Fast hyperlinks for check:BMW’s tagline, The Final Driving Machine, has been round for many years. However within the EV period, the place sound, torque, and even steering really feel are redefined by software program, what does that mantra actually imply? Mihiar Ayoubi, Senior Vice President Driving Expertise, has been with BMW for 3 many years. He has lived via the corporate’s transformation from purely mechanical chassis tuning to at present’s software-defined autos. With the first Neue Klasse mannequin arriving later this yr, he believes BMW is getting into a fourth period—one which could possibly be as necessary as the unique 1500 within the Nineteen Sixties.
From Mechanical Chassis to the Coronary heart of Pleasure
“I’ve skilled three many years of driving dynamics at BMW,” Ayoubi begins. “The primary was mechanical—you needed to ship driving pleasure simply via chassis design. The second was the mechatronic period, after we added intelligence with energetic steering and brake techniques. The third was about linked chassis, the place all of the subsystems began speaking in loops.”
He pauses, then leans in: “Now comes the fourth. The Neue Klasse is historic as a result of, for the primary time, we now have a wholly new physique, a totally electrical spine, and a software-defined car. As a substitute of closed loops, we now use a hierarchical structure. Consider it like an octopus: one central mind with many arms, immediately telling every subsystem what to do. That’s the Coronary heart of Pleasure.”
What Can not Change within the EV Period
So how does BMW be sure that its vehicles nonetheless really feel like BMWs with out a combustion engine up entrance? “An important factor is linear response,” Ayoubi says firmly. “While you see a nook, you have to know precisely how your automotive will behave. Predictability is every part.” Electrical vehicles, he explains, introduce distinctive challenges. A stiff battery pack creates a really inflexible heart part, however leaves the entrance and rear comparatively “unfastened.” With out cautious tuning, that may create an unpredictable response.
“Everybody says the low heart of gravity is the EV’s benefit. However what actually issues is the space between the roll axis and the middle of gravity. That determines how the automotive rotates. It’s worthwhile to design this into the physique from day one.”
After which there’s torque supply. “Combustion engines have been by no means quick sufficient,” he says. “They’d a pure delay. However an electrical motor reacts immediately. That may be spectacular in a straight-line demo, nevertheless it’s not a use case for on a regular basis clients. We management forces on the wheel. That’s how we make the response linear and trustworthy.”
Making Atypical Drivers Really feel Extraordinary
In testing, Ayoubi remembers, even senior executives have been shocked. “Considered one of our board members stepped out and mentioned, ‘I didn’t know I used to be such an excellent driver.’ He wasn’t—however the automotive made him really feel that manner.” It’s not nearly fans. “Our objective is that peculiar clients step out feeling seamless predictability, enjoyment with security. They really feel extra snug than after they stepped into the automotive.”
“In fact, we now have a small group of shoppers who actually can drive, who can method the boundaries and benefit from the excessive decision of this technique,” he says. “However I’m speaking in regards to the peculiar buyer. I imagine they are going to step out of the automotive feeling seamless predictability, enjoyment with security. It’s waftable. You are feeling like a greater driver.”
Considered one of BMW’s personal challenge leaders reportedly mentioned the identical after testing a prototype at Sokolov, the place a lot of BMW’s dynamics growth takes place: “I really feel extra snug now than the second I stepped into the automotive.”
That confidence has been examined beneath excessive situations. “Our first KPI was driving on slippery roads and winter situations,” Ayoubi says. I defined that throughout my very own check of the BMW iX3, at 130 km/h on moist surfaces, the automotive stayed controllable. Ayoubi added: “For us, stopping over-braking and preserving steerability continues to be a very powerful KPI at present.”
Scalability and OTA Potential
The Coronary heart of Pleasure isn’t a static know-how. “We’ve three dimensions of scalability,” Ayoubi explains. “First, throughout vehicles: one Neue Klasse can really feel naughty, one other affordable, one other secure. Second, inside a automotive: totally different driving modes for various clients. And third, including new subsystems sooner or later—the central intelligence simply integrates them like new arms of the octopus.”
As a result of the system is software-defined, Ayoubi doesn’t rule out over-the-air monetization. “Why not?” he says candidly. “The know-how can do it. Our gross sales colleagues would possibly take into consideration promoting digital options. Think about releasing a extra dynamic setup for slalom driving. As soon as the shopper pays, we will ship it.”
The Problem of Warmth and Observe Use
When requested about EVs overheating on monitor, Ayoubi factors to classes from the experimental VDX prototype. “VDX was a form of wild horse,” he admits. “It was additionally car the place we discovered to reinforce the management loops coming into the subsystems and bodily elements of that. However you’ll be able to’t undertake every part from it into manufacturing vehicles. Thermal headroom continues to be a problem.”
Why BMW Didn’t Rush to Degree 3
The Neue Klasse will debut with Degree 2+ driver help, not Degree 3. For Ayoubi, the choice was clear. “We examined Degree 3, however clients aren’t prepared. They don’t wish to lose management, particularly in cities. It’s like after we launched the primary energetic anti-roll bars. We gave vehicles zero roll angle, however clients didn’t prefer it. It took time for them to get used to it.”
Security is the opposite issue. “Numerous OEMs handled ADAS like a Wild West. However it’s simply statistics—vehicles, kilometers, probability of failure. Except you’ve gotten the best security requirements, you ship accidents each day. We are able to’t settle for that.”
Degree 2++ Defined
The time period “Degree 2++” has turn into advertising shorthand, however Ayoubi gives two interpretations. “The constructive view is that it means we will present help in metropolis driving. With AI and neural networks, you’ll be able to adapt to extra advanced environments. However we all the time use a hybrid method—AI plus physics—to make sure transparency.”
Then he provides a warning. “The unhappy interpretation is Degree 3 minus. Some name it self-driving, however legal responsibility continues to be with the driving force. The extra consolation you give, the extra distraction you create. That’s the killing level. We determined to maintain the driving force within the loop with minor instructions—steering, braking, accelerating—whereas the system does the remainder. That steadiness is crucial.”
Redundancy and Fail-Safes
Ayoubi additionally gives a glimpse into BMW’s obsession with redundancy. “Take Degree 3 handover. If the system asks you to take management, it makes use of an acoustic warning. However what in case your audio system or microphone don’t work? Each time you begin the automotive, we ship inaudible frequencies via the audio system to check the system. Solely then will we enable deployment.”
It’s a small element, however one which illustrates BMW’s safety-first method.
Degree 4, However Not 5
So what’s subsequent? “Technically, we will ship Degree 4,” Ayoubi says. “The query is: is there any pull from the market? Clients want time to belief. Degree 5? Not this decade.”
The Way forward for Pleasure
Ultimately, Ayoubi insists the Neue Klasse doesn’t mark the top of BMW’s DNA—it’s a reinvention. “Electrical driving is difficult,” he admits. “However in the event you perceive the drawbacks, you’ll be able to flip them into benefits. That’s what the Coronary heart of Pleasure does. The know-how adjustments, however the DNA doesn’t.”
