BMW will launch six all-new electric vehicles based on its Neue Klasse (New Class) architecture by the end of the decade, the first of which will be a crossover, followed by a sedan.
According to Automotive News, the first Neue Klasse-based EV will be called iX3 and will be roughly the same size as the current-generation combustion-powered X3 that’s being sold in the United States. It’s worth noting, however, that BMW also currently sells an iX3-badged battery-powered version of the X3 in other parts of the world, so we expect the new generation will replace the current model.
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BMW prepares its new-gen EV offensive
BMW's next-generation EVs, which are based on the Neue Klasse architecture, will be spearheaded by a crossover SUV and a four-door sedan, according to Automotive News.
As per the source, the iX3 that’s based on the Neue Klasse architecture carries the NA5 codename, and is slated to debut in late 2025 with production set to be handled by the company’s new European factory in Hungary. An extended-wheelbase version known as the NA6 will be built in China.
Next up will be a 3 Series-sized all-electric sedan codenamed NA0 that will go into production in 2026 at the BMW plant in Munich, Germany. This will reportedly carry badges like i320 or i330 depending on their power output, while the combustion-powered 3 Series models will lose the “i” and “d” suffixes that are currently used to describe gasoline- and diesel-powered versions respectively. (You know, 330i, 330d, etc.)
But there's much more to come on the Neue Klasse front.
More Electric Models Coming
The next model, according to Automotive News, will be a coupe-like sedan codenamed NA7 that will be called the iX4, which is expected to debut in 2026, followed by a station wagon version that’s due a year later. However, the naming scheme isn’t really in-line with the other models.
InsideEVs couldn’t confirm this with BMW, but we’d argue the iX4 will be a coupe-like crossover much like the current X4 is the sportier version of the X3.
If it will indeed be a coupe-styled sedan, our money is on the i4 moniker, just like today, only based on the new architecture.
Gallery: BMW Vision Neue Klasse EV Concept
The sixth model codenamed NB5 is expected to replace the iX1 compact crossover, and there is talk of a smaller, 1-Series-like electric hatchback according to our sources, but the company hasn’t made up its mind yet about it.
An all-electric M3 sports sedan is also in the works and could have up to 1,000 horsepower courtesy of a quad-motor setup similar to that fitted to a modified i4 M50 prototype that’s supposedly capable of doing so-called tank turns thanks to its individually controlled motors.
BMW already has a handful of all-electric vehicles on sale, including in the United States where it offers the i4, i5, and i7 four-door sedans, as well as the iX SUV. So what sets this Neue Klasse architecture apart from the current tech?
A Serious Electric Upgrade
For starters, the platform has been developed from the ground up with all-electric vehicles in mind, integrating batteries in the structure of the car instead of placing them on a plate that sits on the floor. Furthermore, the operating voltage is much higher than it is now, with the modular battery packs rated around 800 volts, which will help achieve higher charging speeds of up to 270 kilowatts.
Gallery: BMW Round Battery Cells
This platform also uses a new type of battery cells. BMW currently uses prismatic cells whereas Neue Klasse-based EVs will make use of cylindrical cells that were developed in-house by the German brand and are touted as being more energy-dense as their predecessors, offering up to 30% more energy in the same footprint. Cost is also a talking point; like all automakers, BMW is set to employ new production techniques to get the production prices down.
BMW says that the so-called Gen 6 cylindrical cells have the potential to cut manufacturing costs in half all while offering roughly 500 miles of driving range on a full charge on some models.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that the selling price will be lower, seeing how we’re dealing with a luxury brand here, but we could see more range, more power, and higher charging speeds in a couple of years at roughly the same price as today’s electric offerings from BMW.
