BMW Unveils Vision Neue Klasse

MUNICH, Germany – BMW provides the biggest clue yet to the platform architecture, engineering, design and digital features planned for its next-generation 3-Series and other key future models with the unveiling of the Vision Neue Klasse at the 2023 IAA Mobility auto show here.

An evolution of the earlier Vision Dee concept first revealed back in January at CES 2023 in Las Vegas, the Vision Neue Klasse signals a radical shift in new-model development at the German automaker as it pivots from producing traditional internal-combustion-engine models to more battery-electric-powered successor models.

BMW says it will offer an electric model in each of its core market segments by the end of 2023, and by the end of 2025 it aims for more than a quarter of all sales to be battery-electric vehicles. 

It gets even more ambitious thereafter: By the end of 2026, BMW expects BEVs to account for a third of its sales worldwide.

An early entrant to the BEV ranks with the inherently complex and expensive-to-produce i3, BMW has since taken a more cautious and cost-effective approach by basing all current electric models on existing ICE platforms, including its widely -used FAAR and CLAR architectures.

BMW VNK overhead screenshot

The move has allowed BMW to amortize development costs and produce both traditional ICE models and their electric-powered siblings on the same production lines. 

Now, with acceptance growing in key markets across the globe, BMW has extended its financial and engineering commitment to electric models with the development of its first modular electric-car platform intended for large-scale production.

The new platform structure not only forms the basis of BMW’s latest concept car but also lends it its name: Neue Klasse.

There is history here; BMW first used Neue Klasse on a series of sedans and coupes produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s. 

As with the production of these models over 50 years ago, the development of its new BEV platform and the Vision Neue Klasse concept car is considered a once-in-a-lifetime brand reshaping exercise that is intended to project BMW into a new era.

“With the Neue Klasse, we have embarked on the biggest investment in the company’s history. We are not just writing the next chapter of BMW; we’re writing a whole new book. That’s why the Neue Klasse will certainly impact all model generations,” says Frank Weber, BMW board member responsible for development.

As well as showcasing its new platform, BMW’s new concept car also adopts elements of the electric drivetrain, design and digital functionality it plans to provide to its future electric models.  

According to Weber, BMW will launch up to six new electric-powered models, including sedans and SUVs, on the Neue Klasse platform between 2025 and 2027. 

The first of these is planned to be an electric-powered successor model to the 3-Series billed as a direct rival to the likes of the Tesla Model 3.  

To be produced at a factory being established in Debrecen, Hungary, it is planned to be the first BMW model to benefit from a new sixth-generation electric drivetrain. In combination with a new battery featuring round cells with a 20% higher energy density than that of the prismatic cells used in today’s electric-powered BMW models, it is claimed to bring a 30% increase in range together with a 30% increase in charging speed at 270 kW.

BMW VNK cabin screenshot

Weber says the electric drivetrain technology showcased by the Vision Neue Klasse, including its so-called 46XX battery cells, will bring a 25% increase in overall efficiency over those in use today, providing the electric-powered version of the next 3-Series – the i3, as it is tipped to be called – with a theoretical range of up to 620 miles (1,000 km).

As with the earlier Vision Dee, the Vision Neue Klasse previews the design language BMW has chosen for its next generation of electric models. 

The new look combines crisp and angular lines with taut and largely unadorned surfacing to provide the concept car with a clean and contemporary appearance. 

BMW points to new detailing that will distinguish its models from those on sale today, including a broader reinterpretation of its signature kidney grille featuring illumination and various lighting themes, thin LED headlamps, large wheelhouses, an upright glasshouse and a full-width taillamp.

The interior of the Vision Neue Klasse follows the theme established within the exterior with a minimalist design that eliminates physical controls. The main point of interaction is a central touchscreen, which is supported by a voice-activated “intelligent personal assistant,” and a “panoramic vision” head-up display unit that projects information and graphics across the entire windshield.

BMW VNK rear view screenshot