BMW’s 5th-Generation Electric Drive System wins 2024 AJAC Best Green Innovation Award.

Richmond Hill, ON.  The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) announced BMW’s 5th-Generation Electric Drive System as the winner of their 2024 AJAC Best Green Innovation Award. The AJAC Innovation Awards are awarded annually to the best automotive innovations in three categories: Best Green Innovation, Best Safety Innovation and Best Technical Innovation. This win comes on the heels of the BMW i4 winning AJAC’s 2023 Car of the Year – the first fully electric model to earn the title.

BMW’s 5th-Generation Electric Drive System uses current-excited synchronous motors, which are noted for their absence of rare earth metals. A current-excited synchronous motor comprises a rotating rotor and a fixed stator. As the magnetic field of the rotor is generated by means of electrical current that flows through several coils, the use of rare earths, such as those needed for permanent magnets, can be omitted altogether with this operating principle.

The system’s eDrive unit was also designed to be vastly more serviceable than previous iterations, which reduces servicing costs and waste parts. The majority of the components of the eDrive unit can now be repaired or replaced independently. The eDrive unit is also smaller and lighter than previous generations, improving its power-to-weight ratio by 30%.

The 5th-Generation Electric Drive System can be found in BMW’s award-winning battery-electric vehicles such as the i4, iX, i7 and new i5, as well as BMW’s plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Sustainability was an integral part of the development of the new generation of BMW vehicles. From the sourcing of materials to the vehicles’ production and the recycling of its components in the future. Every step of the value chain was carefully studied to reduce the carbon footprint of new electrified models to the absolute lowest level possible.

-30-

BMW Group in Canada

BMW Group Canada, based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW AG and is responsible for the distribution of BMW luxury performance automobiles, Sports Activity Vehicles, Motorcycles, and MINI.  BMW Group Financial Services Canada is a division of BMW Group Canada and offers retail financing and leasing programs and protection products on new and pre-owned BMW and MINI automobiles, as well as retail financing for new and pre-owned BMW Motorcycles. A total network of 51 BMW automobile retail centres, 24 BMW motorcycle retailers, and 31 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country.

For more information, please contact:

Marc Belcourt

Director, Corporate Communications

BMW Group Canada

905-428-5078 / marc.belcourt@bmwgroup.ca                                             

Jean-Francois Taylor

Product and Technology Manager, Corporate Communications

BMW Group Canada

905-428-5366 / jean-francois.taylor@bmwgroup.ca