BMW NEUE KLASSE BEVs will launch in 2025 with new, cylindrical battery cells by CATL and EVE Energy

10 September 2022, 16:07:54

Following the announcement of its collaboration with CATL, which will build cylindrical cell batteries for BMW in dedicated factories in Europe and China, BMW announced that it is set to launch a new era of e-mobility from 2025 with the models of its NEUE KLASSE – using newly-developed round battery cells optimized for the new architecture for the first time.

The BMW Group has already awarded contracts in the two-digit billion-eurothe range for production of the new BMW battery cells. By leveraging the comprehensive in-house expertise of the company’s own Battery Cell Competence Centre, the team from development, production and purchasing has been able to significantly reduce costs for the high-voltage battery, thanks to the new battery cell and new integration concept for battery technology developed by BMW. Based on current market assumptions, costs can be reduced by up to 50 percent, compared to the current fifth generation. The BMW Group has set itself the goal of bringing manufacturing costs for fully-electric models down to the same level as vehicles with state-of-the-art combustion-engine technology.

For the sixth generation of BMW eDrive technology used in the NEUE KLASSE, the company has fundamentally refined the cell format and cell chemistry. With the new BMW round cell specially designed for the electric architecture of the NEUE KLASSE models, it will be possible to significantly increase the range of the highest-range model by up to 30 percent (according to WLTP).

The new BMW round cells come with a standard diameter of 46 mm 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 system plays a key role in the body structure of the NEUE KLASSE. Depending on the model, it can be flexibly integrated into the installation space to save space (“pack to open body”). The cell module level is thus eliminated.

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 optimize 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 the 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, USMCA, for which the partners have not yet been nominated.

The three regions where the battery cell factories will be built will also benefit economically from the creation of new supply chains, new networks for subcontractors, and new jobs.

The sixth-generation battery technology also offers the option of using cathodes made of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) for the first time. This means the critical raw materials cobalt and nickel can then be avoided entirely in the cathode material. In parallel, the BMW Group is also pushing forward with the development of all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). The company aims to have high-voltage batteries of this type ready for series introduction by the end of the decade. The BMW Group will present a demonstrator vehicle with this technology on board well before 2025.

With a fast-growing product lineup and high demand, the BMW Group aims to have more than two million fully-electric vehicles on the roads by the end of 2025.

The all-electric NEUE KLASSE will make a significant contribution to BMW Group sales volumes from mid-decade. The NEUE KLASSE has the potential to further accelerate the market penetration of e-mobility: This means 50 percent of the BMW Group’s global sales could already come from fully-electric vehicles before 2030.

The MINI brand will have an exclusively all-electric product range by the early 2030s, while Rolls-Royce will also be an all-electric brand from 2030. All future new models from BMW Motorrad in the field of urban mobility will likewise be fully electric.

News related to BMW, CATL or EVE Energy

CATL, the world's largest power battery manufacturer, has begun mass production of its fifth-generation lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, marking a major step forward in energy density and cycle life. Robin Zeng, the company's founder, chairman, and CEO, announced the milestone at the 2025 World Power Battery Conference in Yibin, Sichuan, highlighting CATL's continued leadership in advancing battery...

12 November 2025

BMW is charging into fall 2025 with major upgrades to its all-electric i4 lineup, delivering more range, more power, and a sharper edge across the board. The 2026 i4 eDrive40 is expected to top 300 miles of range - regardless of wheel size - while the high-performance variant gets a serious power bump and a new name to match. 2026 BMW i4 M60 specifications 2026 BMW i4 xDrive40 specifications 2026 BMW i4 eDrive40...

7 November 2025

Since 2022, the BMW Group and Solid Power, Inc. have intensified their collaboration to develop all-solid-state battery technology, advancing through a technology transfer agreement that recently culminated in the integration of Solid Power's large-format pure ASSB cells into a BMW i7 technology test vehicle. In October 2025, Samsung SDI joined the effort, forming a three-way collaboration that combines the...

