In 1972, BMW unveiled the 1602
Elektro-Antrieb (German for Electric Drive) at the Olympic Games in Munich,
Germany. It was the first in a long line of all-electric concepts culminating
in the brand’s first-ever production EV, the i3 that was launched in 2013. The
original BMW EV was based on the gasoline-powered 1602 and the design made no
secret of it, as it looked exactly like the regular model.
However, instead of an internal combustion
engine, the 1602 Elektro-Antrieb featured a front-mounted electric motor
driving the rear axle. It produced just 32 kW (43 PS), which was enough
for a 0-48 km/h sprint of 8 seconds and a 100 km/h top
speed.
At the Olympics, BMW used two 1602
Elektro-Antrieb vehicles to shuttle VIPs and serve as support cars in various
long-distance events like the marathon. The electric 1602 never made it to
production, though, but what if the Bavarians wanted to build a modern-day
successor?
Designer David Obendorfer, who has
delighted us with many retro-styled concepts over the years, took on this task.
His BMW 02 Reminiscence Concept pays tribute to the automaker’s very first zero
emissions project while bringing it into the 21st century. Obendorfer based his
virtual creation on the existing 2-Series Coupe, which would probably be the
way to go if BMW wanted to build a modern 1602 Elektro-Antrieb.
That explains why the proportions are
somewhat similar to the 2 Series Coupe. The details are obviously very
different, though, as they take inspiration from the 1970s electric prototype. We
believe he did a pretty good job, but whether or not such a model would have
room in BMW’s current lineup is a completely different discussion.
