First All-Electric BMW M Car

Various reports from the Straits Times, AutoEvolution, and BMW Blog offer us a decent idea of what to expect for the upcoming all-new, all-electric M3, which will be the first purely-electric vehicle tuned by BMW's M division. According to these reports, the new M3 EV will build on the Neue Klasse platform concept and is codenamed "ZA0." The Neue Klasse architecture will first launch as the standard new 3 Series EV and an iX3 EV SUV on the same platform by 2026, before the first performance model comes in 2027.

BMW Neue Klasse Architecture

As it sits currently, the Neue Klasse concept rides on 21-inch wheels and is promised to offer 30 percent more range, 30 percent faster charging, and 25 percent more efficiency than current BMW EV technology, before the M division takes a crack at it for further enhancement.

Up to Four Motors

The platform architecture is designed to be offered in various configurations and segment sizes, with up to four electric motors fitted, one driving each wheel for all-wheel drive, which we'd expect for the high-performance M3 EV. BMW board member Frank Weber offered to theStraits Timesthat all-wheel-drive performance has proven popular after it was introduced recently on the 5 Series, so we should expect more all-wheel-drive performance cars from BMW going forward.