BMW Vision Neue Klasse is near production-ready model, CEO Zipse says

BMW’s Vision Neue Klasse full-electric concept that will be unveiled next month will showcase a near production-ready car, CEO Oliver Zipse said.

The production version will be on roads soon, Zipse added during an earnings call on Thursday.

Zipse described the Neue Klasse battery-electric platform as a “megaproject” within BMW. “It is about nothing less than the future of the BMW brand, the BMW Group and our portfolio,” he said.

Zipse did not give further details on which model the concept will preview. The concept will be revealed on Sept. 2 ahead of the IAA Mobility show in Munich that starts Sept. 4.

The car will be the third Vision concept created by BMW to highlight its future technologies following the sustainability-focused i Vision Circular shown at the 2021 Munich show and the digital-focused i Vision Dee shown at the CES in Las Vegas in January.

BMW has previously said the first cars off the platform will be a 3 Series-sized sedan and a midsize SUV.

BMW will begin output of the first Neue Klasse cars in 2025 at its new factory in Debrecen, Hungary, followed by production at its Munich plant starting in 2026. Neue Klasse cars also will be built at BMW’s factory in Shenyang, China, starting in 2026, and at its plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, from 2027.

Zipse has previously said the Neue Klasse cars will set a “benchmark in terms of range, charging speed and pricing.”

New cells, AV tech

The platform will use newly developed cylindrical cells that BMW says improve energy density by more than 20 percent, charging speed by up to 30 percent and driving range by 30 percent, compared to today’s battery technology.

The cells will use a nickel-based chemistry with reduced cobalt content and will reduce CO2 output in the production stage by 60 percent, BMW said.

BMW has previously said the Neue Klasse platform will offer Level 2+ and Level 3 autonomous driving, with L2+ referring to hands off the wheel, but eyes on the road. Level 3 will allow the car to take over driving under specific circumstance, such as along a stretch of highway.

BMW has timed the car’s unveiling to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the rollout of its previous Neue Klasse car, a midsize sedan that revived the fortunes of the brand in the 1960s after the company struggled to establish itself with larger models.

BMW launched the key 1800 model in September 1963. The 1800 became by far the best-selling version of the original Neue Klasse range.

Zipse said BMW was on track for full-electric cars to account for 15 percent of the group’s overall sales this year. Global deliveries of full-electric vehicles doubled to 152,936 in the first half, accounting for 12.6 percent of sales.