Looking to the future, BMW continues to be a pioneer in the automotive industry: driving further innovations in electrified cars and actively shaping the future of mobility. Discover all that lies ahead in this new era of BMW.

FUTURE DEFINING TECHNOLOGIES.

BMW Group is developing its fifth generation of electric drive systems, with BMW announcing the BMW iX3 in 2020. The electric motor, transmission and power electronics have been designed as a single, compact electric drive component, which takes up far less space than separate components used in preceding generations. This modular “building block” concept will allow new batteries to be incorporated flexibly into every vehicle’s architecture.

The new generation will also see the introduction of 48-volt hybrids, commonly known as mild hybrid electric vehicles. These cars will have an electric starter motor generator that assists the petrol engine, but instead of requiring external charging, the battery will be exclusively charged through regenerative braking, giving drivers a better overall fuel consumption with no range loss.

With the influx of electrified vehicles comes a new wave of motorsport. Motor racing is important to the development of motors and batteries, for both performance and efficiency. That’s why BMW i are continuing their partnership with Andretti Motorsport to compete in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship – the world’s premier electric championship.

ELECTRIFICATION CONTINUES.

BMW Group will have 25 electrified models available to buy by 2023, including the iNEXT and electric BMW iX3. A Motorrad Vision DC Roadster concept motorbike, with innovative alternative drive forms, is also in development.

In 2021, the electric BMW iNEXT will become the first series-production car to combine electric and autonomous driving with new connectivity options. The two driving modes, named Ease and Boost, will allow a driver to choose between retracting the steering wheel and relaxing, or taking the wheel for a true driving experience.

Every element of the electric revolution is being considered with typical BMW precision. The IconicSounds project sees world famous composer Hans Zimmer – known for his epic scores in films such as Gladiator and Batman – composing ‘the sound of electric’ for the BMW Vision M NEXT in his London and Los Angeles studios.

THE NEXT EVOLUTION FOR MOBILITY.

The future will see the further enhancement of electric, introducing electrified driving into the M range with the BMW M Vision NEXT and the addition of hydrogen technologies, starting with the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT.

The Hydrogen powered model will be unveiled in 2022, and features the next generation of hydrogen technology that BMW are continuing to invest in, alongside electric vehicles. It’s estimated that fuel cell vehicles will be on offer to customers from 2025 at the earliest.

Future models will feature the BMW Group’s first secure Level 3 autonomy function for motorways. In certain traffic and road conditions, Level 3 enables the driver to completely hand over control of the safety critical functions to the car, while remaining present to intervene at any time.

With more vehicles on our roads than ever before, BMW are also working on new solutions to address traffic congestion and air pollution in mega cities. Connected Cars will be capable of connecting people traveling through the city to their surroundings, meaning a smoother and less stressful journey for every road user. There are five ways that your Connected Car will interact with its environment. V2I links the car to nearby infrastructure, warning you about everything from sharp corners to difficult weather conditions. V2V, or vehicle to vehicle communication, connects all road users to each other to warn about traffic black spots and allow vehicles to move around each other seamlessly. V2C connects the car to an information cloud that is common amongst all vehicles, so that navigation systems can see where traffic is building up. V2P allows the vehicle to communicate with pedestrians reducing incidents between cars and pedestrians. And V2X connects your vehicle to everything else surrounding it.

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