BMW M's First EV Promises To Be a World-Beater

While BMW is already well acquainted with the EV market, the brand has yet to give one of its all-electric products the full M performance car treatment. That’s set to change before long, as the automaker intends to release an M product based on its upcoming Neue Klasse platform by 2026 or 2027. According to recent comments from M CEO Frank van Meel, you can expect that model to mop up every M car that has come before.

van Meel told MotorTrend that the upcoming electric performance car “will beat everything you have ever seen.” That’s a strong statement from an automotive executive, but van Meel does have some reason to think that way. BMW has been developing a quad-motor powertrain setup for its upcoming products, with the Neue Klasse-based M car first in line for production. BMW Head of Engineering and R&D Frank Weber has already suggested that this powertrain could provide the brand’s cars with up to a Megawatt of power. That’s the equivalent of 1000 kW, or around 1341 horsepower. That's 107 more horsepower than the Lucid Air Sapphire currently provides EV sedan buyers. That will easily make this upcoming EV the quickest-accelerating BMW product ever. That title is currently shared by the M5 CS and M8 Competition models, which our sister publication Car & Driver tested running 0-60 mph in just 2.5 seconds.

Thanks to the independent wheel control provided by a quad-motor setup, BMW believes the powertrain will also help improve the dynamic capability of the upcoming EV. Don’t expect any silly gimmick, however, as the brand is focused on using that tech to make the car drive in a very neutral and predictable fashion. The motors themselves are set to be cooled, though BMW has yet to confirm whether they’ll utilize liquid or air to keep temps in check. The CEO expects these motors to become an industry benchmark much like the S58 inline-six found in the M2, M3, and M4 models. van Meel has also confirmed that the high-performance quad-motor model will receive a bespoke battery with different chemistry than the standard Neue Klasse models. The pack is backed by 800-volt architecture, allowing for rapid DC fast charging capabilities.

While we still have a lot of time before an all-electric M car hits dealer showrooms, a lot of work is taking place behind the scenes. It will be interesting to see how BMW tackles the challenges involved with preserving the feel of the M brand in an EV era, especially considering the fact that that feeling has shifted a bit as of late. Either way, it’s not hard to get excited about a BMW with over 1300 hp at your disposal. Nobody will even be able to tell if your blinker was on before you cut them off with that sort of shove.

Via Carscoops

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