BMW has been testing the M2 electric car since 2018.

BMW M is developing the M3 electric car as its first battery-powered, performance-only vehicle.

The electric M3 will be based on BMW's newly developed Neue Klasse EV platform and will be available in gas and electric versions of the next-generation 3 Series. The electric 3 Series will be available in 2026, and the electric M3 based on it will lag behind the regular sedan by a year or possibly more.

This means that the electric M3 is still a few years away, but BMW has now revealed that the development of the electric powertrain is underway from at least 2018.

In the latest episode of an online video series charting BMW M's EV development, we learn about an electric prototype based on the previous generation M2 that BMW M engineers built in 2018.

This prototype, which appears at about the 3:40 minute mark, was never intended for production. Instead, it was built as a demonstrator to evaluate the performance potential of the electric powertrain and to develop a chassis control system to take advantage of the high performance of the electric motor. At the start, the prototype was completely out of control, resulting in the engineers nicknaming it “The Beast.”

Lessons learned through the electric M2 led BMW M to produce a four-motor electric powertrain, which the performance division began testing in the i4 M50 around 2022. This powertrain is now rumored to be available in the electric M3, which is rumored to produce four-digit horsepower output.

The powertrain features two motors on each axle and can control each wheel individually; according to BMW M, this individual control allows for precise and stepless torque distribution. By using a variety of sensors as well as driver input from steering angle and accelerator pedal position, torque distribution can be optimized according to the situation, such as improving grip on slippery surfaces or vehicle stability in curves.

BMW M fans who want a gas engine need not worry just yet; BMW M is also developing a gas-powered M3 based on the next-generation 3 Series. The performance division has indicated that the next gas-powered M3 will be an evolution of the current M3's 3.0-liter inline-six twin-turbo.