No more front-wheel drive BMWs: brand’s new EV tech means RWD, AWD or bust
An all-electric BMW 1 Series replacement could shift back to the brand’s traditional rear-wheel drive configuration
In a similar vein to Audi with its all-wheel drive ‘quattro’ technology, BMW is known for its rear-wheel drive layouts. In recent years, however, we’ve become used to seeing four-wheel drive ‘xDrive’ and even front-wheel drive cars from the Bavarian brand.
Things now look set to change again with BMW’s upcoming Neue Klasse technology, and in particular its sixth-generation ‘eDrive’ electric motors, set to make front-wheel drive BMW electric vehicles a non-starter.
That is because while there will be single, dual-, tri- and quad-motor layouts in upcoming Neue Klasse vehicles, there’s no way for BMW’s new eDrive motor to power the front wheels exclusively.
The electric motor used on the front axle is different from the one on the rear in BMW’s Neue Klasse platform. The rear motor has an integrated gearbox and the front motor does not - thus ending the possibility of a single-motor front-wheel drive Neue Klasse model.
The rear motor will also be more powerful than the front in Neue Klasse with the rear capable of 402bhp and the front 241bhp. The reasoning behind this bias of power towards the rear is “better for dynamics” - a BMW representative told us during a Neue Klasse technology event.
However, this doesn’t mark the end of BMW's plans for building smaller models like the current front-wheel drive BMW 1 Series. Neue Klasse is a modular platform that can underpin a wide range of vehicles - including cars in the family hatchback category. We will have to wait and see if an all-electric 1 Series replacement will return rear-wheel drive power to BMW’s hatch.
