Next-generation electric vehicles from BMW are currently under development and are expected to hit the market in the middle of the decade. New batteries are one component of what the carmaker refers to as Neue Klasse (New Class), a new platform and family of new technologies that will provide up to 30% more range than BMW’s current models. After we discuss the stats, we’ll take a look at the company’s innovative battery technology.

BMW will debut its sixth generation of electric drive technology for the Neue Klasse, which will make use of new batteries. By transitioning to round cells specifically created for use in vehicles based on the Neue Klasse architecture, the Bavarian firm will radically alter the cell format and cell chemistry of its batteries. The prismatic cells currently used by BMW will be replaced by these new round cells.

The new battery cells will have a diameter of 46 millimeters and two distinct available heights depending on their application, according to the business. On the cathode side, the cell chemistry will have a higher concentration of nickel while having a lower concentration of cobalt. In response, the silicon content on the anode side will rise, and this new chemistry will produce a volumetric energy density that is more than 20% greater.

Neue Klasse will make a number of modifications, including the addition of an 800-volt electrical infrastructure that will improve the way energy is delivered to DC fast charging stations. BMW claims that this will result in a 30% reduction in charging times from 10% to 80%.

Speaking of charging, it’s also important to note that the company guarantees a 30 percent increase in range for its top-of-the-line vehicles thanks to upgraded batteries. Additionally, and possibly even more significantly, the manufacturer predicts a price reduction of up to 50% compared to existing fifth-generation batteries.

BMW will establish new battery manufacturing facilities in China and Europe with a combined annual capacity of up to 20 GWh in order to guarantee the supply of batteries required for Neue Klasse-based vehicles. In North America, two more cell factories will be constructed, although no partners have yet been named.

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Source: BMW

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The BMW i4 sedan was recently caught in full camouflage attire. The spy shots have revealed, to an extent, what the electric sedan will look like in the near future. BMW had hinted at designing the i4 on the I Vision Dynamics Concept car but it seems that the upcoming sedan will share its looks with the 4-series Gran Coupe.

The BMW i4 has striking headlights with daytime running LEDs, similar to the M series BMWs. The German automaker has decided to keep the grille concealed. Every BMW gets the kidney-grille so not much is left to the imagination even though the grille is non-existent as of now. Whether the grille is big or small that will be known as we get closer to its release.

The i4’s design seems to have a mix of sporty aesthetics as well as a slight luxury aspect. The elegant roof drops down to meet the boot in the rear to give the car a coupe-type finish. The spy shots do not reveal the taillights so that is a surprise you would have to wait until the final release. No exhaust pipes are protruding out the back though and given that the i4 is an EV you should not be surprised.

Reports suggest that the BMW i4 will be based on BMW’s CLAR platform. This means that the car will have multiple variants. BMW will offer an 80 kWh battery that will produce an impressive 523 horsepower and an electric range of 373 miles. The i4 will be able to use its RWD or optional AWD system to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in approximately 4 seconds with a top speed of about 124 mph.

The 80kWh battery pack on the electric sedan will be able to reach 80% of its capacity in only 35 minutes using the fast charger provided by BMW. The truth of all these claims will be evident once the sedan is released.

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By now everybody knows BMW’s bold plan to change its production to electric vehicles only. With a continuously changing society, the Bavarian automaker is adapting its production to customer needs. While we’ve seen big changes in the automotive industry before, this time it could be said that we are about to witness an authentic revolution within this industry. With this in mind, one particular question that many have asked themselves is if electric vehicles will ever have a particular sound, just like fuel based vehicles do.

An official from BMW, Frank Van Meel, shared his opinion regarding the future of electric vehicle sounds. Most people consider electric vehicles to be dead silent. Van Meel is sure that this will change in time. He recalls the sound made by the first diesel vehicles and compares it to the fine sound that diesel automobiles make today. He is sure that electric vehicles will produce in time an equally interesting sound. This is indeed an interesting issue. Will the world be much more silent as electric vehicles will gain territory? Only time will tell. At this point, there are different opinions regarding this particular problem.

Another issue is whether or not having silent cars is actually an advantage. While most would praise the fact that such vehicles will reduce sound pollution, they are those that are concerned with how easily detectable such vehicles will be. Silent cars could be as useful as they could be dangerous. While electric vehicles are slowly becoming part of our reality, there are still quite a lot of issues and problems to be set. Just like in the case of the sound made by these vehicles, we’ll have to wait and see what new problems appear and how these will be solved in order to make electric vehicles safe and efficient.

