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BMW once made arguably the best electric city car on earth, and while the automaker’s EV offerings have come along a little slower than some would like, it looks like things are about to shake things up a bit. And this – “The BMW Vision Neue Klasse” – may be the first look at what that shake-up will look like. making bmw Very Promises that seem less of “just a concept car” and more of “the next chapter for the company” and the debut of a new 800-volt architecture.
Read BMW’s press release, and you’ll hear what you usually hear when an automaker shows off a new concept car — basically, this is what the future looks like. Here it is from BMW itself:
With its latest design concept, the BMW Vision New Class, BMW is showing what the next generation of its vehicles will look like.
Sometimes, it doesn’t really mean much, but sometimes it does. BMW’s i3 concept was pretty close to the eventual production car, and the way BMW is dressing up this new “Neuwe Klasse” tells me that this could actually be a decent look at what’s to come from the Bavarian brand. Is. I mean, there’s even a manufacturing plant attached to the concept. Here it is from BMW itself:
“With Neue Klasse, we have launched the largest investment in the company’s history. We’re not just writing the next chapter of BMW; We are writing a brand new book. That is why the new class will surely influence all the model generations.
[…]
Manufactured at the new plant in Debrecen with extensive use of raw and secondary materials produced completely without fossil fuels and with low CO2, the Neue Klasse will also provide a significant impetus to resource-efficient personal mobility. High energy efficiency during the vehicle use phase will be ensured by optimizing weight, air and rolling resistance as well as through intelligent heat management, especially for the electric drivetrain, using sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology.
In addition to the highly efficient electric motors, key advances in the new BMW eDrive technology include the newly developed round battery cells, which have more than 20% higher energy density than previously used prismatic cells. The sixth generation of BMW eDrive technology will improve the charging speed of the new Klasse models by up to 30%, as well as extend their range by up to 30%. As a result of all these measures, the overall vehicle efficiency will increase by up to 25%.
According to Inside EVs, the Neue Klasse represents the debut of an entirely new 800-volt platform that uses cylindrical cells. From an EV-centric site:
BMW has already said that the New Class EVs will use newly developed Gen 6 cylindrical cells, providing more than 20 percent more energy density, more than 30 percent more charging speed and 30 percent more range than the carmaker’s current battery technology. More improvements are expected.
The cells would be 50 percent cheaper to manufacture and install directly into the battery pack, eliminating the module layer. BMW said the cells would use a nickel-based chemistry with a low cobalt content, but Gypsy also promised additional battery technologies.
[…]
In November 2022, BMW Reveals Some Key Features Of 800-Volt New Class Platform car magazineIncluding outputs ranging from 268 horsepower to 1,341 horsepower, RWD and AWD configurations with four electric motors, batteries ranging from 75 kWh to 150 kWh, and driving ranges of up to 621 miles (1,000 km).
What cars is this “New Klasse” foreshadowing?
Clearly this is not “just a concept”, and if you want an opinion from someone far more qualified than me, you should read a few words from my friend and BMW expert Horatio Boerieu on the BMW Blog. His article discusses six models this new concept car could preview:
Today, BMW unveiled the Vision Neue Klasse, a concept car that previews a new design language and technology. Although BMW hasn’t officially confirmed this as the future 3 Series Electric (i3), there’s little doubting it. The first Neue Klasse electric vehicle is scheduled for 2025, but it won’t be the i3.
He anticipates that the first new class model will be a crossover. From bmw-guru:
Our sources suggest that the iX3 electric crossover will take center stage as the first new class model. The new iX3, with chassis code NA5, will enter production in Debrecen in the summer of 2025.
Then comes the new i3 (which should look a lot like the concept we see here), predicts Boerieu:
The new Klasse-based 3 Series Electric will be called the BMW i3 and will arrive in 2026. Obviously, it will be heavily based on the Vision New Class concept that we saw today.
I don’t want to steal Boerieu’s thunder, so I’ll let you read the rest of the list over on his site, but suffice it to say: This concept car actually means something to BMW as a brand. And those efficiency/charging claims are no joke. BMW is making big promises.
BMW going up against Tesla
Reuters does a good job of putting this vehicle in context, referencing the old BMW “Neue Klasse”, and how it got BMW out of trouble:
In the early 1960s, BMW (BMWG.DE) was a struggling enterprise with an uncertain future, left behind by Detroit giants Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) and Detroit giants (MBGn.DE).
The company’s leaders put all their resources behind a new car, which they called the “Neue Klasse” or “new class”. Launched in 1962 as the BMW 1800, the New Class propelled the German automaker to become the “best driving machine” company and one of the most successful brands in any industry.
