BMW has described its new Neue Klasse platform as the single biggest investment in the company’s history, a clean-sheet electric vehicle architecture designed to carry the German brand into the next decade and beyond.
Speaking at the global reveal of the new BMW iX3, Senior Vice President of Neue Klasse at BMW, Dr Mike Reichelt, said the decision to reinvent BMW’s core models from the ground up was made in the middle of COVID, when it became clear incremental product updates would not be enough.
“In 2020, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, it was clear we needed this big jump,” he said.
“What we have seen after this [project] started was that the jump is so big that it wasn’t possible to stay with the current portfolio. And this was the second decision to say the jump is so big that we want to integrate Neue Klasse technology in the whole portfolio.”
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Dr Reichelt described Neue Klasse as the most significant leap BMW has ever made.
“This was the reason why we said ‘Yes, let us jump in such a way we never did it before’. The biggest investment in the history of BMW. But it was time to say ‘now it’s the time’.”
Unlike BMW’s earlier flexible platforms, Neue Klasse is dedicated to electric powertrains and won’t be compromised by having to accommodate an internal combustion engine (ICE).
“This Neue Klasse architecture platform is uncompromising. This was, for us, really important. When we go to this step, we have to uncompromisingly optimise for fully electric cars,” said Dr Reichelt.
The rollout begins with the new iX3 and an electric 3 Series (i3) due next year, before the EV platform is spread rapidly across the lineup. By 2027, BMW says 40 new and updated models will use Neue Klasse technology.
“It’s only the first one [iX3], and another Neue Klasse model comes really fast. You have seen the silhouette, the prototype of the i3, starting next year, and then we roll out the whole portfolio… the technology of the Neue Klasse comes in every new model, 40 new models and model updates for 2027.”
Dr Reichelt said the platform was designed based on customer research into why people hesitate to go all-electric. Range and charging time were the clear priorities.
“We did studies [to find] what are the most important pain points why customers don’t drive a fully electric car? We now offer more than 800 kilometres. I think we solved this problem,” he said.
BMW will also offer bi-directional charging, allowing the car to feed power back into a home or power grid.
Despite the jump in technology, Dr Reichelt argued that Neue Klasse is designed with simplicity and cost efficiency in mind.
“When you start with this, one of the main topics was reduced complexity… make it as simple as it as it is possible. For example, with the new architecture, we reduced the wiring harness by 600 meters. Also, the body in white. It’s a normal steel body – it’s not exotic material – but in a simple way we have never done before. Simplicity is one of the main targets. When it is simple, it is normally cost-efficient, it is good to produce, and we did all this [with Neue Klasse].”
That approach also allowed BMW to position the new iX3 at a price point closer to combustion rivals than expected.
“So with the jump to the Gen Six cell technology around battery cells, we reduced dramatically the price of the battery pack and therefore also for the customer,” said Dr Reichelt, who admitted development was not smooth due to such a wide range of new systems.
“This was a hard time, because when you make such a quantum leap and you are on the edge of technology, sometimes things go wrong. We test a lot. We have millions of kilometres of test drives and prototypes all around the world. The most important thing is to find out the problems really fast so that you have time to solve it.
“But we say here today we are ready to launch. We are ready to roll out. But this was not an easy way. If it were an easy way there’s not a quantum leap!”
Dr Reichelt believes the German brand’s reputation for durability and quality remains the benchmark.
“That’s our history, our legacy at BMW – the promise of quality and durability. So I think yes, we are ready. We are absolutely sure we are ready for this, and we know this was not the easy way.”
For Dr Reichelt, Neue Klasse isn’t just a product program — it’s a turning point as significant as BMW’s original Neue Klasse cars of the 1960s.
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