{"id":154937,"date":"2025-01-10T16:38:24","date_gmt":"2025-01-10T16:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/?p=493953"},"modified":"2025-01-10T16:38:24","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T16:38:24","slug":"bmws-frank-weber-spills-idrive-x-secrets-smarter-cars-better-drives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/10\/bmws-frank-weber-spills-idrive-x-secrets-smarter-cars-better-drives\/","title":{"rendered":"BMW\u2019s Frank Weber Spills iDrive X Secrets: Smarter Cars, Better Drives"},"content":{"rendered":"

Roundtable events are a good way for higher-ups in any organization to let slip morsels of information that got overlooked for the press release. Particularly when the roundtable involves someone like Frank Weber<\/a>, CTO and member of the board of management of BMW. Today we share insights from the BMW veteran about the newest iDrive software, iDrive X<\/a>.<\/p>\n

No Bigger Displays \u2013 BMW \u201cConnects You to the Road\u201d<\/h3>\n

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\u201cWe were looking at competitors that are doing bigger and bigger displays. And we asked ourselves, do we like that?\u201d Weber considers when asked about the center screen. He claims that the brand didn\u2019t want to go \u201ceven bigger\u2026a large TV screen disconnects you from the road. We had the\u2026I don\u2019t know, they called them hyper screens and other things, and they were large,\u201d he starts, a not-so-subtle jab at the massive screen you\u2019ll see in many Mercedes models today.”<\/p>\n

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BMW is connecting you to the steering wheel, and the steering wheel is connected to the vehicle, and the vehicle connected to the road. And this is this kind of thing you expect from a BMW to do.\u201d We wholeheartedly agree.<\/p>\n

In fact, Weber had a lot to say about the burgeoning screen sizes in the industry. \u201cMaking it bigger and bigger is not the right thing,\u201d he says. He says that the bigger the screen, the tougher it is to make it safely usable for the driver \u2013 i.e., easy to touch. The decision to keep a single, central display (primarily), and move it closer to the steering wheel offers, in his words, \u201cideal touch conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bigger Displays, Bigger Consumption<\/h3>\n

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Of course, BMW\u2019s screen size may be staying small compared to the competition, but it\u2019s still growing to 17.9 inches<\/a>. And there\u2019s a lot of additional hardware to power when you consider the 3D head-up display and panoramic display. How does that compare to the current setups when it comes to power consumption? \u201cWe are looking for every watt-hour that we can preserve,\u201d Weber starts. \u201cUnfortunately, it is the system setup.\u201d According to Weber, there\u2019s an entire department tasked with managing energy efficiency. Weber says that, compared to today\u2019s 12.0-inch display and curved display, the new setup consumes around 10 percent more energy.<\/p>\n

Anti-Apple CarPlay Via Superior Firepower<\/h3>\n
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Image provided for media use by Apple.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In one of Mr. Weber\u2019s more controversial takes, he says he\u2019s \u201cwelcome to be anti-Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.\u201d He believes it\u2019s a \u201cshort-term, crutch solution,\u201d and that BMW needs to invest in a more \u201cintegrated system.\u201d He claims that the BMW system is much more sophisticated and capable than a system that only runs CarPlay. That said, iDrive X is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.<\/p>\n

Actions always speak louder than words, though, and regardless of how you feel from a usability perspective, iDrive X is promising some big things. During the presentation, a video call was performed through the screen. This will apparently be possible for production cars, and not just for demonstration purposes. So, there\u2019s one advantage over CarPlay. Weber said, half-joking, \u201cThis is our year, 2025\u2026I\u2019m done now with visions and concepts and all of that stuff. Everything you have seen is serious, so yeah, you will be able to [make video calls].\u201d<\/p>\n

iDrive X in Different Cars: From the X1 to the 7 Series<\/h3>\n

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As we\u2019ve said a few different times in a few different places, iDrive X will eventually appear in literally all new BMW vehicles. The system might look a little different depending on which model you\u2019re behind the wheel of, though. \u201cWhen you buy an X2,\u201d Weber says while discussing screens, \u201cit is a little smaller in size than it is in the next segment.\u201d So, expect iDrive X to look similar \u2013 but not identical \u2013 regardless of the car you\u2019re piloting.<\/p>\n

