 400 kW charging.
Andrei's own estimate is that at 130 km/h on the motorway the iX3 40 covers around 400 km between stops and wins most of it back in a 15–20 minute break at a powerful charger. That is his estimate; a proper long trip with the car is still to come.
What it means for drivers
- On a long trip, leave battery care off and use every kilowatt the charger offers.
- In town, or when you have time, it lets you charge more gently, which is good for the battery in the long run.
- In winter, a cold battery warms itself up while charging; ours gained 10 degrees.
- The charge limit is set right on the screen, handy when you only need a few dozen extra kilometres.
For more context, see how to read a DC charging curve, our BMW Assisted Driving test on the iX3 40 and our EV road trip planning guide for Romania.
