BMW bets future on Neue Klasse EV battery and motor tech

We’ve already been given a good look at BMW’s revolutionary new design language for its upcoming Neue Klasse models courtesy of the Vision Neue Klasse X concept and the Neue Klasse sedan concept. We’ve seen inside too, thanks to a preview of the new panoramic iDrive system - but now it’s time to delve deeper into what will power BMW’s next-generation EVs. Step forward the sixth-generation of BMW’s eDrive. 

Set to power the first Neue Klasse model later this year (BMW’s replacement for its iX3), Gen6 eDrive technology was shown off to Auto Express at the firm’s Landshut plant near Munich, where Neue Klasse battery and electric motor components will be made. BMW claims the new battery and electric motors that’ll be used in Neue Klasse models will provide 30 per cent faster charging and a 30 per cent increase in range over fifth-generation eDrive models like the iX3 (which tops out at 285 miles of WLTP range currently). The German firm also says we can expect even greater gains from certain models, like the sleeker Neue Klasse sedan.  

It’s not just range, efficiency and charging where BMW expects to make progress. The Gen6 electric motors have been designed to power BMW’s future all-electric M models, with a choice of single, dual, triple or quad-motors available. The Neue Klasse battery and electric setup is also designed to underpin BMW’s full-range of EVs - unlike Mercedes which has segmented its approach into MMA platforms for smaller cars and MB.EA for its larger cars. Beyond BMW, the Gen6 technology has also been opened up to the wider BMW Group family - including MINI and Rolls-Royce. 

Advanced batteries no bigger than 105kWh

Various different battery pack sizes will be implemented in BMW’s Neue Klasse models. BMW hasn’t revealed any kWh figures just yet, but a BMW representative told us “larger batteries aren’t a goal and are not in our plan” - suggesting they won’t go bigger than the 105kWh unit in the current i7. The actual battery pack in the Neue Klasse will be the same design no matter the size with all models getting 800-volt technology, while also being slimmer and 20 per cent more energy dense than the ‘Gen5’ technology. This has been achieved by switching to cylindrical cells from prismatic ones, even the front seat’s bolt holes are integrated into the battery to shrink the side profile. 

A key part of the Neue Klasse Gen6 battery pack will be its ‘pack-to-open-body’, which means the floor of the Neue Klasse models will be the battery itself - providing torsional stiffness to the body. Standard-fit bidirectional charging has been confirmed, meaning Neue Klasse EVs can return power to the grid or just power external appliances. 

The Neue Klasse battery will be of NMC chemistry (nickel, magnesium and cobalt) with plans to introduce LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries at a later date. If you’re wondering why solid-state battery tech hasn’t been introduced to BMW’s next-generation EVs, Martin Schuster the Vice President of BMW’s High Voltage Battery, Charger and Converter division simply shook his head in response to the question. He referred to the production costs and resulting increase in list price for customers, saying that BMW “could do it now, but the cost would be too high”. 

“There is no fast breakthrough now. We will give you an answer in 10 years, lithium batteries aren’t finished yet”, he said. 

BMW’s Energy Master 

Sitting on top of the battery pack is BMW’s new ‘Energy Master’ - designed in-house and produced at the Landshut plant. It essentially controls the power supply sent to the electric motor but also maintains optimum performance of the battery. With its entire construction taking place within BMW itself, the firm says it has avoided potential issues with supply chains - not just with the Energy Master, but with Neue Klasse’s broader technical make-up. 

To bolster protection from global supply chain issues, production lines for Neue Klasse batteries are being set up in Hungary (Debrecen set to be the first plant to build the Neue Klasse X), China, Mexico and Woodruff - near BMW’s massive Spartanburg facility in the US. As for maintenance, it’s also far easier to disassemble the new battery design and its Energy Master unit in case a repair is needed - the battery can unscrew out of the car’s underside while the Energy Master is accessible under the rear seats. 

Two electric motor designs but no front-wheel drive

BMW’s taking what it calls a ‘technology-open approach’ with the Neue Klasse, giving rise to a variety of electric motor layouts - though don’t expect any front-wheel drive BMW EVs to directly replace the current BMW 1 Series. That’s because while single-motor power will be offered, it’ll be mounted on the rear only to drive the rear wheels. 

Two kinds of electric motors have been developed for use in Neue Klasse models. In dual, tri or quad motor all-wheel drive ‘xDrive’ models, there will be one or two asynchronous motors at the front, which use permanent magnets. The rear motors will instead use ‘electrical excitation’. Simply put, the front motor will be more compact (allowing for a frunk storage space) and weigh around 70kg. It will provide between 160bhp and 241bhp of power while offering better cost efficiency than the old Gen5 electric motor. The heavier rear motor (120kg) will be more powerful - we’re told between 268bhp to 402bhp is possible. 

BMW says a bonus to having two different electric motors is that the front motor will be better suited to low speed manoeuvres while the larger rear motor will perform better under normal driving conditions and motorway cruising. Integrated into the larger rear-mounted electric motor, the gearbox will be a single-speed affair - though bespoke ratios will be available for specific models. The stiffness of the electric motor mounts and bushings can also be tweaked depending on the model. 

Production of the new electric motors for Neue Klasse models will begin this summer at BMW’s Steyr plant in Austria - which has produced petrol and diesel BMW engines for over 40 years. BMW plans to invest one billion euros in the plant by 2030 - by which point it’ll still have electric motors and internal-combustion engines being built alongside each other - with facility workers split evenly between the two powertrains. BMW says the Steyr plant has capacity for 600,000 electric motors annually. 

The project of the century

Presenting Neue Klasse’s new Gen6 technology, Dr Joachim Post - member of the board at BMW and head of purchasing and supplying declared, “the Neue Klasse is our project of the century and the biggest investment in the company's history”. The research and development behind Neue Klasse won’t be exclusively used on EVs either. Post explained that: “We will integrate the technological progress and the design of the Neue Klasse into all BMW vehicles – regardless of the drive train.” 

Pricing for Neue Klasse models hasn’t even been hinted at just yet, though production costs of the battery and electric motor components are reduced by up to 50 per cent according to BMW. It remains to be seen if these savings will be passed on to customers. 

“It is important for us from a profitability side, but also we need to be competitive in the premium market with our pricing,” continued Post. “A goal is price parity [between EVs and ICE vehicles] but is it feasible? The target is always to reduce the cost without any compromises on quality.” 

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