[Editor’s Note: The original Neue Klasse was BMW’s big bet on its future existence. With styling by Wilhelm Hofmeister (he’s where the Hofmeister Kink comes from), it launched as the four-door 1500 model with a 1.5-liter M10 four-cylinder engine, semi-trailing arm rear suspension, and front disc brakes, it was the predecessor to the 5 Series. A coupe followed in 1965, and the famous 02 Series followed in 1966 built on cut-down Neue Klasse underpinnings. Needless to say, this car was a huge deal. It also helped that German carmaker Borgward, known for its midsize Isabella, entered liquidation in 1961, effectively opening up a hole in the market big enough for BMW to slot several hundred thousand sedans through. — TH]
The publication says that BMW is once again at a crossroads, and the new “Neue Klasse” represents a vision of those who are victorious on the other side of the crossroads. A big part of this has to do with competing with newcomers, especially Tesla (Tesla is a newcomer only in relative terms). From reuters,
“We want to make this vehicle generation so modern that it feels like we’ve skipped a generation,” said Adriaan van Hooydonk, BMW’s chief designer. “It’s necessary because of the new players that are coming. You know the debate that’s going on: Oh, traditional OEMs (manufacturers) that are over 100 years old, can you make this move? Can we And we want to do that.”
Story continues:
BMW’s new compact model will enter a competitive segment where Tesla has started a price war. BMW has not announced the prices of the new Klasse.
“It will be a very competitive offer,” chief executive Oliver Gypse told reporters ahead of the show. “We will not let ourselves be priced out of this market.”
Tesla has also reshaped the business model around the vehicle – selling directly to customers, using over-the-air software upgrades to add features, and continuously collecting vehicle data to improve driver assistance and other features. to capture
“A multidimensional transformation is needed” for established automakers like BMW, said Evangelos Simoudis, a Silicon Valley venture capital investor and expert on vehicle software strategies.
The Neue Klasse vehicles will be powered by 48-millimetre-diameter cylindrical batteries in varying lengths. The batteries are similar in size and shape to what Tesla plans to use in its Cybertruck and other models.
User interface looks weird…
You can notice the lack of buttons in the interior. Most car drivers I know don’t like this, but here’s what BMW has in mind:
The analogue operating controls in the BMW Vision New Klasse have been kept to a minimum. Human-car interaction takes place via the BMW Panoramic Vision, the central display and the multifunction buttons on the steering wheel. The user experience is complemented by the sophisticated voice control of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. In this way, the next generation of BMW iDrive presents a modern interpretation of BMW’s distinctive driver orientation.
As it did with the introduction of the BMW iDrive controller and BMW Head-Up Display in the center console, BMW is once again leading the world with BMW Panoramic Vision, which will be available for the first time in the new class. Information is projected at the ideal height in the driver’s line of sight and across the full width of the windscreen for the first time. This innovation will complement the advanced BMW head-up display in the production model of the Neue Klasse.
In the next generation of BMW iDrive, both the driver and front passenger are able to interact with the information displayed on BMW Panoramic Vision, creating a shared user experience. With a simple gesture, the driver can switch the content shown on the central display to BMW Panoramic Vision.
“BMW Panoramic Vision” – Basically a giant heads-up display on the windshield. While it wasn’t exactly easy to develop, according to Reuters, the technology clearly had a pretty significant impact at the platform level. From Reuters:
Developing a large-scale windshield display isn’t easy, Durach said in an interview. “It delves deep into the overall architecture of the car. You get rid of the instrument cluster, you do your steering wheel differently.
[Editor’s Note: Don’t let the glitz and glamor fool you, BMW Panoramic Vision is still an instrument cluster of sorts. This high-mounted instrument cluster may sound strange, but Honda found success with a similar concept in the 2006 Civic. Given how the concept’s greenhouse sits substantially lower than its cowl, expect the top of the display to be essentially level with the hood. The bottom line? This isn’t entirely unlike anything we’ve seen before. — TH]
What do you think?
bmw
As for my thoughts on what the future Electric 3 Series (i3) will look like? However BMW says the design “embodys a clear design language with detailed surfaces and few distinctive lines, pared down to the essentials” and “this approach accentuates signature features such as the BMW kidney grille and Hofmeister kink”. “The side window graphic gives the design an even more BMW-like feel,” I’m not sure I’d say He BMW like design. That Hofmeister King looks very sharp, and that kidney doesn’t look like a grilled kidney. The whole thing is a bit choppy and blocky; I agree with the second part of this quote from BMW, especially the “monolithic” bit:
The powerful wheel arches, inset greenhouse, and sharply forward-slanting “shark nose” front end are all distinctive BMW features. The 21-inch aerodynamic wheels pay homage to the classic cross-spoke design inspired by motorsports. Also, the almost monolithic vehicle body, with strong indentations at the front and rear as well as large window areas, creates a fresh aesthetic.
I love greenhouses; In general, I find glass beautiful, so I like it as much as possible. I love the colourful, airy looking interior; I would have liked some physical switches, but design wise, I like what I see in that cabin. Dear readers, I look forward to hearing what you think.
All Images: BMW
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