The entire BMW Group is changing with the all-electric Neue Klasse models. From design and development to production and distribution, it is time for new ideas and a new approach. The Neue Klasse is the result of the company's ongoing transformation with the aspiration to make individual mobility more intelligent, more human and responsible. Electromobility, digitalisation and circularity are at the heart of what is probably the biggest transformation in the long and distinguished history of the BMW Group. Transformation is already permeating many areas of the BMW Group.

Key facts and milestones regarding the Neue Klasse.

BMW had already reinvented itself once at the beginning of the 1960s. When the BMW 1500 was introduced at the 1961 IAA, the Neue Klasse reflected a new zeitgeist - young, dynamic, progressive. The sedan in the compact, sporty three-box design delighted the world - so much so that orders far exceeded production capacity. The BMW 1500 filled a gap in the market: as a vehicle for the middle class, it helped the company achieve great success. Today is just as much about a departure, albeit in different circumstances. The very fact that the BMW Group is once again calling an entire vehicle generation Neue Klasse is a conscious signal towards the future. For decades to come.

The Neue Klasse represents a fundamentally new product offer for the markets of the future. Its production is starting in 2025. The combined expertise of the BMW Group is being devoted to this new model generation. A decisive step in the transformation of the BMW Group.
 

The BMW Group's ambition is to be a pioneer in the development of a circular economy. The BMW i Vision Circular is the world's first vehicle to be designed using 100 percent recycled or renewable materials. And this is not just talk of the future: even today, individual BMW vehicles contain up to 30 percent secondary material. The Neue Klasse takes the next big step. It is being developed with the BMW i Vision Circular mindset in terms of sustainability. In the long term, we aim to be able to build vehicles with up to 50 percent secondary materials.

At the BMW Group, resource efficiency is consistently applied throughout the entire life cycle of vehicles - from the use of materials in production and vehicle recycling to the usage phase. This is also demonstrated by the "EfficientDynamics" technology package, which has been successfully used in all BMW vehicles since 2007, as well as state-of-the-art battery technology in the BEV and PHEV models.
 

The Neue Klasse features three fundamental aspects: a completely redefined IT and software architecture, a newly developed electric drive and battery generation, and a new level of sustainability throughout the entire life cycle.

The company is embarking on a major technological leap: the Neue Klasse will firstly feature a completely new electric drive with lower consumption and a longer range. To this end, the BMW Group is developing a new generation of battery cells.

The Neue Klasse will also receive a completely new software architecture with integrated, highly innovative construction kits: component kits, for example. E-drive kits, chassis, interior and digital kits, for example. On-board network, display-operating concept, automated driving and driver assistance systems.
 

The BMW Group is to launch the next phase of its transformation in 2025. The Neue Klasse is based on a new, electric-only vehicle architecture with significantly improved efficiency values for uncompromising e-mobility. The future Gen 6 drive generation will produce lower costs, more power, new cell chemistry and new cell formats.

In fact, the Neue Klasse is the giant leap that the BMW Group has challenged itself with. It is the biggest future project of the company. A huge leap forward in technology. In product, technology and working model. When awarding contracts, CO₂ emissions and the proportion of secondary material are key criteria in selecting suppliers. Integrated in the purchasing process. Not merely an “add on”.

The Neue Klasse and its all-electric architecture for the BMW model portfolio of the future offer the BMW Group a unique opportunity to completely rethink automobile production in all its dimensions. The foundation stone for the Debrecen plant was laid on June 1, 2022. The plant of the future is an exemplary symbol of the strategic target image of production.

One thing is certain for the BMW Group: high-performance, innovative and sustainably produced battery cells are the key success factor for individual electromobility of the future. The BMW Group will be launching into a new era of e-mobility with Neue Klasse models from 2025, for the first time using newly developed, round battery cells that are perfectly matched to the new architecture. This sixth generation of lithium-ion cells represents an enormous technological leap: the energy density will be improved by more than 20 per cent, charging speed enhanced by up to 30 per cent and range improved by up to 30 per cent. CO2 emissions are reduced by up to 60 per cent in the production of the battery cells.

BMW i Vision Dee is the name of the futuristic mid-size saloon with a new, reduced design language. “Dee” stands for Digital Emotional Experience – an even more intensive relationship between humans and automobiles in the future. The future digital functions extend far beyond the level of voice control and driver assistance systems known today, representing a fusion of virtual experience and genuine driving pleasure.

BMW i Vision Dee is another step on the road to the Neue Klasse. The BMW Group is looking far into the future with this vision – and underlining the overriding importance of digitalisation for future product generations.

The BMW Group pioneered the head-up display and has been consistently advancing this technology for two decades. Projection across the entire width of the windscreen in the BMW i Vision Dee allows information to be shown on the largest possible display area. It anticipates the next generation of vehicles.

The first Neue Klasse vehicles will roll off the production line at our Hungarian BMW Group plant in Debrecen from 2025, followed by the main plant in Munich. We will increase our volume capacity by integrating the Neue Klasse at the San Luis Potosí plant from 2027.

A revolutionary head-up display across the entire windscreen combines real driving pleasure and a new feeling of space and driving. As far as the BMW Group is concerned, this new experience of mobility is real, and not just the stuff of science fiction. A series derivation of the BMW Panoramic Vision technology is used in the vehicles of the Neue Klasse. 

The BMW Group is preparing its global production network for further electrification with further investments in China, Spartanburg and Mexico, and the launch of the Neue Klasse at the new plant in Hungary.

The Neue Klasse will start out in the high-volume core of the BMW brand with a sports activity vehicle and a saloon in today’s 3 Series segment.
In total, production of at least six Neue Klasse models will begin across the worldwide production network of the BMW Group in the first 24 months.
 

With its latest design concept, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, the BMW Group is showcasing what the next generation of vehicles from its core BMW brand will look like.

In its design, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse reflects the beginning of a new era. For the initial visualization of the Neue Klasse, the BMW Group designers deliberately chose the form of a sporty sedan. It embodies both the historical significance of the Neue Klasse and the technological leap into the future.