Without a doubt, BMW will be one of the electric vehicle pioneers that will participate in the process of making efficient electric vehicles. With this in mind, BMW will probably set standards in the development of electric vehicles. It is important for the automotive industry to evolve using the right path. With BMW behind the future of vehicles, there is no doubt that the path selected by the automotive industry is the right one. All that we can do at this point is check how many people will be driving a BMW electric vehicle in the near future.

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Along with the release of the 2017 MINI Countryman lineup at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, last September, the British based manufacturer has promised that besides the first hybrid (MINI Countryman Hybrid), it would also spawn its first hybrid, starting this year.

And if previous reports stated that the production of MINI`s first EV would start in the UK at the carmaker`s main facility, fresh news state that BMW is actually considering building the model in the Netherlands.

The German carmaker has not officially confirmed the news, but according to a report from the German Automobil Production magazine and some inside sources, it turns out that BMW is indeed planning the production of the all-electric MINI model outside the UK.

The reason is the terms and conditions imposed by the Brexit concerning the manufacturing of new electric vehicles, which are quite restrictive at the moment. Hopefully, the situation would become much clearer at the end of March.

Concerning the hint of the new facility instead of building the MINI EV in the UK, a company representative has declared that “Companies are expecting planning certainty, which will not happen in the spring. A decision has not yet fallen and depends on many factors.”

In order to carry out its plans, BMW will have to close a new deal with Nedcar, which is also helping MINI to build the Convertible, Countryman, MINI Hatchback, as well as BMW`s all-new X1 SUV. More details about the making of the MINI`s first EV will be known at the beginning of May.

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In the past BMW have won quite a few awards for various achievements related to their business. Though I’m a big fan of the engine of the year ones, the favorite is else were.

The constant stream of sustainability titles is what I love the Bavarians for. Essentially, they’re not only bringing us joy right now, they will be here for a long time in the future as well.

As recent proof of these constant efforts to stay on top, BMW recently told us about their keeping of original forecasts and predictions in finance.

BMW’s CEO Norbert Reithofer has now stepped forward in order to give us another bit of news about the sustained efforts of the company.

The focus this time is not the money bag, but rather something that’s sapping into the funds. Yes, it’s the electric car they’re advocating under the i brand.

If the BMW i4’s unveiling at the LA Auto Show wasn’t enough of a giveaway, it seems that the Bavarians are willing to spend on this sort of technology.

They know that it’s going to lose money for now, and for quite some time in the near future, so why are they doing it?

Why is a company that’s careful with its money interested in wasting some of it? The simple reason is that it’s not actually a waste.

Over the longer term, the electric vehicle is going to be the profitable way to go. If we’re talking about sustainability, that’s the sort of thinking you need to get on.

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We keep getting the good news from our favorite Bavarians but occasionally it’s time for some bad ones. Pending front wheel drive, trading off on manuals are just a few things that come to mind.

Having parted ways with the French from PSA, BMW tell us there’s something a little nasty in the future due to some legal and financial issues.

Reportedly, the French side of the connection owes BMW a bit of money. Of course, when you’re this big a manufacturer, terms are slightly different in perspective.

That little bit is actually amounting to no less than 50 million euros. Is this for real, or just a jab at the betrayal from PSA and GM.

Both used to work together with BMW and have now parted ways with the Bavarians to work on their projects together.

As you’d imagine, with this being Apple, the lawsuit is a much more acceptable situation. The French company contracted BMW to build some hybrid and EV technology.

With development going along well, PSA pulled out and BMW now wants to get back the kind of money they put into the project.

This will likely lead to a very long trial and a lot of lawyer action left and right but us automotive enthusiasts are more interested in something else.

Rumor has it round that the BMW i8 would have been part of the cars that used these hybrid and EV technologies. IF that’s the case, things are a little tricky.

BMW has actually kept quiet about it lately, so let’s hope things don’t get out of hand.

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Look around the Internet or the local newspaper stand. Can you find anything there that’s related to EVs without talking about their flaws.

Manufacturers are slowly working out the kinks yet our restless nature keeps telling us it’s not enough. Most of the progress seems minimal.

The Bavarians seem to be pushing the limits of this sluggish movement and the latest announcement they have from their heating department.

