BMW’s CEO Oliver Zipse, having showcased the company’s “Neue Klasse” electric vehicle (EV) platform at CES just last week, should be straightforward in discussing its strategy for dominating the EV market in the years to come? Zipse boldly claimed that BMW’s forthcoming electric vehicles would set a new industry standard for charging speed, pricing, and overall performance. If you’ve heard this before, please forgive our repetition.
Over three years have passed since BMW introduced its initial full range of electric vehicles, while it’s been a decade since the launch of its inaugural all-electric model, the notable i3 hatchback. Following the early success of its ultra-compact car, the German automaker’s shift towards an all-electric portfolio began with the iX3 SUV, the first of 13 electric vehicles expected to hit the market by this year.
When the iX3 launched, BMW made bold assertions about its all-electric prowess, boasting superior range, power, and cargo capacity compared to most rivals on the market at that point.
As you’re likely aware, many of your competitors have developed their own benchmarks for electric vehicle expertise, and while BMW has released a string of EV models such as the i4 sedan and the unconventional iX, it hasn’t yet claimed dominance in the market as intended.
While ranking amongst German electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers in 2022, BMW’s sales figures lagged behind those of the Volkswagen Group (including Audi) and Mercedes-Benz. While there’s nothing to scoff at, opportunities for enhancement still remain.
BMW asserts that it has enhanced its electric vehicle (EV) platform capabilities, poised to propel its future lineup of all-electric models, which recently premiered at CES as part of the innovative i Vision Dee concept.
BMW’s Neue Klasse EV platform looks set to revolutionize electric mobility.
As BMW’s Neue Klasse architecture takes shape in a hypothetical electric vehicle, its innovative features will likely never reach production, yet still instill confidence in CEO Oliver Zipse, whose optimism is fueled by the project’s impressive capabilities. During a press conference in Las Vegas after the unveiling of the innovative Intelligent Design concept, he expressed the following thoughts to the gathered journalists:
As the industry standard, we will set the bar for versatility in terms of charge speed and pricing. Don’t neglect pricing.
Instead of stating their confidence with such bravado, they should convey it through their actions and achievements.
The success of BMW’s new structure hinges largely on its battery expertise, a critical area where the German automaker has made significant investments in recent times. BMW is set to unveil a revolutionary new platform featuring cutting-edge cylindrical cells, poised to significantly boost power density, rapid-charging capabilities, and overall range by a substantial 20-30 per cent compared to its existing battery technology.
While this expertise appears to underpin Zipse’s benchmarking comments, the BMW CEO has hinted at distinct EV battery projects in development. We previously disclosed in December that BMW committed $20 million to its longstanding partner, Stable Energy, to acquire the latter’s solid-state battery know-how and integrate it into its own manufacturing facilities for production purposes.
BMW plans to continue collaborating with Colorado-based Stable Energy to improve its power-dense cells and achieve scalability and cost competitiveness with lithium-ion batteries, a crucial milestone in electric vehicle technology advancements.
If profitable, BMW could potentially set a new standard in key electric vehicle (EV) specs by shipping according to Zipse’s promises for customers. Despite the numerous competitors investing in stable energy solutions, including multiple solid-state battery developers striving to achieve breakthroughs, the pursuit of a superior innovation continues unabated.
The first BMW electric vehicle based on the Neue Klasse platform is expected to debut in 2025, likely taking the form of a midsize sedan produced at a Hungarian factory. Get an exclusive first look at BMW’s innovative i Imaginative and prescient Dee concept and gain insight into their future electric vehicle technology in the accompanying video.
