BMW does not hide its belief in electric, the projects prove it and management speaks openly about the development of a new zero-emission vehicle by 2023, then others will follow every 18-24 months. Finally, there are also the patent filings concerning a powertrain capable of collecting the heritage of the boxer.
On June 2, 2022, the United States Patent and Trademark Office first published BMW's patent application for its electric boxer design.
The idea of the project is that already seen in the Concept Vision DC Roadster: a large central body with two side cooling units capable of conveying air flows and housing functional elements. The aesthetics of the aluminum heatsinks are very reminiscent of boxers. According to the description, one cylinder will contain inverters and charging equipment, while the other a liquid cooling system.
This is where the idea is interesting: BMW has been known for its boxers since the first half of the 20th century, the visual aspect must also be taken into account. More than that, though, it's eminently practical when it comes to cooling. Electric vehicles have very real cooling problems – and batteries can get very hot, both during use and while charging.
BMW's patent proposal suggests several possible configurations to achieve optimal cooling in its electric motorcycle applications. All rely on external cooling fins, which take advantage of the movement of air across their surface to help cool whatever's housed inside. This could be an electric motor, a battery, a controller or even an additional liquid cooling element. In the latter case, consider it a secondary means of cooling.
The idea of the inventors in this application is that by incorporating both types of cooling into an electric motorcycle design, it could theoretically reduce weight, centralize mass and also have the most efficient cooling possible to optimize a potential transmission of electric motorcycle.
Each cylinder measures approximately 40-50% of the width of the center body width and will be placed approximately one third of the height of the motorcycle. The position, in short, will be the same as that of the boxers, in front of the pilot's legs and at a sufficient height from the ground to allow him to bend over.
This doesn't mean that the Vision DC Roadster concept is any closer to becoming a reality, but it's always interesting to see different manufacturers interested in electric!
