2013 BMW Megacity Vehicle Future Cars ~ Automotive Cars

In late 2007, BMW started its "Project i," a sort of think tank on "sustainable" mobility, which was shrouded in mystery for a considerable time. Its first visible result, the Mini E, is notable for demonstrating the deficiencies of electric propulsion, precisely because it is so easy to compare with the regular Mini. Distributed to hand-picked customers for a one-year lease term, the all-electric Mini has a sub-100-mile range and sacrifices the rear seats and most of the cargo compartment to house its batteries. Then came the 1-series Concept ActiveE, the precursor to another small fleet to be handed out to select customers in 2011. Its stated goal is to learn more about the drivers’ wishes and behaviors—although BMW itself says that over 90 percent of Mini E customers are perfectly happy with their vehicle's range and (according to a press release) that "all of them emphasize" how much fun electric mobility is.

But there's one more reason to get the 1-series concept out there: Many of its drivetrain components will see use in an upcoming, third fully electric vehicle. And this is where BMW gets serious. In 2013, the car, which is currently called Megacity vehicle (MCV), will be launched under "one of BMW's brands." It will likely not be Mini (or Rolls-Royce), but a newly created sub-brand similar to the M GmbH performance division.

BMW has distributed a first sketch of a fine-looking, not entirely unconventional compact; it’s important to note that the kidney grille is absent, as are other key visual cues, such as the "Hofmeister kink" on the C-pillar, or the characteristic dual headlights. It will be a four-seater, but it's not clear whether it will have four full doors. We’re expecting small, suicide-style rear doors, such as those on the Toyota FJ Cruiser and many extended-cab pickups. And the Megacity will be bigger than a Mini.

The electric powertrain allows for a unique vehicle architecture. BMW separates the car into two parts, the lower "drive module" and the upper "life module." It may sound esoteric, but it's rather simple: The lower part, basically an aluminum frame, houses the battery, the drivetrain, and a strong crash structure; the upper part, connected to the "drive module" by a few screws and glue, is the passenger cabin. It's flexible in design and, in this case, extremely lightweight. Together with SGL Carbon, BMW has developed a carbon-fiber passenger cell, with additional aluminum crash structures front and rear. The MCV will be the world's first mass-produced car with a carbon-fiber passenger cell. It all stays within the family: BMW's largest shareholder, the Quandt family, is heavily invested in SGL Carbon.

The weight savings are crucial to compensate for the heft of the electric powertrain and batteries—some 500 to 800 pounds for the batteries alone. To improve range, BMW is pondering the use of a range-extender engine with 30 to 45 hp, but it is seen as a crutch and a temporary solution until battery technology sufficiently improves. The MCV's electric motor will produce well north of 135 hp, says BMW. No word yet on performance, but BMW engineers insist it will give us joy, in accordance with the company’s new advertising tagline.

Says board member in charge of R&D Klaus Draeger: "The powertrain is the heart of an automobile, and that goes for electric cars as well. It is a core competency of BMW." Even though it's unclear how drivers will be able to distinguish a BMW electric motor from any competitor's, you have to give them credit for going all the way. Draeger goes on to say, "We will develop the MCV's drivetrain by ourselves, including the motor, power electronics, and battery system."

One thing is clear: BMW's MCV won't be cheap—and it will be brimming with technology that we'd love to see in conventionally powered cars as well. This should all be very interesting.

BY JENS MEINERS, ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTIAN SCHULTE AND YOSHI G. July 2010