BMW's first Neue Classe EVs will be sedans and SUVs in the 3 Series segment

BMW has just launched the iX and i4 electric cars, as well as an electric version of the current 3 Series, exclusively in China, which will be replaced after 2025 by a new generation of BMW electric cars based on a platform named Neue Klasset (German for "new class").

Neue Classe (German for "new class") platform.

The Neue Klasset platform was developed from the beginning for electric powertrains, and the original plan to accommodate internal combustion engines in various hybrid configurations was abandoned. However, the platform can support hydrogen fuel cells.

The first Neue Classe-based vehicles will be manufactured at a plant under construction in Debrecen, Hungary, starting in 2025. It has also been confirmed that the Neue Classe-based vehicles will be manufactured at an existing plant in Munich, Germany, starting in 2026.

The first Neue Classe-based vehicle will be a sedan in the 3 Series segment, followed by a sporty SUV, BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse said Wednesday when announcing the company's financial results for the first half of 2022.

Codenamed NK1, the sedan is expected to be part of the next-generation 3 Series family, possibly succeeding the aforementioned electric 3 Series launched as i3 in China earlier this year (the quirky i3 hatchback electric car has disappeared). The next 3 Series, due around mid-decade, should also offer an internal combustion engine, probably using an updated version of the current-generation CLAR platform; BMW expects that even in 2030, nearly half of all vehicles sold worldwide will have an internal combustion engine, although most likely to be electrified in some form. The remainder will be based on the Neue Classe platform.

This platform will allow engineers to vary the length of the wheelbase, and vehicles based on this platform will have a more aerodynamic design to maximize range. As a result, the proportions will be different than before, not only for aerodynamics but also to increase interior space. The platform will also feature BMW's sixth-generation electric motor and battery technology, which promises increased power and efficiency. To offset the weight of the battery, BMW plans to increase the use of composite materials in both the internal structure and body panels, including the use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics in some models.

BMW considers the introduction of the Neue Klassen platform to be as significant a shift as the introduction of the original Neue Klassen platform in the 1960s.

"We see the Neue Klassé as a complete reset of our understanding of the car and our mobility," Gipset said. 'Over the next three years, our preparations will be intensive, covering all areas of the company.'