In 2021 BMW group announced their ambitious growth and profitability targets with a full technology offensive for 2021 and beyond.
This includes a comprehensive realignment for the Bavarian automaker and from a technological perspective, BMW plans to take premium mobility to new levels from 2025 onwards.
According to BMW AG CEO Oliver Zipse “We have a clear roadmap for making the transformation of our industry a real competitive advantage for BMW in the coming years: uncompromisingly electric, digital and circular.”
The Neue Klasse (New Class) platform is currently under development and features three main characteristics: A redefined IT and software architecture, a new generation of high-performance electric drivetrains and batteries and a radically different approach to sustainability across the vehicle’s entire lifecycle. BMW claims that the vehicle architecture will set a new benchmark in terms of digitisation and electrification without losing the unique appeal of BMW vehicles.
Zipse has since confirmed that the Neue Klasse plaform will initially underpin models from the midsize premium segment and BMW i3 Sedan owners will be the first to experience this new platform but it will be offered on vehicles from other segments in due course.
The i3 Sedan will be very different from the current i3 with its 66,1 kWh battery pack and 526 km range offered in China, as the latter is a mere conversion of the current 3 Series and is not built on a dedicated EV platform. Production will commence in 2025 at the company’s new plant in Hungary and will only underpin their fully-electric powertrains. Munich’s internal combustion engine models will continue to use other platforms.
Automotive News reports that according to a source close to BMW, a full range of zero-emissions vehicles from their high-volume segment to their exclusive high-performance models will be based on the Neue Klasse platform.
Words: Thys de Beer
