The e-motor for the BMW Neue Klasse enters mass production at Plant Steyr in Austria

6 August 2025, 09:20:47

BMW Group Plant Steyr began series production of the e-motor for the Neue Klasse. The electric motor for the sixth generation of BMW eDrive (Gen6) is the first fully-electric drivetrain to be produced at the Steyr location in Austria. From there, it will be shipped throughout the production network, providing the drivetrain for the Neue Klasse. Between the project launch in 2022 and 2030, BMW is investing over a billion euros in expanding development and production expertise for e-drives at the Steyr location. This capacity expansion will ensure the plant remains the BMW Group's leading location for drivetrains.

Rotor, stator, transmission and power converter – all core components of the innovative, highly integrated e-drive – will be manufactured at Plant Steyr. The housing for the electric motor will be cast at Plant Landshut's aluminum foundry and further processed in Steyr. The power converter will be produced in a new in-house clean-room environment, marking the Austrian engine manufacturer’s entry into the field of electrical motorering. E-drive components from Steyr will be assembled on two new lines. The overall production concept for the Gen6 e-drive follows the principle of a modular system, making it possible to produce different highly flexible electric drivetrain derivatives for the entire range of Neue Klasse models. The modular concept generates positive economies of scale and cost savings in both development and production. It also improves the scalability of production volumes. The modular approach keeps production, supply networks and procurement highly flexible.

The electric motor has undergone significant further development for Gen6: The rotor, stator and power converter have all been holistically designed for the Gen6 technology’s new 800-volt architecture, maximizing the performance capabilities and the efficiency of the drive system. Improvements in geometry and cooling, along with reduced friction, optimize the two-stage spur gearbox. Customer-friendly acoustics have also been further refined. In the e-drive's electric “brain” – the power converter – 800-volt technology and silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor technology are now being used to boost efficiency. Fully integrated into the electric motor housing, the power converter converts direct current (DC) from the high-voltage battery into alternating current (AC) for the electric motor.

Comparing one of the future models of the Neue Klasse with a Gen5 xDrive model shows the improvements in the electric motor. Energy loss is reduced by 40 percent, costs by 20 percent, and weight by 10 percent. All this makes a significant contribution to the approximately 20-percent increase in overall vehicle efficiency. The efficient design of the powertrain, combined with the high energy content of the high-voltage battery, enables a range of up to 800 km (WLTP) in the BMW iX3, the first model of the Neue Klasse.

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