BMW has provided a significant update regarding its upcoming Neue Klasse (New Class) of electric vehicles that will debut in 2025.
During BMW Group's Q2 2022 conference call on August 3, CEO Oliver Zipse made several comments about the Neue Klasse, chief of which was confirmation that the next-generation EV family will debut in compact sedan and sporty SUV body styles.
"Our NEUE KLASSE will be coming in 2025 – at exactly the right time, when the e‑mobility ramp-up will be reaching new levels. The NEUE KLASSE will speed up market penetration of electric vehicles even further. For the launch of the NEUE KLASSE, we are planning a compact sedan in the 3 Series segment and a sporty SUV."
BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse
The executive added that by the end of the decade, the Neue Klasse should already account for more than half of BMW's global sales. Interestingly, he added that BMW "could also imagine a hydrogen drivetrain for this new vehicle generation." Zipse's comments make it clear that the Neue Klasse will be essential to BMW Group's future.
"It defines what the BMW Group will stand for in the future and will make us an entirely new company. Because: BMW was founded in 1916. In the 1960s, the company reinvented itself with the 'old' Neue Klasse. And, in 2025, we will totally reinvent ourselves for the second time with the NEUE KLASSE."
According to Zipse, the automaker sees the Neue Klasse as "a complete reset for the car and our understanding of mobility," which is why BMW will make intense preparations over the next three years for the launch of the new model family.
As previously announced, the first Neue Klasse model (models?) will be made at BMW Group's new plant in Debrecen, Hungary from 2025. The facility will be the company's first factory to launch with a new vehicle architecture and a new generation of electric drivetrain. From 2026, Neue Klasse models will also be made at the carmaker's oldest plant in Munich, where every second vehicle coming off the production line will be fully electric by the end of 2023.
We'll get a first glimpse of BMW's Neue Klasse and its "spectacular digital experience" at the IAA 2023 show in Munich (September 2023), Oliver Zipse has promised.
While BMW would not reveal more information regarding Neue Klasse models, a report from earlier this year noted that the automaker will have a whole range of BEVs based on the new architecture. These will range from the mainstream segment to exclusive high-performance models.
