In a report submitted to Car magazine by George Kacher, it claims that BMW’s next-gen M5 will come with two powertrains, a plug-in hybrid and an all-electric. Just one year after the debut of the next-generation 5 Series, the rumored M5 will ride on the CLAR WE architecture which can accept the brand’s Efficient Dynamics mild hybrid, Power PHEV, and BEV powertrains. The M5 PHEV will get the same plug-in hybrid powertrain being developed for the X8 M, twin-turbo V8 and electric motors giving it about 750 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque.
The sedan will be the first all-electric product from the M division and its first electrified offering. It is expected to come equipped with a 135-kWh battery pack with a 400-volt architecture allowing it to handle 350-kW charging. The battery will power three motors, one for the front axle and one for each rear wheel, that will each produce 335hp giving it about 1,005 horses. Engineers are trying to achieve a 0-62 mph time of 2.9 seconds and a range of 435 miles on Europe’s WLTP cycle.
With its expected arrival not until 2023, the M5 will not be the first nor the last luxury EV for customers to choose from. Tesla’s Model S Performance, the Rivian R1T, Lucid Air, and Porsche Taycan S are all expected to be top competitors, while it’s almost certain more will pop up in the future.