By now, it should be no surprise to learn the world’s carmakers are operating at light-speed to convert their fleets to all-electric propulsion, setting the table for battery-powered machines of all shapes and sizes. According to the crew at Automotive News Europe, luxury brand BMW will use its upcoming Neue Klasse (literally, “New Class”) architecture to produce EV sedans, coupes, and possibly wagons.
Reporting on the contents of last week’s BMW earnings call, AN quoted the company’s CEO, who said “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.” This was in reference to der Neue Klasse platform and its lot in life as a part of BMW’s future product mix.
That remark is a shift from previous conversations about the platform. In the past, BMW suggested that while Neue Klasse architecture was planned from the outset to provide bones for fully electric cars, it would also underpin some PHEVs and traditionally powered cars. While this shift to EV-only for the platform was mentioned at last year’s IAA Munich auto show, these new comments from the CEO put the final nail in any discussion about Neue Klasse being anything but 100-per-cent electric.
Historians will note the term “Neue Klasse” originally popped up on cars wearing the blue-and-white roundel all the way back in 1962. Spawning vehicles which set the table for BMW’s reputation for smart-handling sports sedans, it was also the series of machines which introduced gearheads to the so-called Hofmeister Kink, a styling flourish which has appeared on most modern BMWs.
In other words, the OG Neue Klasse is a big part of BMW history; if top brass feel it appropriate to append the term to a new EV platform, it indicates they believe these forthcoming machines will play an equally outsized role in the company’s transformation to EVs.
Keyword: BMW to build mid-size EVS on new 'Neue Klasse' platform