BMW M Is Testing a Quad-Motor EV Drivetrain in a Widebody i4

BMW M announced it is testing an all-electric high-performance prototype based on the i4.The vehicle has a new all-wheel-drive setup with four electric motors.Virtual testing and bench testing have already taken place, and this new testing will put the prototype through more realistic scenarios on the road.

BMW’s M high-performance division is moving further down the path toward electrification, if this i4-based prototype with a new quad-motor drivetrain is any indication. The prototype’s all-wheel-drive setup with four electric motors suggests that future M EVs could be significantly more powerful than the current M-badged electric offerings, the 536-hp i4 M50 and the 610-hp iX M60. Both of these have dual-motor setups.

BMW has not yet said exactly which form a future M EV could take, but the test mule is based on the i4 M50, with widened wheel arches to fit different front and rear axles. It also uses structural components from the M3 and M4 to improve torsional rigidity. Testing began in virtual models and on test benches before being put on the road.

Beyond providing more power, BMW says that having a motor at each wheel will also open the door for more precise tuning, with the ability to instantly send power to individual wheels. The four motors are connected to one central control unit which determines where to send power based on factors like pedal position, steering angle, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, and wheel speeds.

We don’t know yet exactly when this new powertrain will go into production, but EVs have already begun to disrupt BMW’s performance hierarchy. Although the i4 M50 is not meant to be a full-bore M model on the same level as the M3 and M4, it is already nipping on the heels of its gas-powered siblings in our acceleration testing. The electric i4 M50’s 3.3-second sprint to 60 mph beat the rear-wheel-drive M3 Competition and was only a half a second behind the all-wheel-drive M4 Competition xDrive’s result. So it goes without saying that we’re looking forward to finding out what a quad-motor BMW M EV could be capable.

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