Forthcoming electric vehicles based on BMW’s Neue Klasse electric platform are set to be just as profitable as the car manufacturer’s combustion-powered models.
BMW chief executive Oliver Zipse made the revelation during BMW’s annual shareholder meeting last week. He stated that the automaker is targeting 30 per cent cost savings due to the use of the Neue Klasse’s platform’s cylindrical cell format. It will also feature battery chemistry and new cell formats to increase power output.
“That is also what our latest GEN6 drivetrain generation stands for: more output, a new cell chemistry and new cell formats,” Zipse confirmed.
Read More: BMW’s EV-Dedicated Neue Klasse Platform To Focus On Midsize Segments
BMW will begin production of the Neue Klasse platform in 2025 and initially use it for all-electric midsize vehicles. This platform will come to life at a new factory in Debrecen, Hungary where the foundation stone will be laid on June 1. Current plans call for the first pre-series cars to come off the line 26 months later.
This new factory will be operated without any fossil fuels and all power used will either be generated on site or sourced from suppliers using renewable energy. Supplier contracts for the first Neue Klasse-based vehicles will be signed by the end of this year. Speaking with Auto News, Zipse confirmed it will consider CO2 emissions “and the percentage of secondary material as criteria for selecting suppliers.”
BMW believes that half of its global sales will be for electric vehicles by 2030. In the interim, the automaker is aiming to hit 2 million cumulative electric vehicle sales by 2025 and this year, predicts EVs will account for 10 per cent of all deliveries. Eight all-electric vehicles from BMW will be on the roads by the end of this year.
Two design prototypes for Neue Klasse-based models have already been shown to BMW board members.
“We can promise you that you will also be fascinated by them. The Neue Klasse represents precisely the quantum leap we are aiming for,” Zipse added. “This aligns with the new group steering model — small units that act agilely and have access to our tech platforms to leverage synergies.”
