BMW M technicians have tested the first prototypes equipped with the new technology that will make sports cars electric. The Garching brand is committed to an unprecedented configuration, of which they now give new and interesting details.
BMW M it will be electric before the next decade. The sports division of the Munich brand works with the recently presented prototype, in which a fully electric and very high-performance propulsion system has been embarked. A development in which they have invested between four and five years to be able to have advanced technology, with the last three years fine-tuning the system that has now embarked on a BMW i4 M50 highly modified.
After an initial period of testing in one of BMW’s secret test centers, far from the prying eyes of photographers, the first technical conclusions have been obtained, very positive according to the Bavarian manufacturer. those of BMW M recognize that it is not ready and that they must continue to work with an eye to the future, having passed through the era of combustion with engines atmospheric, turbocharged and with a new generation of plug-in hybrids which will be released in a few months.
The character of the future electric BMW M is overwhelming
But the future is inevitably electric, and the developed prototype gives a good account of it. The system has no less than four electric motors, one for each wheel, which can work in unison unfolding a whole potential that is unknown or do it independently. In this case, each wheel can generate propulsion and at the same time brake. The four electric motors are regulated by an algorithm that is responsible for distributing the precise power to each wheel, also achieving a truly brutal recovery of braking energy, greater than that of current electric motors.
The technicians have adjusted the algorithm so that the electric motors change their role depending on the line and the “M xDrive” all-wheel drive system, so that they act as a power generator before facing a curve, and return power to the traction battery. This component is also key, because as it is the energy feeder, it must be capable of deliver high energy in seconds for explosive acceleration and at the same time recover it.
The head of development of the BMW M models, Dirk Häcker, has explained that this prototype has the front axle of the M3 and rear of the M5, resulting in greater cosmetic appeal and more radical driving dynamics. And only the bodywork, and the battery cover, belongs to the i4 M50, because the rest is completely new, even the battery chemistry is different. Häcker has pointed out that the tests carried out so far not only mean being in front of a true M, but that it exceeds what is known, so the future is more than promising.