Next BMW M5 may be hybrid or electric
With electrification working its way across more and more passenger vehicles, manufacturers are turning away from the grunt of internal-combustion engines and toward the smooth power delivery of electric motors.
For luxury brands, electrification means a more comfortable and quiet ride, along with more performance. It should come as no surprise, then, that BMW’S flagship sedan, the M5, will welcome this technology with open arms to create the ultimate driving machine.
According to CAR Magazine, the current-generation M5 will be the last without some sort of battery assist. Citing “a member of the M Division R&D team,” the magazine says the 2024 M5 will be offered in either a plug-in hybrid configuration or an all-electric version.
The plug-in hybrid configuration would likely use a V8 power plant coupled with multiple electric motors, and would produce around 750 horsepower. The powertrain would also be shared with the upcoming X8 M.
The all-electric configuration is a little more interesting. BMW could use a 135-kwh battery pack, the magazine suggests, which would be 35 per cent larger than the largest battery sold in America.
The vehicle will likely ride on a 400-volt architecture capable of 350-kw charging, and will eventually switch to an 800-volt architecture like the Porsche Taycan. Output could be as high as 1,000 horsepower, with a battery range of 700 kilometres.