BMW E1 is the name of twoelectric/hybridcity carconcepts byGerman automobile manufacturerBMW, revealed at the 1991 then 1993International Motor Show Germany.
| BMW E1 (Z11) | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | BMW |
| Production | 1991 |
| Designer | Mark Clarke (1991)[1] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | City car (A) |
| Body style | 3-doorhatchback |
| Powertrain | |
| Battery | 19 kWhsodium sulphate battery |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 3,460 mm (136 in) |
| Width | 1,648 mm (64.9 in) |
| Height | ~1,500 mm (59 in) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | BMW E1 (Z15) |
The first-generation BMW E1 prototype, the Z11, was revealed in 1991, and was all-electric. Only one example of this car was built.
The Z11-gen BMW E1 concept was revealed at the 1991International Motor Show Germany inFrankfurt,Germany. It was a fully-functional 3-door, 4-seatelectriccity car. The E1 initially began development in 1990 with Technik, a division of BMW started in 1985, created to develop new technologies for cars. It was designed to test if a production electric car would work, partly due to theU.S. state ofCalifornia's demand that 2% of new cars sold in the state bezero emission. This is the same reason for the creation of theGeneral Motors EV1.[2]
The Z11 E1 concept was powered by a 19 kWhsodium sulphate battery, which in turn powered a direct-drive motor on the rear axle, giving the car a total output of 45bhp and 111 lb ft. oftorque. The E1 had a range of 155 miles (249 km) and two-hourrapid charging. The structure of the car was made fromaluminum while the body was made fromrecycled plastic and was finished in a bright red paint. The car used custom-builtalloy wheels, which were 14 in (360 mm) in the front and 16 in (410 mm) in the back.[2]
The only Z11-gen E1 concept was destroyed in a fire that occurred while it was charging, and was replaced by a new concept for 1993.[3][4]
| BMW E1 (Z15) | |
|---|---|
 1993 BMW E1 at Motorshow di Bologna (front) | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | BMW |
| Also called | BMW E2[5] |
| Production | 1993 (2 built; one EV and one hybrid) |
| Designer | Mark Clarke (1993)[5] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | City car (A) |
| Body style | 3-doorhatchback |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 4-cylinder engine |
| Transmission | 5-speedmanual (hybrid variant) automatic |
| Battery | 19.2 kWhSodium nickel chloride battery |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | BMW E1 (Z11) |
| Successor | BMW i3 (spiritual) |
The second-generation BMW E1 prototype, the Z15, was revealed in 1993 atInternational Motor Show Germany on September 9, 1993. Two examples of the car were built; an all-electric version and ahybrid version. The Z15, like the previous Z11, was also a 3-door city car that seats four passengers.
The electric version is powered by a 19.2 kWhsodium nickel chloride battery and has a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). It is finished in a green metallic paint and features a green interior.[6]
The hybrid version also uses the4-cylinderinternal combustion engine used in theBMW K1100 motorcycle and a 5-speedmanual transmission, and has an output of 82 hp. This variant is painted red.[7][6]
Both examples of the Z15-gen E1 feature a similar lightweight body to that of the Z11, which is made of aluminum and plastic.[6]
Although the E1 was never produced, BMW introduced the ICE-powered 19933 Series Compact, featuring similar styling to the Z11, two years after the Z11 E1 concept's revealing. Furthermore, BMW did eventually introduce an electric city car, thei3, in 2013, 20 years after the Z15 concept. The Z15 concept remains at theBMW Museum inMunich.[citation needed]
Media related toBMW E1 at Wikimedia Commons