BMW is betting big on the EV revolution and the next step in its electrification strategy is the Neu Klasse platform. Currently, the architecture is under development and the first model to be underpinned by the Neu Klasse will be a fully electric BMW 3 Series in 2025. As per CEO Oliver Zipse, the new platform will initially focus on models from its midsize premium segment, allowing the brand to keep combustion engines for longer on larger models.
Speaking during the automaker’s first-quarter earnings call on May 5, Zipse said the Neue Klasse will go into production in the middle of this decade at BMW’s new plant in Hungary. Vehicles based on the new architecture will be offered only with a purely electric powertrain, which is contrary to previous reports claiming Neue Klasse will also underpin combustion-powered models. BMW Group claims that this new architecture will feature the automaker’s next-generation drivetrain that will promise more power, new cell chemistry, and new cell formats.
“When it hits the market, it will be concentrated on the 3-Series segment and at that point, in time the market will have developed into a size where it is reasonable to have only one drivetrain in that architecture,” Zipse explained the reasons for the change in BMW’s strategy.
Later, the Munich-based manufacturer might expand the scope of the Neue Klasse for use in electric vehicles from other segments.
