It wasn’t that long ago that BMW revealed the futuristic-looking i Vision Dee concept, but now the German carmaker is preparing to reveal another concept car that’s more grounded in reality.
During BMW Group’s latest quarterly results presentation, chairman of the board of management Oliver Zipse confirmed it will reveal the Vision Neue Klasse concept on September 2.
This is yet another concept car that will preview BMW’s next-generation electric vehicles (EVs) based on the forthcoming Neue Klasse platform.
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Mr Zipse also confirmed the Vision Neue Klasse concept will be “close to standard production and will be on the roads soon”.
It’s unclear if the upcoming concept car will bear any resemblance to the i Vision Dee concept, which was an angular-looking sedan.
Production of Neue Klasse-based EVs will first start at a new plant in Debrecen, Hungary in 2025, followed by production in Munich, Germany and Shenyang, China in 2026.
The German carmaker is also preparing to begin production of Neue Klasse-based EVs at its San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico in 2027.
As previously reported, the Neue Klasse platform is set to debut in 2025 on a 3 Series-sized vehicle, which will be pitted against the Tesla Model 3. An X3-sized electric SUV is understood to be the second vehicle.
BMW has previously said its range of Neue Klasse vehicles will be fitted with new cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells from around 2025.
Compared to its current battery technology, this cylinder cell technology is claimed to improve energy density by more than 20 per cent, charging speed by up to 30 per cent, and range by 30 per cent.
The company is also developing solid-state batteries and aims to have high-voltage batteries of this type ready for series introduction by the end of the decade.
BMW plans to reveal a vehicle fitted with this battery technology before 2025, however.
Unlike some other carmakers, BMW has yet to make any announcements about when it will end development and production of internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
The carmaker’s latest plan calls for it to produce a total of two million all-electric cars by 2025. By 2030, the company expects half of its annual global sales to be EVs.
BMW has also set a goal of achieving full carbon neutrality across its entire supply chain by no later than 2050.
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