Munich: BMW will unleash a new generation of electric cars from 2025.
Dubbed the “Neue Klasse”, they will feature innovative new batteries that are said to be more eco-friendly while offering a higher range and lower cost.
BMW board of management member Frank Weber says the new sixth-generation lithium-ion battery cells will boast an increased energy density, and improve the range and charging speed by up to 30%.
The new battery cell and integration concept could also reduce the cost of the batteries by up to 50%, BMW says. While it remains to be seen how much of the savings will be passed on to the consumer, the carmaker does have a stated goal of bringing the manufacturing cost of electric cars down to the same levels as ICE models.
BMW says it has “fundamentally refined” the cell format and cell chemistry in its upcoming batteries. Interestingly, they feature found cells rather than the prismatic cells found in today’s electric models. The new cells have a higher nickel content while cobalt content is reduced. This results in a 20% improvement in volumetric energy density.
The newly designed battery units also play a key role in the body structure of the Neue Klasse, allowing flexible integration into the installation space, eliminating the traditional cell module and, ultimately, saving space.
There’s also a green benefit that could make its batteries less controversial in arguments that the naysayers like to present. To that end, the company is aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of its battery cell production by up to 60%.
“The BMW Group is particularly focused on keeping the carbon footprint and consumption of resources for production as low as possible, starting in the supply chain,” BMW said.
“Cell manufacturers will use cobalt, lithium and nickel that include a percentage of secondary material, that is raw materials that are not newly mined, but already in the loop, in production of battery cells.”
Further along the line, BMW could manage to eliminate the use of cobalt and nickel as the new technology, for the first time, allows the option of using cathodes made from lithium iron phosphate.
The carmaker is also pushing ahead with the development of solid-state batteries, although this will probably happen at the end of the decade.
The new sixth-generation batteries for 2025 will be produced by two gigafactories in China and Europe, through partnerships with CATL and EVE Energy, and there are also plans for a further two plants in North America.