The i4 M50 Becomes BMW M's First All-Electric Safety Car

The BMW i4 M50 replaces the i8 as the official safety car of the fully electric FIM Enel MotoE World Cup motorcycle racing series.

BMW i4 M50 Safety Car For FIM ENEL MotoE World Cup 2

Dan Mihalascu

By: Dan Mihalascu

Aug 2, 2021 at 8:02am ET

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Meet BMW M’s first fully electric safety car, the i4 M50. It will debut August 15 as the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup safety car in the Motorcycle Grand Prix of Austria at the Red Bull Ring.

The new i4 M50 replaces the BMW i8 Safety Car, which has previously paced races in the electric motorcycle series that acts as a support program for MotoGP. The new safety car for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup is based on the production BMW i4 M50 that will launch in November 2021.

While not quite a full-blown BMW M car judging by the M Performance-like badging, the road-going i4 M50 does generate BMW M levels of power. It features eAWD thanks to two electric motors (one each axle) generating a total output of 400 kW (544 PS/536 hp) and 795 Nm (586 lb-ft) of combined torque. It also benefits from M-specific chassis technology and a drive sound developed specifically for electric BMW M cars.

Gallery: BMW i4 M50 Safety Car For FIM ENEL MotoE World Cup

BMW i4 M50 Safety Car For FIM ENEL MotoE World Cup 5

BMW i4 M50 Safety Car For FIM ENEL MotoE World Cup 3

Powered by a high-voltage battery with a gross energy content of 83.9 kWh, the i4 M50 goes from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds in Sport Boost mode. All these characteristics make the production BMW i4 M50 “the perfect basis for use as a safety car in MotoE,” according to the automaker.

“While the production version of the four-door Gran Coupé will hit the market in the autumn, our fans can enjoy its world premiere at the racetrack this summer. There could not be a more appropriate safety car for MotoE than the BMW i4 M50 – pure performance, fully-electric. We are looking forward to the premiere in Spielberg.”

Markus Flasch, CEO of BMW M GmbH

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While BMW did not list the upgrades the new safety car brings over the production model, the photos reveal a specific livery with electric green lettering and accents (including on the kidney grilles), BMW M's colors on the bumpers and doors, and an LED bar on top acting as emergency lights.

The FIM Enel MotoE World Cup has been part of the MotoGP world championship since 2019. In the fully-electric series, Energica motorcycles offer thrilling head-to-head races and exciting battles at some of the most iconic circuits in motorcycle racing.