Many automakers, like Tesla, Volkswagen, Ford, and General Motors, have already launched dedicated electric platforms.
But BMW has still been offering flexible platforms, built for both electrification and internal combustion. Cars such as the BMW iX3, i4 and the upcoming iX1 are all built on this flexible platform, which BMW calls "CLAR".
But now, the automaker has finally announced it'll launch its own dedicated EV platform, which it's calling the Neue Klasse platform.
The name, which means "New Class," is a nod to the brand's heritage of 1960s old Neue Klasse of cars, which includes the BMW 2002.
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BMW CEO, Oliver Zipse, recently said that the Neue Klasse platform will begin production in 2025 at BMW's Hungary plant.
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"When it hits the market, it will be concentrated on the 3 Series segment and at that point in time the market will have developed into a size where it is reasonable to have only one drivetrain in that architecture," Zipse says.
He says that the platform will initially be "mainly focused on the middle car (midsize) segment. It does not cover from the lower segments all the way to the luxury segments."
A spokesperson for the company says that the new platform for EVs will start with the 3 Series before moving on to producing high-volume cars all the way to high-performance models, hinting at future all-electric BMW M cars. "The Neue Klasse starts with models from the middle car segment, but of course, there is more to come," the spokesperson says.
This will probably mean there'll be a big step up in the future of EVs for BMW, with Zipse claiming that “It represents a quantum leap in technology." Apparently, BMW will have an even better powertrain for Neue Klasse cars too, “with more output, new cell chemistry and new cell formats,” according to Zipse.
The type of improvements we'll see is yet to be announced, but it's likely there'll be a focus on efficiency.