Whereas different automakers rethink their plans as the worldwide urge for food for EVs slows down, BMW is vowing to remain the course. The German automaker says it nonetheless plans to supply an EV in each automobile section throughout all of its manufacturers, together with Mini and Rolls-Royce. And most significantly, BMW is investing billions of {dollars} in new battery expertise, together with a brand new controller it calls the “Vitality Grasp.”
Because the political winds shift, BMW hopes doubling down on EV expertise can enable it to take the lead from Tesla, fend off the approaching tidal wave of Chinese language EVs, and develop its market share.
Final March, BMW introduced its Neue Klasse, the brand new all-electric structure that can underpin its future EVs. As the corporate continues to trickle out particulars of the brand new expertise, it invited a bunch of journalists to Munich final month to point out off its newly developed battery cells, the Vitality Grasp management module, and the Neue Klasse motors — all developed in-house.
The brand new powertrain guarantees higher effectivity, extra vary, and extra power density. The cylindrical batteries alone supply 30 p.c extra vary, 30 p.c quicker charging, and 20 p.c extra power density, BMW claims.
Investing within the transition to electrical
Growing all of these applied sciences is dear work. The electrification funding that BMW has made alone represents “the challenge of the century, and the largest funding within the historical past of the corporate,” BMW AG Group board member Joachim Put up stated. Whereas BMW is giving itself some wiggle room on when future electrified autos will seem in numerous markets all over the world, Put up stated that BMW is aiming to decarbonize your complete automobile lifecycle by 40 p.c by 2030.
“BMW is a frontrunner in e-mobility,” Put up stated throughout a roundtable dialogue, noting that the corporate bought 420,000 EVs worldwide in 2024, representing a 30.5 p.c improve yr over yr. “As a result of broad portfolio, we have now in each related section a minimum of one [battery-electric vehicle]. I believe that’s a transparent benefit. We’re expertise open as a result of markets and clients determine which expertise to decide on.”
The brand new powertrain guarantees higher effectivity, extra vary, and extra power density
BMW is likely one of the smaller automotive producers by quantity on this planet, and its funding and dedication to electrification is important. The corporate has been investing in electrification since 2009, when the Mini E was launched. The corporate wouldn’t share a complete funding determine, however back-of-the-envelope math signifies it’s nicely into the billions of {dollars}.
The corporate has developed new expertise to make its EVs lighter, extra environment friendly, and cheaper to fabricate, all whereas holding manufacturing strains all over the world working to prove all kinds of autos with totally different powertrains. Whereas China’s EV innovation and the US’s rising hostility towards EVs pose vital headwinds, BMW appears unfazed and is continuous to maneuver ahead.
Extra environment friendly and reasonably priced battery expertise
BMW’s new so-called “Gen6” battery pack, which can underpin the Neue Klasse autos, will filter all through the corporate’s manufacturers. The earlier Gen5 batteries are prismatic battery packs put in within the automobile’s underbody. These rectangular CATL and Samsung SDI batteries are packaged collectively in massive rectangular packs, utilized in autos just like the BMW i3 and i4.
These in-house-developed Gen6 cylindrical battery cells supply 30 p.c extra vary, as much as 30 p.c quicker charging speeds, 20 p.c extra power density, and are 50 p.c cheaper to construct.
BMW says its Gen5 batteries are dependable however may be troublesome to interchange in the event that they fail. Gen5 battery cells can’t be individually repaired; as a substitute, your complete battery pack that underpins the automotive needs to be changed, which may be pricey and wasteful. The Gen6 batteries are lighter, smaller, and extra environment friendly. And, since they’re cylindrical, like Tesla’s batteries, they are often individually changed in the event that they fail.
The electrification funding that BMW has made alone represents “the challenge of the century, and the largest funding within the historical past of the corporate”
The Gen6 batteries will likely be put in within the firm’s Neue Klasse autos nicely earlier than the remainder of the automotive is constructed, on the stage the place the automobile remains to be a “physique in white” skeletal body. The brand new cell-to-pack mannequin permits for the pack-to-open-body course of to put in the battery pack, with its management module located below the rear seats. The battery pack turns into the structural ground of the automobile reasonably than a bolted-on piece, including rigidity and torsion power, making it a part of the 800-volt structure reasonably than a platform that future autos sit on. There additionally isn’t any digital packaging between the cells, making them simpler to recycle and change because the new battery packs are managed by the brand new “Vitality Grasp,” which sits atop the Gen6 pack. (Extra on that later.)
