Charge faster, drive further: BMW Group reveals revolutionary electric drive concept with 800V technology for the Neue Klasse – AutoMart Canada

Munich/Landshut. The BMW Group is presenting its next
leap forward in the field of electric drive technology – and in the
process ushering in a new era of all-electric driving. At the Tech
Days event in Landshut, the company has provided some initial insights
into the development and production of high-voltage batteries and
electric drive systems using the sixth generation of BMW eDrive
technology. Every fully electric Neue Klasse vehicle will enjoy the
benefits. The first Neue Klasse model will go into series production
later this year at Plant Debrecen in Hungary. Below is an overview of
the technology highlights:

• The Energy Master intelligent central control unit on the
  high-voltage battery – developed by the BMW Group and produced at
  Plant Landshut.
• A new high-voltage battery concept that, together with the BMW
  cylindrical cell, promises to bring about a technological quantum
  leap – including significant improvements in energy density,
  charging speed and range.
• The BMW Group also demonstrates its technology-openness with
  electric drive systems – through the use of different electric motor
  types: SSM and ASM.
• A modular approach to electric motor production gives the BMW
  Group an exceptional degree of flexibility.
• The BMW Group pools together expertise from the entire electric
  mobility value chain in Bavaria and Austria – from development, via
  purchasing and production, to recycling.
• The BMW Group demonstrates both technology-openness and full
  expertise across all areas of electric mobility.

Adopting a technology-open approach while setting the pace in
electric mobility

“For the BMW Group, electric mobility is the future and a key area of
growth. We are leading the way with this drivetrain technology. At the
same time, we are deliberately taking a technology-open approach,
recognizing that mobility needs vary between different regions of the
world,” explains Dr Joachim Post, Member of the Board of Management of
BMW AG, Purchasing and Supplier Network. “We want to offer our
customers the best drive concept for every need. It is possible to do
both: offer the best drive technology for every need and be at the
forefront of electric mobility.”

Slimmer, faster, further: the high-voltage batteries for Gen6

With the new sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology (Gen6 for short),
the BMW Group is making a technological quantum leap. Improvements on
the product side include a 30% faster charging speed and 30% increase
in range, with certain models achieving even higher figures. Added to
which, the Gen6 high-voltage battery concept benefits from the new
800V technology. Gen6 will make its debut this year in the Neue Klasse
and subsequently be used to drive models across the BMW Group’s fully
electric product range. The concept for the Gen6 high-voltage
batteries is fundamentally new and will find applications in all
vehicle segments – right up to the high-performance models from BMW M
GmbH. Its new, even slimmer design allows the high-voltage battery to
be integrated into a spread of different models, regardless of vehicle
height. The high-voltage battery takes on the role of a structural
component in the bodies of the Neue Klasse models
(“pack-to-open-body”), and the new cylindrical cells will be
integrated directly into the high-voltage battery (“cell-to-pack”).
The new BMW cylindrical cell has a 20% greater energy density than its
predecessor, the Gen5 prismatic battery cell. And charging in both
directions will be possible: the BMW Group has confirmed bidirectional
charging as standard for Gen6.

Highly intelligent central control unit: the BMW Energy Master

All of the elements that enable this technological leap forward come
together in the BMW Energy Master. This central control unit is
positioned on the high-voltage battery and provides the interface for
high- and low-voltage power supply and for data from the high-voltage
battery. It also controls the power supply for the electric motor and
vehicle electrical system and ensures the safe and intelligent
operation of the high-voltage battery. The BMW Group has filed a whole
series of new patent applications for the vehicle electrical system,
including its electronic fuses. Both the hardware and software of the
Energy Master were developed fully in-house at the BMW Group. This
ensures technological developments and updates for vehicles can be
implemented independently and in real time via Remote Software
Upgrades, providing a particular benefit for customers.

“Local for local” approach for high-voltage battery assembly
and supplier network

The high-voltage batteries for the Neue Klasse are assembled in five
new production facilities that the BMW Group has located close to its
vehicle plants as part of a “local for local” approach. For example,
cutting-edge assembly locations for Gen6 high-voltage batteries are
taking shape in Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Lower Bavaria), Debrecen
(Hungary), Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and Woodruff,
near Spartanburg (USA). This approach safeguards production even in
the event of unforeseen political and economic events. In addition,
the existing locations are being strengthened, with jobs both secured
and created. The “local for local” principle continues in the supplier
network for battery cells: in order to cover the demand for Gen6, the
BMW Group has reached contractual agreements for five battery cell
factories – spread across Europe, China and the USA – with various partners.

