BMW Concept Cars: 1991 and 1993 E1

[B C]

From: Jun 2009 Car and Driver

BMW E1 ConceptElectric car,

take two.

BMW was close to bringing electric cars to market once before. At the 1991 Frankfurt auto show, the E1 concept car was unveiled to showcase electric-vehicle technology—and its styling, powertrain, and packaging was controversial within and outside the company.

But the E1 turned out to be not much more than a styling and engineering exercise. BMW says it had been planning instead to bring a fully electric version of the 3-series to market. The most optimistic scenario: to build up capacity over 10 years, to 40,000 units annually. While the maximum power output of the E1 was not impressive, charging cycles—just a few hours—were short even by today’s standards, and the range was impressive at more than 150 miles.

Attention shifted to safety issues when the sole E1 prototype caught fire during a charging session, ultimately leading to a blaze that not only destroyed the expensive electric prototype but also part of a building.Electric power had been promoted mainly by BMW Technik, a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW (now dissolved) that performed advanced research-and-development work independent of BMW headquarters. Concerns about the cost and viability of the program were legion. “It was politically charged,” recalls an insider. The conflagration sealed the fate not only of the E1 but ultimately of the entire electric-drive program.

Meanwhile, BMW changed the corporate strategy to accelerate the hydrogen internal-combustion engine—a program that is currently being relegated to subordinate status. With the Mini E and “Project i,” of which major parts are developed by an outside engineering partner, the company is now picking up where it left off nearly 20 years ago.

Green 1993 Z15 (E1) 

Red 1991 Z11 (E1)

[Bassboy3313]

Yikes!

[Earl]

I like the styling of the green one better=) I love these little articles you have been bringing to light Snap

[B C]

The tail lights on the Green Z15 look like they are from some other european hatchback but I cant figure out what it is. Like from some Fiat, Citroen, or Opel. Anyone else see what i'm seeing? 

A lot of the concept cars that BMW creates are not quite intended to become a future production model, but rather they are engineering exercises. The materials, production methods, and other designs developed during these engineering brainstorming sessions are not visible/known to the average Hans that is looking at pictures. Knowing more about their development brings me more amazement at least.  The BMW i3 production for example which I would like to highlight sometime in the future has some amazing sustainablity related production methods.

[Earl]

I like that about BMW as a company=)

[B C]

And for clarification, the E1 just means Electric  rather than a chassis code. So while a Z3 is an E36, the E1 is a "future" model with a Z chassis code (Z11/Z15) and not the other way around.

E=Entwicklungscode - Development Code 

Z=Zukunft - Future

[Earl]

Rad=P

[andyhundley]

Snap said:

This guy looks bored out of his mind!!

[Earl]

​

[HipMF]

It's the music. Toss a Hasselhoff CD and see what happens...

[YoungCR]

Snap said:

The tail lights on the Green Z15 look like they are from some other european hatchback but I cant figure out what it is. Like from some Fiat, Citroen, or Opel. Anyone else see what i'm seeing?

Looks kinda like a Peugeot 206.

[B C]

I think I was seeing some Ford ZX2.

[Jdesign]

It sounds just how I expected. Like a very large cordless drill.

[straight6pwr]

as much as the styling was pretty blah and very 90s, at least the look fit the BMW brand.

thanks for sharing again, snap

[wally509]

Don't care about the car so much but that seat material is AWESOME!  GREEN!!

[patsbimmer1]

I'm currently reading BMW: Driven and it's funny because they really don't make mention of these cars.  I'm going to have to double back and see if I missed it somewhere but the book covers everything from the pre-world war's beginning, BMW and the Quandt families involvement in Nazi Germany up to the introduction of the e60 and the press disaster that it was.

[B C]

patsbimmer1 said:

......... the introduction of the e60 and the press disaster that it was.

Interesting. What was so bad with it?  Initial reception of Bangle styling?

[patsbimmer1]

Yea, that was really it. The way that BMW chooses designs makes it mandatory that 3 options are given and the board chooses one for production. The bangle styling was an attempt to forward design and apparently it was the only design up to that point that caused negative reviews. Although i think the argument could be made that its held up well and did further their design story via cues in the e90 and further.

[patsbimmer1]

Bangle is often chastised for the e60 but most people dont realize that he was head of design starring in '92. That's not a bad run in my opinion.

[patsbimmer1]

He's also from Wausau.