BMW

Beyond the raft of new EVs and concepts at the LA Motor Show this year, the two most interesting things were not in the form of cars at all.

First was Volvo's stand. It had no cars on it at all. None. While other manufacturers were squeezing as many motors onto their plots as they could manage, Volvo had a couple of technology booths on display (some VR nonsense and an early look at it's new Google UI for the entertainment system), Luminar LIDAR sensors that have a range of 250 metres and - particularly striking - a large banner running the width of the stand that read: "Don't buy our cars".


This inflammatory slogan, no doubt upsetting the swarm of traditional car dealers trooping around the hall, was in reference to Volvo profiling its move towards car subscription, much in the same way we buy smartphones, over outright ownership. The stand was bold and had more than a whiff of the future about it, and as a consequence many of the automobile old-guard absolutely hated it.

The most impressive unveiling from the LA show, however, came from BMW. As part of the briefing for the new BMW Vision iNext, Stefan Juraschek, VP of electric powertrain development, showed off a groundbreaking new platform that will allow BMW to produce internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, plug-in hybrids as well as pure EVs using the same basic architecture, all on the same production line.

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The new architecture allows BMW to offer all powertrains on one platform: EV, hybrid and conventional ICE BMW

This is a remarkable solution to the production problem plaguing the major car manufacturers at present: which powertrain to commit to going forward? Which will the public eventually favour? Get it wrong and the consequences are severe, because car companies are like oil tankers. Such is the lead time on vehicle development that changing direction to respond to market whims normally takes years, and to do it quickly is almost impossible. Conventional production lines that focus on one type of powertrain are locked in to producing that version, to a certain degree.


A prime example of this came from Jaguar Land Rover in October when it announced that it would close its factory in Solihull for two weeks due to a slump in demand in China, with sales falling by 50 per cent. The closure followed the reduction of production at its Castle Bromwich plant, which came as a result of demand falling this year due to the huge drop in popularity of diesel engines. Some 45 per cent of the company's output are diesels.

The genius of BMW's new powertrain system is that the company is in effect backing every horse in the race. If the ICE clings on longer than predicted, diesel somehow miraculously comes back into favour, we decide to love the convenience of hybrids over full EVs shunning all other options, or humanity falls for electric vehicles as soon as charging infrastructure is at least halfway decent, BMW will have it covered. Unlike those who have bet heavily on diesel, or Tesla, with its powertrain options limited to EV only.

BMW's new system combines an electric motor with both the gearbox and power electronics into one unit BMW

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The production model of the BMW Vision iNext, due 2021 and also unveiled at the show, will be the first car from the company to be built on the new platform. The key is BMW's reworking of the electrics, where it has managed to combine an electric motor with both the gearbox and power electronics – all of which are currently separate components – into one unit. This allows BMW to mount one unit over the rear for an EV, then add an ICE on the front for hybrid or another electric unit on the front for EV all-wheel drive. Similarly if BMW wants to make just an ICE then no electric units need be added.


The full EV iNext will have a range of 435 miles and support level three autonomy at up to 80 mph on motorways, but also ready for levels 4 and 5 where and when this is permitted.

The announcement from BMW, following Jaguar's I-Pace and Audi's e-tron, as well as the slew of ID electric cars coming imminently from VW, marks a turning point in the auto industry – one where the traditional manufacturers seem to have finally rallied after the significant head start Tesla has gained in the electric vehicle market.

But by biding its time and working the problem, rather than rushing to compete, and, crucially, knowing that no one really knows what the global motoring market will look like in 2025, BMW has produced an innovative solution to the problem of which powertrain to get behind: all of them. It's not sexy, but it's very clever.

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