BMW M starts testing for fully electric high-performance cars

The car maker says electrification 'opens up completely new degrees of freedom'

BMW is opening the next chapter in its electric transformation. Photo: BMW

BMW M has started a new phase in its move towards the electrification of its car range.

The German car maker has started testing a concept vehicle as it seeks solutions for fully electric high-performance cars in the future.

"The concept testing focuses on a four-wheel-drive system comprising four electric motors and an integrated driving dynamics control system, which together provide an unprecedented level of performance and experience," it said.

It said the purely electric drive system is combined with innovative control systems to redefine the combination of dynamics, agility and precision.

BMW, which is celebrating 50 years of its high performance M brand, has already launched the all-electric BMW iLi MS0 performance car this year and the BMW iX M60.

The BMW i7 M70, the first BMW M car based on an all-electric luxury sedan, is to follow next year.

"Electrification opens up completely new degrees of freedom for us to create M-typical dynamics," said Dirk Hacker, head of development at BMW M.

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BMW's battery-powered BMW iX M60 - in pictures

BMW’s fastest and most powerful EV to date, the iX M60 goes from from 0 to 100kph in 3.8 seconds, and has a top speed of 250kph.

The iX M60 mates a 105kWh battery pack with a pair of electric motors that drive the front and rear axles.

The minimalistic cabin is dominated by a large rectangular screen with a separate infotainment element on the dash.

The iX M60 comes with a chintzy crystal iDrive twist dial, gear selector switch and seat adjustment buttons.

The iX M60 weighs 2,659 kilograms, with the battery pack alone contributing about 500kg of the bulk.

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BMW sees the high-performance character of the new drive system in the recuperation of braking energy.

"Right up to the limits of driving dynamics, the four motors can assume the function of a generator when braking before a bend, for example, and feed electricity back into the high-voltage battery," it said.

Car makers around the world are investing billions as they make the transition from combustion engines to all-electric vehicles.

Electric car sales for the first half of 2022 reached more than 3.5 million, IDTechEx research has shown.

China's EVE Energy Company will supply BMW with large cylindrical batteries for its electric cars in Europe, Reuters reported, as the company follows the likes of Tesla in adopting the new technology.

The shift by BMW, which currently uses prismatic batteries, highlights the growing momentum for larger-format cylindrical batteries.