I know it sounds like we’re about to talk about something as exciting as plumbing but trust me, this is likely to make a difference.

BMW is now talking about infrared heating technology. It may sound like a bit of a disaster movie but it’s actually a brilliant solution.

Infrared heating works in a much more efficient way, doesn’t require auxiliaries and will ultimately be capable of saving up to 30% charge consumption.

Those who love the silence and overall muted feel of EVs will definitely enjoy the way the infrared panels could provide heat to the interior without fans, air vents or anything of the likes.

BMW’s current idea is to have these infrared panels located in the door panels and the foot wells. This proximity also helps reduce energy wasting.

The real problem with the infrared heaters is that they’re pretty much a pipe dream. BMW is cutting back on development of EVs for the market (though research is going on).

Beyond that no genuine business plan was scraped together for this stuff, which makes us think it’s even further away.

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Our favorite kind of Germans, the Bavarian ones that make BMW, have announced that they will be creating a partnership with the Japanese at Toyota.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t read through the entire press release but hoping there’s no Berlin-Tokyo axis involved in the affair.

On a less jovial front, BMW and Toyota will be partnering up in order to cut back on the costs of developing new battery technology.

If you have a bit of a memory over boring stuff, you might even remember that this is stage two of an agreement between the two companies.

They must have sorted out everything about the engines because new they’re moving to what they plan to get the power from.

There’s plenty of interesting battery technologies to sort from these days, each with their own plus and minus points. The two associates have chosen to go for Li-Ion ones, the oldest and most popular one around.

There’s reason in their choice. Having gone for the batteries that everybody has experience with will eventually imply certain lowered costs.

What BMW and Toyota will be focusing on is the materials used for the vital parts of the battery, namely the cathodes, anodes and electrolytes.

Their aim is not to make batteries cheaper but to improve on the performance and overall capacity of the “juice” boxes.

This should in turn give us better batteries on all fronts for us in a few years and, given BMW’s partnership with Brilliance, they might be getting a lot cheaper as well.

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For a big part of the world, the winter season has barely started showing its fangs but in the northern countries winter testing facilities are almost permanent.

That’s how the Paparazzi of the automotive world have managed to snap some more shots of the BMW i3 as it is being tested in these harsh conditions.

It’s not the first encounter we get with the spyshots of the BMW i3, nor is it the first time it’s been spotted along side a winter background but these pictures make a good case for viewing.

Firstly, this time the BMW i3 EV REx wasn’t spotted on a road or in simple conditions but rather lapping a bit of a circuit outlined in the snow.

This means that even though we’re looking at an i Range product, one that’s meant to save the world first, BMW is still concerned about the way it drives.

It should come as no surprise really. If BMW managed to make the enormous barge that is the Phantom handle decently and the small Mini handle beautifully, there’s nothing they can’t do in this area.

As for the rest of the BMW i3, there’s nothing new going on. It looks about the same, is still heavily camouflaged every time it’s out and there’s no change in its schedule or future plans.

We’re still expecting an official market launch sometime in early 2013 with the REx version destined to follow shortly after that.

On the sales front, BMW still hope to sell some 30.000 units a year once the i3 gets past the initial sluggishness of distribution and so on.

Images via Autoevolution

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BMW isn’t an enormous conglomerate of car brands like GM, Toyota, Volkswagen and the rest. They only own Rolls Royce, Mini, their two wheeled division and the recently founded i sub-brand.

It’s the sort of operation that works well with the company organisation and, more importantly, with the product focus the Bavarians are so good at.

Still, the newest announcement from BMW and their Chinese partners, Brilliance, speaks of a bit of a departure with this idea.

The two will join forces to create a brand new… brand. The new car maker under the wing of BMW doesn’t have a name yet, but it does have a good product idea and a new marketing direction.

BMW has had quite the success on the Chinese market but what they’ve got to say about it is something you don’t hear everywhere else.

Yes, the Chinese market is a very strong one, the one that’s going to grow the most and all that but it lacks something.

None of the Chinese produced cars are attractive to the enormous markets all over the rest of the world. This is where the new partnership between BMW and Brilliance comes in.

The new EVs these two partners are going to create are going to aim for the export market as much as they are going to do so for the Chinese one.

To begin with, the lucky Chinese will get themselves a chance at a brand new BMW 5 Series plugin hybrid. The unveiling of this model took place at Auto Shanghai 2011, all the way back in April.

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