The cylindrical batteries are made from skinny copper sheeting, lined in a slurry, then wound tightly, capped, and stuffed with electrolyte. They arrive in two codecs: 4695 and 46120 (46mm in diameter, and both 95 or 120mm in peak). The corporate says that the brand new pack can cost as much as 300km (186 miles) in 10 minutes when plugged right into a DC quick charger. The flatter battery pack design will make it straightforward to put in within the firm’s full line — even the lower-cost fashions — although BMW was reluctant to say if the expertise will lead to decrease costs for customers.
Furthermore, BMW is teaming up with SK tes to recycle previous EV batteries into high-quality metals that may be reused in new battery manufacturing. The goal is to create a wholly round chain of manufacturing for the corporate’s batteries.
It’s distinctive for an automaker to develop its personal battery chemistry and manufacturing processes in-house, and it’s much more distinctive that BMW has stated it’s not seeking to turn out to be a battery producer. The corporate says it’s been approached about probably manufacturing its battery expertise for different industries like aerospace, however declined.
Picture: BMW
BMW plans to supply the batteries from EVE Vitality and CATL in China however will assemble the battery packs itself at manufacturing websites close to the place the autos will likely be constructed — one thing that BMW refers to as “local-for-local” manufacturing. One such facility is presently being inbuilt Woodruff, South Carolina, close to BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, the place it manufactures the X3 each for the US market and for export to international locations all over the world. This local-for-local method is partially to cope with the growing regionalization that’s going down in international locations just like the US, the place President Donald Trump’s tariffs would deeply impression the automotive sector. It’s additionally to stabilize a few of the provide chain points that wreaked havoc through the covid-19 pandemic.
“Our philosophy is, the manufacturing follows the markets. The availability chain follows the manufacturing. We’ve an enormous footprint within the US,” Put up stated in response to a query about Trump’s tariff threats. “Once we speak about aluminum and metal or tariffs, the purpose is that we have now an enormous footprint. It makes us extra impartial with these items,” he continued.
On high of those new Gen6 battery packs sits what BMW calls the “Vitality Grasp.” This “penthouse” will sit below the rear seats in Neue Klasse autos and act each as a battery controller and energy provide. The Vitality Grasp presents energy administration for each the excessive voltage automobile and drivetrain methods and the low voltage methods within the automobile like windshield wipers and local weather management.
The Vitality Grasp can change between 400 volts and 800 volts based mostly on the charger output, which BMW argues is a extra environment friendly and clever approach to cost. It can additionally deal with bidirectional charging, permitting the Neue Klasse fashions to deal with vehicle-to-home (V2H), vehicle-to-load (V2L), and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities.
On high of those new Gen6 battery packs sits what BMW calls the “Vitality Grasp”
BMW manufactures the Vitality Grasp in-house at its retooled plant in Landshut, Germany, about an hour from Munich. The manufacturing facility makes use of robots on a extremely versatile and clean-room-style meeting line. It additionally depends closely on AI-assisted picture recognition to make sure that components are put in appropriately. The corporate is attempting out dexterous robotics that may fastidiously grasp, manipulate, and plug in wiring harnesses on the Vitality Grasp, a job presently executed by human staff. As soon as an Vitality Grasp is assembled and sealed, manufacturing facility staff test the robots’ work and take a look at the Vitality Masters earlier than transport them out to BMW’s worldwide areas for set up on the brand new battery packs.
Drivetrain adjustments and plant upgrades
BMW isn’t any stranger to creating electrical vehicles, however retooling for brand spanking new merchandise, coaching associates, and retrofitting previous crops requires a large funding in manufacturing areas all over the world — together with on the firm’s oldest plant within the coronary heart of Munich.
The three-story plant is presently within the technique of being retrofitted, deconstructed, and rebuilt (all concurrently), whereas nonetheless persevering with to provide 1,000 autos with totally different powertrains (ICE autos and EVs), all on the identical line. It’s a large funding of €650 million ($682 million) that not solely requires unimaginable logistics administration but in addition the retraining of present staff, a few of whom have labored on the road for greater than 20 years.
“Our philosophy is that manufacturing follows the markets, and the availability chain follows the manufacturing. We’ve an enormous footprint within the US,” Put up stated. “We’re the biggest exporter by worth from the US and Germany, and generally folks neglect these items.”
All of this work comes collectively to maintain BMW’s merchandise, provide chain, and manufacturing line versatile in a political world that’s more and more hostile towards electrification and inexperienced expertise. BMW says it’s unwavering in its dedication to the large adjustments going down in transportation and has put its cash the place its mouth is on the way forward for electrification.