BMW made its first electric car in 1972

 

BMW made its first electric car in 1972

BMW was ahead of its time by creating its first electric car in 1972.

The BMW 1602e was never made available to the public, mostly because it could only hold a charge for up to 20 minutes!

Another fault was that being electric meant that the vehicle’s power was about half of the other cars they had for sale.

Although the project was left for many years, an interest sparked in electric vehicles again in the 1990s.

The 1602e became a great foundation for BMW in designing and developing electric cars into what they are today

BMW explains: “Ronnie Fieg (the New York designer) as an automotive enthusiast has transformed a 1972 BMW 1602 into a contemporary electric car.

 This is based on the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, where two BMW 1602s, converted into electric cars, were used at various long-distance competitions as accompanying and camera cars by the organization committee.

 This was the start of a pioneering, forward-looking evolution of electrified vehicles at BMW. To commemorate the debut of electrification at BMW, BMW and Kith Season 2 presents the 1972 BMW 1602 Elektro by Ronnie Fieg”.