The next generation of batteries from BMW will dramatically increase the range of its EVs but the automaker has no plans of selling cars that can travel more than 621 miles (1,000 km) on a single charge.
BMW will open an exciting new chapter in its history in 2025 with the arrival of its Neue Klasse platform set to underpin a plethora of new models, including EVs. This platform will sport cylindrical-shaped cells as opposed to the flat, prismatic cells that the car manufacturer currently uses, resulting in vehicles with significantly more range.
“Gen6 batteries will give us 30% or more range than our current Gen5, but we won’t go over 1000 km [620 miles] of range, even though we can,” BMW head of Efficient Dynamics Thomas Albrecht told Autocar. “We don’t think that such a long range is necessary.”
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BMW’s new Gen6 cylindrical cells will be sourced from China’s CATL and EVE and measure 46 mm in diameter and either 95 mm or 120 mm in height depending on their application. These new cells won’t only allow BMW to dramatically increase the usable range of its EVs but could result in battery packs that weigh 10-20 per cent less than they current do.
In addition, Autocar notes that the newly-shaped cells have resulted in a slimmer battery pack that serves as a more important part of the vehicle’s structure.
“With this next generation of battery, we will be much more flexible with how we integrate the cell,” BMW’s head of battery cell development Marie-Therese von Srbik explained. “The whole vehicle is becoming more adaptive towards that.”
BMW plans to establish no less than six battery plants in Canada, China, Europe, Mexico, and the United States for the new cells. It also expects the new cells to contribute to a drop in production costs of as much as 50 per cent.
