BMW has teamed up with scientists from the Technische Universitaet Munchen (TUM) to develop a safe, frugal EV for the masses.
Many manufacturers see compact electric vehicles powered from renewable energy sources as the future of mass mobility in urban areas, but many new developments in this field are compromised.
Those developed from petrol-powered models often carry a severe weight penalty, mainly due to the use of expensive, heavy battery packs. The ere are also a a number of safety concerns surrounding such models, and it’s with these issues in mind that BMW has teamed up with TUM to develop project Visio.M.
Conceieved as a case study in how small the price and safety of small electric vehicles can be brought to a level that makes mass production economically viable, the Visio.M features a 15 kW power output and a weight of 400 kg (minus battery).
The project co-founders used TUM’s MUTE EV prototype as a starting base to test both propulsion technologies as well as construction methods and materials that will contribute to greater collision safety for a production-viable compact EV. The project aims to produce a vehicle with safety levels comparable to those of conventional internal combustion-engined cars.
