BMW to use innovative round battery cells in Neue Klasse vehicles from 2025

The newly-developed lithium-ion cells will increase energy density by more than 20 percent, improve charging speed by up to 30 percent and enhance BEV range by up to 30 percent.

In 2025, the BMW Group will start producing a new generation of electric cars, called the Neue Klasse (New Class). The distinctive feature of these cars will be new lithium-ion batteries developed by the company itself.

The newly-developed sixth generation of our lithium-ion cells will bring a huge leap in technology that will increase energy density by more than 20 percent, improve charging speed by up to 30 percent and enhance range by up to 30 percent," according to Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development. "We are also reducing CO2 emissions from cell production by up to 60 percent. These are big steps for sustainability and customer benefits."

For the sixth generation of BMW eDrive technology used in the Neue Klasse, the company has refined the cell format and cell chemistry. The new BMW round cells come with a standard diameter of 46 millimetres and two different heights. Compared to the prismatic cells of the fifth BMW battery cell generation, the nickel content in the sixth-generation BMW round cells is higher on the cathode side, while the cobalt content is reduced. On the anode side, the silicon content will be increased. As a result, the cell's volumetric energy density will improve by more than 20 percent.

The battery, drive train and charging technology in the Neue Klasse will also have a higher voltage of 800 volts. Among other things, this will optimise how energy is supplied to direct current high-power charging stations, which can achieve a much higher charging capacity with a current of up to 500 amperes - thus reducing the time it takes to charge the vehicle from 10 to 80 percent by up to 30 percent.

To supply the battery cells needed for the Neue Klasse , the BMW Group has already awarded contracts in the two-digit billion-euro range for construction of battery cell factories to CATL and EVE Energy. Both partners will build two gigafactories in China and Europe. Each of the battery cell factories will have a total annual capacity of up to 20 GWh. Plans call for two more battery cell factories to be built in the North American free trade zone, for which the partners have not yet been nominated.

The production start of the BMW Neue Klasse is planned for late 2025.

Source: BMW