BMW announced its game plan for its future lineup with an electrified “Neue Klasse” platform rolling out for the mid-size segment!
The Munich-based automaker kicked into higher gear with plans for electrification across the group and some serious sales targets for the coming decade. It recently unveiled the new-gen flagship 7 Series (G70), including an all-electric i7 xDrive60 for the first time — a sign of change for the Ultimate Driving Machine. The electric luxury saloon joins the iX and i4 as part of the all-electric models currently on the market.
However, BMW is going bolder with its advanced “Neue Klasse” architecture slated to arrive on its shores by 2025. The brand quashed previous comments suggesting that the platform will underpin combustion, hybrids, and emission-free vehicles. Instead, Oliver Zipse, CEO of BMW, stated that it will be used for all-electric models only — in line with ambitions to clock sales of 2 million new EVs by 2025 and at least half the volume to be EV-centric by 2030. He further claimed that a major chunk of the sales pie would belong to the ‘Neue Klasse’ architecture.
BMW will launch the new platform in the mid-size segment, i.e., the 3 Series, which is currently one of the most popular models in its entire lineup. In an interview with Automotive News Europe, Zipse said, “When it hits the market, it will be concentrated on the 3 Series segment, and at that point in time, the market will have developed into a size where it is reasonable to have only one drivetrain in that architecture.” The company claims that the new chassis is “a quantum leap in technology” with “more output, new cell chemistry, and new cell formats.”
In short, all of this jargon suggests that the improvement in cell packaging and battery technologies will equate to a better range, efficiency, and performance across the board. BMW further claimed that these new vehicles would be manufactured at its new carbon-neutral facility in Hungary, along with other planned models.
Other BMW product cycles will continue with ICEs and hybrid drives for a few more years, although, sadly, its existence would be subjective to the sales performance of the “Neue Klasse” autos in the coming years.
Stay tuned for more insights!
Source: Automotive News Europe