31 October 2025

BMW and MINI will headline dynamic exhibits at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo, running October 31 through November 9, 2025, showcasing next‑generation vehicles and systems including the first Neue Klasse model, the BMW iX3, new hydrogen fuel cell developments, and a fresh MINI lineup highlighted by a Paul Smith special edition. The event will mark the Asian debut of the BMW iX3 and present a suite of technologies...

29 October 2025

Automakers in North America are increasingly reducing on‑the‑road prices for battery electric vehicles by amounts close to the former $7,500 federal tax credit. Manufacturers are applying the savings in different ways: permanent MSRP adjustments, time‑limited rebates applied at the point of sale, or larger dealer incentives that lower the cash price before financing or leasing. The strategy shortens the cash gap for...

5 October 2025

CATL presented the Shenxing Pro battery at IAA Mobility 2025. This is the world's first LFP battery that can achieve a sustained high-voltage supply, maintain power, and prevent fire and smoke after thermal runaway. Equipped with CATL's proprietary NP 3.0 technology, this EV battery is available in two variants: Shenxing Pro Super Long Life & Long Range Battery: The world's first LFP battery to deliver a 758 km WLTP...

8 September 2025

BMW iX3 50 xDrive specifications BMW presents the first series-produced Neue Klasse model. The new-generation BMW iX3 is a fully electric Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) that gives customers their first on-the-road taste of a whole new era of Sheer Driving Pleasure. An all-new design language gives the car a character-rich appearance that faithfully conveys the technological progress made by the new model. With...

5 September 2025

At the IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich to be held next month, BMW Group will present one of the most significant new models in the history of its home city. The 2026 BMW iX3, the first model of the Neue Klasse, will celebrate its public premiere accompanied by revolutionary new and groundbreaking technologies for the future of the entire BMW Group. The BMW iX3 will reveal to the public for the first time the enormous...

6 August 2025

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...

6 August 2025

The BMW Group is bringing large-format, pure ASSB cells from Solid Power to its test vehicle, a BMW i7, which is being operated in the Munich area. The potential benefits of ASSB technology: higher energy density in a very compact storage system compared to current technologies. The concept battery integrated in the BMW i7 test vehicle combines proven Gen5 construction principles (prismatic cells in modules) with...

23 May 2025

CATL unveiled three groundbreaking EV battery products at its inaugural Super Tech Day: The Freevoy Dual-Power Battery, Naxtra - the world's first mass-produced sodium-ion battery, and the second-generation Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery, as well as an integrated 24V start/stop Naxtra battery for heavy-duty trucks. The Freevoy Dual-Power Battery introduces a pioneering cross-chemistry system design that...

24 April 2025

The new all-electric BMW iX celebrated its start of production at the BMW Group plant in Dingolfing. The electric pioneer, which has been manufactured at the site since 2021 and has since been sold over 130,000 units worldwide, receives a comprehensive update in March 2025 - offering increased performance, range and sportiness in three distinctive trims: BMW iX xDrive45, BMW iX xDrive60, and BMW iX M70 xDrive. The...

10 March 2025

The 2026 BMW iX will enter production in March at BMW’s Plant Dingolfing. Deliveries are expected to commence in the second quarter of 2025. The vehicle is available in three models: BMW iX xDrive45 specifications - USD 75150 +USD1175 destination and handling BMW iX xDrive60 specifications - USD 88500 +USD1175 destination and handling BMW iX M70 xDrive specifications - USD 111500 +USD1175 destination and handling...

29 January 2025

CATL officially launched the CATL Bedrock Chassis, the world's first ultra-safe skateboard chassis. With its outstanding performance of withstanding 120 km/h frontal impact without catching fire or exploding, CATL's Bedrock Chassis sets a new standard for intelligent chassis safety, providing comprehensive protection across all scenarios and speed ranges. With the battery-centered design, CATL's Bedrock Chassis...

26 December 2024