It debuted at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany.
Half a century has passed since the first electrically powered BMW was showcased at an event as significant as the 1972 Olympics. Thanks to the BMW 1602, what we know today as the BMW ‘i’ range was born. The BMW 1602 was presented in a
bright orange color and was named as Elektro-antriebwhich in Spanish would be ‘electric drive’.
In this context, BMW had an excellent vision for the future as they anticipated the great oil crisis that took place in 1973. BMW took the big step that came from an idea to electrify its vehicles as the future would require, and it can be seen how it became a reality forty years later with the presentation of the first BMW i3.
This particular zero-emission model is built on the basis and support of contemporary combustion models, even with a body and/or exterior that looks exactly like these models.
There was no obvious difference except for the disappearance of the exhaust pipe and what was hidden under the hood: a dozen
standard 12 volt lead acid batteries developed by Varta who weighed about 350 kilograms.
With regard to the electric motor, it had a
power of 43 hp and was installed next to the battery pack. The engine, as with the combustion models, powered the transmission shaft that generated the movement of the rear wheels.
Although it was the first electrically powered BMW, it already had the first technological systems that have been gradually improved and adapted to the present times, such as the regenerative braking system since the engine also worked as a generator and had the possibility to return some of the energy generated. to the batteries that allowed the full operation of the vehicle.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
