Science & Tech · Gadgets & EVs · 3 hrs ago
BMW’s electric cars aim to keep the brand’s traditional driving feel
A BMW enthusiast says electric cars can preserve the brand’s driving character while bringing new technology.
The writer points to the BMW i3, launched alongside the i8 in 2010 as part of the BMW i platform, as an early example.
The i3 was BMW’s first mass-produced zero-emissions vehicle, with a carbon-fibre structure and body and a 125 kW motor driving the rear wheels.
The writer says the iX3 feels planted and light-footed after driving it at a test track in Germany, and credits a control unit called the “Heart of Joy” with coordinating its powertrain and driving dynamics.
The argument addresses enthusiasts’ concerns that electric cars may feel too heavy or less engaging than older cars with combustion engines.
The writer presents the iX3 and upcoming M3 as a new benchmark, but the piece offers a personal view rather than independent test results.
BMW’s electric cars aim to preserve the brand’s traditional driving feel while introducing new technology.
A Mail & Guardian opinion writer says the new BMW iX3 feels planted and light-footed on a test track in Germany.
The iX3’s “Heart of Joy” control unit is described as harmonising its powertrain and driving dynamics.
The writer says BMW’s i3, launched as part of the BMW i platform, helped establish the brand’s electric-car approach.
The writer argues that innovation can be reconciled with BMW’s heritage and driving experience.
- Who
- BMW, as described by a Mail & Guardian opinion writer.
- What
- BMW’s electric cars aim to retain the brand’s traditional driving feel while using new technology.
- When
- The article was published on 13 October 2026.
- Where
- The writer drove the BMW iX3 around the Aschheim test track in Germany.
- Why
- The article says BMW is using innovation to carry its driving experience and heritage into a new chapter.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The BMW i platform launched alongside the i3 and i8.
The writer says the BMW i3 continues to serve as their everyday car.
The writer says they drove the new BMW iX3 around the Aschheim test track in Germany.
The article says the BMW M3 will help set a new benchmark alongside the iX3.
- i3 motor
- 125 kW electric motor
- i3 drivetrain
- Power sent to the rear wheels
- BMW i platform
- Launched in 2010 alongside the i3 and i8
- iX3 test location
- Aschheim test track, Germany
- Historical BMW models
- BMW 325i S and BMW 745i owned by the writer
What people are saying
The ‘Heart of Joy’, BMW Group’s innovative high-performance control unit, is a triumph in harmonising the powertrain and driving dynamics.
Concerns about EVs being too heavy or not engaging enough disappear in a car that is planted yet feels light-footed, with electric and mechanical control unlike any other.
That emotion you feel, the one associated with BMWs of old, is still there, but it is joined by something truly new and exciting.
Sources
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