BMW unveils Vision Driving Experience test mule for future EV nameplates

MANILA: BMW has unveiled the Vision Driving Experience (VDX) test vehicle along with the “Heart of Joy” - a robust control unit intended to squeeze out every single ounce of handling, efficiency, and performance out of the brand’s upcoming lineup of next-generation, fully-electric models. 

The most surprising part of the BMW VDX test vehicle is its ability to produce a whopping 18,000 newton-meters of torque. But before any Bimmer fans get excited, the brand did say that the car will never be considered for production. Instead, it will be utilized as a dedicated “rolling laboratory” for the Heart of Joy control unit, which will eventually become standard on future BMW electric vehicles. 

As the German carmaker explained, the high amount of torque output was necessary to test the upper limits of the newly developed control system. If it does, it will have no issues being used in far less powerful road-legal EV nameplates. 

Additionally, the  Heart of Joy will be the sole control unit for a future BMW EV’s drivetrain, brakes, charging, regenerative braking, and steering systems. As such, it was designed to be fast, with latencies and lag between the said systems and the control unit kept to a minimum. 

Other notable capabilities of the Heart of Joy units include, but are not limited to, the following:

• 25 percent increase in EV efficiency
• Precise cornering 
• Power shifting to and from each wheel
• Vehicle access control
• Infotainment, air-conditioning control
• Over-the-air updates

To note, the Heart of Joy, which is practically a “supercomputer” for upcoming BMW EV units, was developed in-house by the Munich-headquartered car manufacturer. It combines four individual electronic control units into “a single high-performance computer.” 

For now, BMW has yet to reveal the full specs of the VDX, nor did it say which “Neue Klass” model will first receive the Heart of Joy, but more details may come to light during the test vehicle’s upcoming world premiere at the Auto Shanghai 2025. 

For those curious, Auto Shanghai 2025 will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, China, from April 23-May 2, 2025. 

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