• BMW will introduce its new Neue Klasse platform at the upcoming CES in Las Vegas in January.
• The new structure will benefit from improvements that are expected to offer 30 percent more range.
• The first model to to be conceived using this new platform will be a version of the 3 Series range.
The next big automotive event on the calendar is the Los Angeles Auto Show in mid-November, but coming up behind it is another show that is just as significant in the industry. That would be the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), scheduled for early 2023.
It is an event focused on technology, but there’s so much of that in modern vehicles that cars are increasingly prominent at CES.
And at the next edition, BMW will be there to give a taste of the next generation of its electric platform it is working on, a structure called Neue Klasse.
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On Thursday, during a conference call presenting BMW's third-quarter financial results, Nicolas Peter, the company's chief financial officer, said the automaker will unveil a “vision vehicle” related to the Neue Klasse at CES.
The term “vision vehicle”" is used by BMW to refer to a concept, but what the German automaker will show at CES won't necessarily be a complete vehicle. It could simply be a study showing the interior of a model, a part of its body, etc. Nicolas Peter said on the call that the concept would serve to underline the automaker's digital expertise.
As for the Neue Klasse platform, it’s conceived of course to underpin the brand's electric models, but it will also be able to support a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain.
Interestingly, it will allow designers to vary the length of the wheelbase of the model being developed, so the structure will serve different products and body styles. The platform will also receive BMW's sixth-generation electric motor and battery, which promises increased power figures and efficiency. The company believes range could increase by 30 percent with this new generation of batteries.
The first vehicle based on the Neue Klasse will be assembled in a factory being built in Debrecen, Hungary. Production is expected to start in 2025. Vehicles based on the new platform will also be assembled at an existing plant in Munich, Germany, starting in 2026.
Back in August, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse announced that the first vehicle to take advantage of this would be a sedan in the 3 Series family, and that it would be followed by an SUV.
We'll have a chance to revisit this structure when we cover CES in January.