During a BMW telephone conference announcing its Q3 financial results, CEO Milan Nedeljković confirmed that, in addition to established NMC round cells, LFP batteries will also be introduced to the Neue Klasse electric vehicles – albeit not a blanket rollout. The first example of this battery strategy is the entry-level iX3 30L, developed specifically for China. This long-wheelbase version of the iX3 already uses an LFP battery, while the higher-specification iX3 variants in this series continue to feature NMC batteries.
Nedeljković explained the strategy as follows: “With Neue Klasse, we are starting with the NMC technology and the cylindric batteries, and this technology is now superior in the market. We see that our range we can offer with the iX3 and the i3 are deeply impressing also in China, and that is why we start on that level.” At the same time, LFP technology offers a different cost structure, but also a different range. He continued: “So we will add the LFP technology in our vehicles, but we will be very specific in which vehicle and for which purpose. And so it will come, but it will not be a generic exchange or a generic offer in all segments.”
In other words: the Neue Klasse will continue to rely on nickel-based cells but will now also partially use LFP batteries, particularly in base variants. However, Nedeljković did not specify when the first LFP-powered Neue Klasse model might arrive in Europe.
So far, the Neue Klasse models unveiled include the E-SUV iX3 and the E-saloon i3. The latter is set to offer a range of up to 912 km – roughly 100 km more than the iX3. BMW is using an 800-volt architecture and large-format NMC round cells with a 46-millimetre diameter in both series for the first time. Compared to the previous prismatic NMC cells, BMW states that the new round cells enable an energy density increase of around 20 per cent. The cells, supplied by various partners depending on the world region, are integrated directly into the high-voltage battery according to the cell-to-pack principle. Furthermore, the battery housing itself is part of the vehicle structure under the pack-to-open-body principle. At BMW, this approach is known as the Gen6 Battery.
