It seems that today all car brands are debuting with this electromobility, however, some have a not very well-known past with these models that they developed experimentally. This is the case of BMW, who 50 years ago manufactured their first electric car based on a 1602.
The 02 model family derives from sedans new classmodels that were fundamental in the history of BMW, being the car that changed the fortunes of the German brand and that introduced the sporting identity for which they are so recognized. The Neue Klasse were launched in 1962 and then in 1966 the 02 appeared., which are technically the “coupé” versions of the sedan. These models are direct predecessors of what would be the Series 3 in the following decade.
1602 Electric
Absolutely everything from the 1602 was maintained, you would only realize that it was an electric car because it had no exhaust pipe. Lowered the hood concealed 12 standard 12-volt lead-acid batteries developed by Varta that weighed approximately 350 kilos. The engine was also in there and offered 32kW of power, but it drove the rear wheels just like any good BMW. Even, This car had some kind of regenerative braking that could help get some of the power back.
Two units of the 1602 Elektro-antrieb (electric drive) were manufactured by BMW as a means of transportation for members of the Munich-based organizing committee of the 1972 Olympics, but were also used as support vehicles and “camera drive” for some events such as the marathon test. Obviously, with 350 kilos of ballast and a range of 60 kilometers, the use of these cars had to be very punctual.
It is worth remembering that Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria, is where BMW has its headquarters, which is why there is also the desire to show off at home with something technological and special.
In 1975, BMW started new experiments related to electromobility, but the initial seed was already planted.. Today BMW is one of the brands that has put the most developments on the table on the subject. The family of BMW i models (i3 and i8) inspired the use of high-tech materials to reduce the weight of cars and today with the arrival of the iX, they have succeeded in proposing a progressive product that bridges the luxury segment and the performance.
Did you know the history of this electric model?
