Looking at the pictures of this dumpy, rust-coloured city car, you’re no doubt wondering just how such a creation could find its way onto our Cool Concepts page but BMW’s E1 was more cutting-edge and influential than its pedestrian appearance would suggest.
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Unveiled at the 1991 Frankfurt Motor Show in response to tightening emissions laws coming out of the States (remember, in the 80s, between 70 and 80% of cars there were V8-engined), the E1 was a product of BMW Technik GmbH: the same engineering division that brought us such novelties as the Z1 and the zany Z18, which placed a Z3 roadster-style body on a high-riding SUV chassis. BMW was all too aware of the limitations of battery technology at the time, especially with regard to operating range and charging, so it chose to develop E1 as an urban mobility solution.
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Unlike many concepts, which are little more than an eye-catching shell on a chassis, powered by a golf cart motor, the E1 was built as a fully roadworthy prototype. This meant that in addition to accommodating the practical considerations and high-quality cabin materials typical of BMWs, the E1 also had to conform to the crash-safety standards of the day. To achieve this, the car was not only fitted with dual front airbags, but also utilised an innovative construction comprising an aluminium frame clad with plastic panels that was both tough and lightweight.
A rear axle-mounted electric motor fed by sodium-sulphur batteries mounted under the rear seat (another nod to production-viable crash safety) developed a modest 37 kW but was good for a top speed of 120 km/h and a very respectable range of 200 km. Charging was achieved via a standard electrical socket, using a plug stashed in one of the E1’s kidney grille panels, and took six hours.
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These features may not seem that significant by current standards, but they were cutting-edge at a time when EVs were little more than an automotive pipe dream. Unfortunately, the E1 was perhaps a little too far ahead of its time in some regards. Deficiencies in the cooling systems needed for the sodium-sulphur batteries, which had the double-threat disadvantages of high optimal operating temperature and highly combustible innards, were revealed when the original prototype caught fire while charging, destroying the car and part of an adjacent building. Consequently, BMW utilised more stable sodium-nickel chloride batteries for its successor, the 1993 Z15 concept. The E1 may have looked bizarre and been limited by the battery technology of the time (not to mention sadly combustible) but its design and architecture would go on to form the blueprint for BMW’s first production-series EV, the i3, as well as casting the die for the growing range of impressive i EV models to come.
Find the full feature in the June 2025 issue of CAR Magazine.
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