The full reveal of BMW's hugely important new 'Neue Klasse' all-electric 3 series, the new i3, is looking fast. We've already had a secret peek at the standard model (about which we can say nothing other than that it's closely related to the iX3 electric SUV - BMW snipers are on standby…), but now BMW's mighty M-Division is starting to open up about the all-electric new M3 EV - a battery-powered M3.
A battery M3? No thanks…
Wait, don't be so fast to judge. From what BMW is saying, the all-battery M3 EV (or will it be i3M? Mi3?) is shaping up to be something of a laugh riot. For a start, it's breaking new ground by using no fewer than four electric motors, mounted within each wheel, which means that you'll be able to play out electronic dance moves by shuffling torque and power between each corner of the car. And the new electric M3 will have gear shifts…
Hang on, electric cars don't have gearboxes. Do they?
Not really, no. Most EVs just use a single reduction gear because that's the most efficient thing. Some Mercedes and Porsche models use two-speed gearboxes, for low-speed acceleration and high-speed efficiency, but you can't really feel those shifting.
The BMW idea is inspired by what Hyundai has been doing with its all-electric N models, and introducing a specific programme into the M3's control systems that allows its electric motors to deliver power in a series of rising peaks, with a tiny pause after each peak that feels as if the gearbox is shifting up or down.
The idea is to make the electric M3 feel more 'natural' in how it delivers its performance, if you're used to a high-performance petrol engine. The M3's control systems will be a developed form of those found in the iX3 and i3, which use four so-called 'superbrain' electronic control units, each one focused on a specific element of the car or its batteries and motors. The one we care most about here is the 'Heart Of Joy' controller, which has a silly name but a serious purpose - in the iX3, it combines all of the car's electronic systems from steering to acceleration to braking and ties them together in a way that, to the driver, feels surprisingly 'analogue.' For the M3 EV, that bar should be raised even higher.
What kind of performance will the M3 EV have?
BMW isn't saying anything official yet, but previous concept versions of this M3 EV have had a reputed four-figure power output, which would suggest a 0-100km/h time of less than 3.0 seconds. The battery capacity is also a guarded secret for now, but it seems likely that the M3 EV will use a modified version of the 108.7kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery from the iX3 and i3. In those cars, the claimed range is up to 805km for the iX3, and could hit 900km for the i3, so the more powerful M3 EV is likely to get more like 700-750km on a full charge. Less if you're enjoying yourself…
What other tricks will the M3 EV have?
There's some properly clever engineering going on with this car. Four in-wheel motors mean that not only can you individually send power to each wheel, you can also individually brake each wheel with the motors' regenerative braking capacity, which not only helps with stability and agility when braking, it also means that the M3 EV will be able to recover energy from braking right up to its dynamic limit. The battery, although very closely related to that of the iX3, is being modified for sustained high-power output and repeated acceleration runs. The M3 EV will also go big on lightweight materials, especially a type of carbon fibre made from more environmentally friendly, natural, recyclable fibres, so as to keep its weight to a minimum.
"Born on the racetrack. Made for the streets. Core of a passionate community”, to life with a fully electric drivetrain. "The next generation of models are set to establish a new benchmark in the high-performance vehicle segment,” said Franciscus van Meel, Managing Director of BMW M GmbH. "With the latest generation of Neue Klasse technology, we are taking the BMW M driving experience to a new level and will inspire our customers with outstanding, racetrack-ready driving dynamics for everyday use.”