Testing iDrive X<\/h3>\n

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\u201cI can tell you we probably have 3,000 people in the process,\u201d Weber says when a question of testing regiments comes up. Three core regions \u2013 China, Europe, and US \u2013 require individual testing, utilizing \u2018usability labs\u2019 that essentially place customers in front of the technology. Notably and specifically, not<\/em> BMW employees. \u201cWhat you do is you invite them for eight hours, every single person for eight hours, and then you go with them, step by step through all the things,\u201d he says. BMW then observes \u201cwhere misunderstandings occur,\u201d in order to streamline the system.<\/p>\n

In total, Weber says this took around three years from early concept until today. And while there are stark differences in how each region\u2019s users interact with the tech, eventually, you find a \u201cglobal agreement,\u201d something that works for everyone. Even if it isn\u2019t necessarily optimized for one region. \u201cWe have just finished the last round, then for production, end of the year,\u201d he finishes.<\/p>\n

Design Across EV and Gas Lineup As One<\/h3>\n

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BMW\u2019s well-known for having a flexible architecture that facilitates ease of production. For them, the lines between internal combustion and electrification are more blurred than for most automakers. But going forward \u201cwe can only have one design,\u201d so says Frank Weber. \u201cA BMW is a BMW\u2026there is no difference between an ICE car and a battery electric car,\u201d he says. \u201cNeue Klasse\u2026is such a big leap. But then we do this big leap for everything.\u201d So, expect Neue Klasse styling to start showing up across the lineup throughout the 2030s.<\/p>\n

Weber thinks a lot of brands have made the mistake of intentionally positioning EVs \u201cabove\u201d their ICE offerings. It\u2019s a good point that we haven\u2019t heard in the past \u2013 and in fact, might deserve a separate article itself. \u201cYou pick the powertrain, and then we do the best car around you for that,\u201d Weber says. \u201cit\u2019s not working [for other brands] because\u2026what are you saying? That battery electric vehicles are more modern than your other vehicles?\u201d<\/p>\n

He continues. \u201cI have not seen final numbers for 2024, but you can assume that we have sold more battery electric vehicles as BMW than Mercedes and Audi combined. Isn\u2019t it a strange thing that the company that says \u2018equal treatment for everything\u2019 has sold more than the two together.\u201d<\/p>\n

For what it\u2019s worth, he was right<\/a>. It\u2019s an excellent point. He drives it home by essentially saying people decide to buy a BMW because it\u2019s a BMW. Not specifically because it\u2019s an electric vehicle or gas-powered vehicle.<\/p>\n

The E65\u2019s A Gift That Keeps on Giving<\/h3>\n
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E65 7 Series LC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are plenty of reasons to dislike the E65 7 Series<\/a> (produced from 2001 until 2008), but we didn\u2019t expect to hear Frank Weber talk about it in 2025 at CES. \u201cWe had to refine our processes,\u201d he starts, when asked about the \u2018complete reinvention\u2019 of the Neue Klasse cars and streamlining systems to be user-friendly. \u201cThe reason for this is our traumatic experiences with the E65 25 years ago. It was so bad to launch that vehicle that we had to rethink all of our process.\u201d Over the last two decades, BMW has given more thought than its competitors to how the mechanical components and software components work together \u2013 and it\u2019s all because of the E65. That\u2019s what Frank says, anyway.<\/p>\n

Weber\u2019s Final \u201cBiased\u201d Thoughts on iDrive X<\/h3>\n

Everyone wants to know what the boss is really<\/em> thinking about the cool new rig, right? The roundtable concluded by asking Weber his driving impressions on iDrive X. \u201cI am completely biased,\u201d he starts. \u201cIt was completely obvious how you interact with the vehicle and what it is doing for us. You will see that from the moment we give you a car, it will be very easy to operate this thing.\u201d The highest praise, according to Frank, \u201canybody who is a UI designer\u201d can ever receive. We look forward to the challenge.<\/p>\n