BMW’s electric vehicles trace their origins back to an innovative prototype from 1972

Back in the 1960s, when the electric car seemed more like a far-fetched science fair experiment than a relatively convenient way to move people and goods, investing in electrification made little sense. And yet it was those early, rudimentary prototypes that paved the way for today’s generation of electric vehicles. BMW, for example, showed a stunning amount of foresight when it built a pair of electric 1602s and tested them at a major sporting event.

BMW launched this ambitious project in 1969, with the aim of having a running prototype ready in time for the 1972 Olympic Games, which were to be held in its home city of Munich, Germany. Developing an electric car from scratch was ruled out for cost reasons.

The brand’s range was much smaller in the 1960s than it is today, so choosing the 1602 as a starting point was almost a no-brainer. It’s the predecessor to the modern 3 Series, and it was a popular model that played a significant role in establishing the image of BMW as we know it today.

The electric 1602 was powered by a Bosch shunt-wound DC electric motor mounted where the manual transmission would normally be. It was powered by 12 lead-acid batteries with a total capacity of 12.6 kilowatt hours. BMW couldn’t source an off-the-shelf battery pack from a supplier, so it made do: the batteries were standard 12-volt units mounted on a pallet. But as primitive as it may sound, the seeds of modern electric vehicles had already been planted, and the powertrain featured a regenerative braking system.

The pack weighed about 770 pounds. For comparison, the standard 1602 weighed about 2,070 pounds. The extra mass seriously compromised performance: it took eight seconds to reach 31 mph from a standstill, and with enough pavement you could eventually hit a top speed of 62 mph. Lead-acid batteries aren’t as dense as today’s lithium-ion batteries, so range was abysmal: 19 miles in city traffic, and up to 40 miles at 31 mph. Charging time was long enough that it made more sense to drop in a fully charged replacement than wait.

These weren’t exactly flashy figures, but they represented the best that could be achieved with the technology of the time. Converting a 1602 to electric drive was nevertheless an achievement that BMW was proud of. The company built two prototypes, and members of the organizing committee used them to get around during the 1972 Munich Olympics. The EVs also served as camera cars for various events and as support vehicles for the marathon. Selling a regular production version of the car to the public was completely out of the question, however, due to the daunting experimental nature of the project. At least one prototype survives, and it is sometimes on display at the BMW Museum.

BMW didn’t stop there. Using the lessons learned during the 1602 project to make improvements, engineers continued to develop electric technology throughout the 1970s and ’80s. The 1602’s successor, built in 1975 and kept largely secret, was based on the LS and powered by a DC series electric motor paired with 10 lead-acid batteries. Improvements included a charging system with an automatic shutdown mechanism. EV owners take this feature for granted in 2024, but nearly 50 years ago it was considered a groundbreaking innovation.

In retrospect, the 1602 prototype set BMW on the path to electrification. Electric technology has improved significantly over the past five decades. The 2025 i4 has up to 536 horsepower, a range of 277 miles and takes 3.7 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill.