I didn’t know about it until I saw one at Electrify Expo last year.

In 1992, BMW showcased the all-electric E2 Prototype at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
This concept car’s specs included:
Top speed: 74.5 Mph (120 km/h)
0-31mph : 6.5s (0-50 km/h)
Range: 155 miles (250 km)
This car remained a concept.

Believe it or not, BMW’s EV journey began a long time before that! BMW’s electric history included:

1602e
Back in 1972, BMW experimented with EVs and dropped 12 standard 12-volt lead-acid batteries into the engine bay of a BMW 1602 at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

BMW 700 LS (Electric), 1975
This prototype included:
0-31 mph (0-50 km/h): 11.4 secs
Top Speed: 40.3 mph (65 km/h)
Range: 19 – 20 miles (30 – 32 km’s)
This vehicle could be plugged into a home outlet but the range was almost non-existent.

325iX Elektric:
Between 1987 and 1990, BMW built 8 325i EVs. They were never intended for mass production, but led the way for the E1 EV.
0-31 mph (0-50 km/h): 9 secs
Range: 93 miles (150 kilometers)

E1
In 1991, at the Frankfurt Auto Show, BMW unveiled their electric vehicle prototype called the E1. This compact 4 passenger EV was perfect for city driving. This effort was to show that BMW could build a sustainable, no-emissions vehicle, but it never went to production
Range: 155 mi (249 km)

BMW’s history included R&D on an Electric future way back when. Charging infrastructure and battery technology stalled these efforts, but that’s in the past. It took a minute, but it’s great to see that BMW has been producing EVs beyond their prototype!

Go electric ✌🏼