While BMW may not think that the world should make a swift switch to electric vehicles only, it knows that such a day is coming. The German carmaker is developing a new EV lineup dubbed the Neue Klasse, set to launch in 2025, and today we’re learning more about it, including a power output of up to 1,341 horsepower and a new 800-volt architecture.
Frank Weber, BMW‘s chief technology officer laid out some big plans at the brand’s Sustainability through Innovation conference. First reported by UK’s Car Magazine, Weber says that this new lineup is “going to make a huge technology leap.” A central component of that leap will be the battery technology found within each car.
Instead of using prismatic cells, BMW will use cylindrical ones which will evidently offer 20 percent higher energy density, 30 percent better packaging efficiency, and up to 30 percent quicker charging and range respectively.
Read: BMW’s EV-Dedicated Neue Klasse Platform To Focus On Midsize Segments
On top of that, UK’s Car Magazine says that power output will range from 268 bhp (271 hp / 202 kW) up to 1,341 bhp (1,359 hp / 1,013 kW). Battery packs will range from 75 kWh up to a maximum (for now) of 150 kWh. Thanks to its 800-volt architecture it can charge quite quickly too. Weber says that it’ll add 30 miles (48 km) of range every minute up to 375 miles (603 km). Don’t expect extreme range and extreme power on display in the same car though.
“Going big on cell power and extreme range is not the solution, because the size and weight penalty is counter-productive,” says Weber. “Instead, we must get the best out of every watt-hour by further reducing the rolling resistance, improving aerodynamics and increasing the on-board energy efficiency.”
Achieving that sort of efficiency will take clever design and according to Weber, “the Neue Klasse cars will be breakthrough efforts which leave no stone unturned.” On top of that, the brand’s head of Efficient Dynamics claims that these cars will feature a 25 percent improvement in terms of aerodynamic efficiency.
Those are big commitments that BMW is making and we hope they make good on every one of them.