BMW Group to use optimized round battery cells for Neue Klasse EV

The BMW Group announced that it will be using newly-developed round battery cells for its electric vehicles that will wear Neue Klasse electric vehicle (EV) architecture. 

According to the automotive conglomerate, the batteries will not only will it play a key role in the body structure of the BMW Group’s future EV offerings but they will also provide beneficial attributes like faster charging, better power, and improved range.

“The newly-developed sixth generation of our lithium-ion cells will bring a huge leap in technology that will increase energy density by more than 20 percent, improve charging speed by up to 30 percent, and enhance range by up to 30 percent,” said BMW Member of the Board of Management for Development Frank Weber.

The consortium also said that the new battery cells have a fundamentally-refined cell format and cell chemistry. On the cathode side, it will have an increased nickel content and a reduced cobalt content. Meanwhile, on the anode side, it will have increased silicone content.

The BMW Group explained that as a result, the round battery cell’s volumetric energy density will improve by more than 20 percent compared to the prismatic cells of the firm’s previous battery design.

The battery, drive train, and charging technology in the Neue Klasse architecture will also have a higher voltage of 800 volts (V). The company said that the components will optimize how energy is supplied to direct-current high-power charging stations, which can achieve a much higher charging capacity with a current of up to 500 amperes (A) — thus reducing the time it takes to charge the vehicle.

“We are also reducing CO2 emissions from cell production by up to 60 percent. These are big steps for sustainability and customer benefits,” added Weber.

The new round battery cells align with the corporation’s carbon-neutral goals. Cell manufacturers will use cobalt, lithium, and nickel that include a percentage of secondary material (like raw materials that are not newly mined, but already in the loop) in the production of battery cells.

The cobalt and lithium used as raw materials for the new generation of BMW battery cells will be sourced from certified mines. This means the company retains full transparency over its extraction methods and, in this way, can ensure responsible mining.

The sourcing of both raw materials from certified mines takes place either directly through the BMW Group or via the battery cell manufacturer.

Production of the new rounded batteries will take place around the globe. The BMW Group will build two “gigafactories” in China and Europe. Each of the battery cell factories will have a total annual capacity of up to 20 gigawatt-hours (GWh). Plans call for two more battery cell factories to be built in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) North American free trade zone.

“To meet our long-term needs, we will be building battery cell factories with our partners, each with an annual capacity of up to 20GWh, at six locations in key markets for us: two in China, two in Europe, and two in USMCA. We have also reached an agreement with our partners that they will use a percentage of secondary material for the raw materials lithium, cobalt, and nickel, as well as utilizing green power for production, to ensure CO2-reduced manufacturing,” commented BMW Member of the Board of Management for Purchasing and Supplier Network Joachim Post.

The BMW Group revealed that it will partner with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) and EVE Energy in building its battery facilities in China and Europe. Meanwhile, the firm is yet to name its partner in USMCA.

Photos from the BMW Group

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