After unveiling the first two major innovations dedicated to intelligent parking and digital access to the vehicle, discover the new pillars of BMW’s technological strategy. The German manufacturer is unveiling the two latest building blocks in its ecosystem: My Digital BMW and the on-board technologies of the new BMW iX3, including autonomous driving. These new features confirm the brand’s commitment to placing digital technology and electrification at the heart of the driving experience.
Digital technology redefines break times with My Digital BMW
One of the new features highlighted by the brand is ‘My Digital BMW’. Unlike the intelligent and autonomous parking service, for example, this is not an isolated innovation, but a set of digital services centralised in a single ecosystem, accessible via the My BMW application, the BMW ConnectedDrive Store or directly from the vehicle’s screen. This system allows drivers to activate and manage different connected functions according to their needs.
In practical terms, these digital services transform the daily use of the vehicle. For example, when stationary, particularly during recharging, the passenger compartment becomes a real entertainment area, with access to games and integrated multimedia applications such as films, TV series and video games directly from the central screen, without having to rely on the smartphone. It’s also possible to enjoy music streaming applications or even video conferencing during breaks.
Navigation is also made more precise by the integration of highly detailed real-time traffic data, 3D map views and a finer representation of the environment surrounding the vehicle. My Digital BMW also lets you keep an eye on your vehicle from a distance thanks to monitoring and visualisation functions, including alerts about damage or attempted theft.
All these services can be activated on demand, for a limited period or permanently, and can be upgraded remotely (OTA). This approach is in line with the growing popularity of electric vehicles, which are now designed as genuine digital platforms capable of evolving throughout their lifecycle.
Highway Assistant: a new step towards automated driving
Another key innovation from BMW is the forthcoming arrival of Highway Assistant on the new iX3. This advanced driving aid assists the driver on motorways at speeds of up to 130 km/h, simultaneously managing speed, distance from the vehicle in front and trajectory.
This system, designed to relieve the driver of the burden of long journeys, allows the driver to take his or her hands off the wheel when conditions allow, as long as he or she remains alert to traffic and ready to intervene. The principle is simple: when the system judges the road to be suitable, it can suggest an automated lane change. The manoeuvre is then validated by a simple glance in the outside rear-view mirror, to the left to overtake and to the right to swerve – a natural interaction that illustrates the bridge between today’s aids and tomorrow’s automated driving.
This Highway Assistant is part of a wider range of driving aids, including Driving Assistant Plus, which comes as standard. This equipment automatically adapts speed to recognised speed limits, adjusts the pace when approaching bends or roundabouts, and helps to keep the vehicle in its lane. The whole system is coordinated by an advanced software architecture that merges the driver’s intentions with the vehicle’s capabilities in real time, for smoother, more intuitive driving.
The new iX3, a technological showcase for BMW’s electric strategy
These innovations take on their full meaning on board the new BMW iX3, the brand’s first new-generation electric SUV. Designed as a technological showcase, the iX3 embodies the convergence of electrification, connectivity and automation.
The on-board experience is based on the new BMW Panoramic iDrive interface, which intelligently redistributes information within the driver’s field of vision. Navigation, charge management, driving aids and My Digital BMW connected services are seamlessly integrated, reinforcing the impression of a vehicle designed as a coherent whole.
In technical terms, the iX3 is based on the latest-generation electric architecture, combined with an 800-volt platform that improves energy efficiency while reducing recharging times – a key factor in making the use of electric vehicles more widespread. With a claimed range of over 800 kilometres in the WLTP cycle, BMW is clearly demonstrating its ambitions in the electromobility market.
source : BMW
A well-established vision of tomorrow
With My Digital BMW, the new iX3 and the Highway Assistant, BMW completes the first two innovations previously announced. Automated parking, digital access, connected services and advanced driving aids are now part of a global strategy in which each technology reinforces the others.
In addition to comfort, these innovations respond to the current challenges of mobility: safety, fluidity of travel, adaptation to urban constraints and the transition to electric vehicles. They also reflect BMW’s ambition to make digital technology a major differentiating factor in an increasingly competitive electric vehicle market.
