BMW's EVs On Flexible Gas Car Platforms Are Paying Off Big Time

 At this point, you've probably realized by now that the best electric vehicles (EVs) on the market are those that are built on platforms solely for EV use. That's because of their packaging and efficiency advantages. A dedicated EV platform, like Hyundai Motor Group's (HMG) famed E-GMP platform that underpins cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, offers unparalleled space utilization--including a front trunk, as well as better efficiency for its electric motors.

And then there are other brands like BMW, who chose a more flexible--albeit rudimentary, route. The German premium automaker simply evolved its CLAR platform to accommodate internal combustion engines (ICE), as well as plug-in hybrids and EVs. From a packaging and design perspective, BMW's EVs aren't the most cutting-edge or the most space-efficient. Instead, as it turns out, their EVs on flexible platforms are a flexible solution for an unpredictable global automotive market.

BMW believes engine downsizing isn't good for future internal combustion performance cars.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources.

BMW's Flexible Platform Strategy

To understand how BMW ended up with today's flexible strategy, we have to look back at the origins of the CLAR platform. CLAR stands for Cluster Architecture, and it's not just flexible in terms of powertrain options, but also vehicle sizes. This is why you see this platform from a wide variety of BMWs, from the 3 Series to the flagship 7 Series and even something as large as an X7.

One Platform, Multiple Powertrains

CLAR was first applied in the was first applied in the G11 BMW 7 Series for the 2016 model year. CLAR is mostly for rear-wheel drive (RWD) and rear-biased all-wheel drive (AWD) BMWs. For cars like the 2 Series GranCoupe, X1, X2, and the Mini model range, BMW makes use of the UKL platform that's meant for front-wheel drive (FWD) applications due to the space efficiency provided by this platform. CLAR was created from the outset to accept electrification technologies, which shows BMW's early vision on the future of electrified mobility.

Besides, BMW has a long history of electrification with cars like the BMW i3 electric and range-extended electric city hatch, as well as the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. They've also touched on normal "self-charging" hybrids as well with their ActiveHybrid model range in the early 2010s. With their vision in those years, they've already made the CLAR platform flexible to whatever powertrain option becomes popular in the future.