BMW revealed their plans to equip the new M5 with a plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain around two years ago but the G90 could have been a completely different car as BMW M boss Frank van Meel recently admitted that a fully electric drivetrain was a possibility during the early development stages.
This surprising detail came to light in an interview with Top Gear magazine. Ultimately, the engineers in Munich decided an electrified V8 was the better option. The reasoning behind ditching the EV route revolved around battery technology. According to the BMW M CEO, current battery tech isn’t advanced enough to deliver what a typical M5 buyer desires which is a balance between exhilarating performance and the long-distance capabilities of a grand tourer.
As for the first electric M car, it will be a smaller M3-sized sedan built on the Neue Klasse platform. Codenamed “ZA0,” this hot EV is expected to arrive in 2027. Shortly after, BMW is rumoured to release a full-fledged M version of the next iX3. There are also whispers of an unannounced i3 Touring and iX4 receiving the M treatment before 2030.