“Cell-to-pack” and “pack-to-open-body”

Production of the Gen6 high-voltage batteries follows the
“cell-to-pack” and “pack-to-open-body” principles. “Cell-to-pack”
involves positioning the cylindrical cells – manufactured by the
suppliers according to BMW Group specifications – directly in the
housing of the high-voltage battery, without the intermediate step of
a module being produced. “Pack-to-open-body” refers to the
high-voltage battery’s new role as a structural component in the
vehicle architecture. Numerous innovations patented by the BMW Group
can be found here.

Know-how from Bavaria and Austria – in demand around the world

Before series production of the high-voltage batteries gets underway
worldwide, the production processes will be developed and pre-series
batteries subjected to thorough testing. This will happen at the BMW
Group pilot plants for high-voltage batteries in Parsdorf,
Hallbergmoos and Munich. The new series production plants around the
world will then be ready. The product and process expertise is centred
in Bavaria. Production of the Energy Master will take place at Plant
Landshut, which will then supply all the high-voltage battery assembly
plants around the world. There, the highly intelligent control unit
will be installed on the high-voltage battery. The electric motor with
sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology is produced at Plant Steyr in
Austria, which is also home to a development centre for electric drive
systems and thermal management.

Production of the Energy Master at BMW Group Plant Landshut

A state-of-the-art production system for the BMW Energy Master is
taking shape at Plant Landshut. The plant is currently producing the
highly complex control unit in pre-series. Series production on the
first production line will begin in August 2025, with a further
expansion stage to follow in mid-2026. This is the first time the
development and production of this central control unit has taken
place in-house at the BMW Group. “As the company’s largest in-house
component manufacturer, Landshut plays an important role for the Neue
Klasse,” says Dr Joachim Post. “The plant is an innovation hub and a
driver of transformation.” Around 200 people will be employed in the
Energy Master production area at Landshut when production begins,
rising to as many as 700 people as it ramps up further. The BMW Group
has channelled investment in the high hundreds of millions of euros
into the expansion of electric mobility at Plant Landshut since 2020,
strengthening both the production facility itself and Germany’s status
as an industrial powerhouse for the long term. The modular
manufacturing system used to produce the Energy Master was also
designed fully in-house by the BMW Group. It is supplied with
subcomponents by a supply chain set up by the BMW Group. This extends
to the n-tier supply chain for supply-critical components such as
semiconductors. The benefits of this set-up can be seen in terms of
both costs and supply security. The scalable production system enables
the company to respond quickly and flexibly to market requirements.
The high degree of automation, involving up to 400 robots in the final
expansion stage, maximises efficiency. Comprehensive in-process
monitoring, which includes the use of AI-based camera systems, and
100-per-cent end-of-line system checks in a clean-room environment
ensure optimum quality.

Different recycling processes within the value chain

As electric mobility ramps up, there is an increasing focus on
recycling of high-voltage batteries at the end of their lifecycle.
Under a long-term partnership with SK tes – a leading provider of
innovative technology lifecycle solutions – cobalt, nickel and lithium
from end-of-life batteries are recovered from the BMW Group and
integrated into the supply chain for the manufacture of new batteries.
This closed-loop approach increases the efficiency and resilience of
the BMW Group as part of a circular economy. The BMW Group will follow
a similar path in the USA, Mexico and Canada up to 2026 with a
separate partnership.

Innovative direct recycling at the BMW Group

The BMW Group is also exploring other recycling options in the value
creation process. One example of this is the direct recycling method
developed in-house. The BMW Group is working with its joint venture
Encory to set up a competence centre for battery cell recycling in
Lower Bavaria, where the company will put its direct recycling ideas
into practice. This innovative process will enable residual materials
from battery cell production and whole battery cells to be
mechanically broken down into their valuable constituent components.
The raw materials obtained in this way will be re-used directly in the
pilot production process for battery cells at the company’s competence centres.

Technology-open approach for electric mobility: the new
e-drive system of Gen6

The BMW Group has retained the principle of an electrically excited
synchronous motor (EESM) for its Gen6 power unit. On this type of
synchronous motor, the magnetic field in the rotor is generated by
windings fed with direct current rather than permanent magnets. In
this way, the strength of the rotor’s magnetic field can be optimally
adjusted to the prevailing load conditions. This results in both
excellent levels of efficiency at customer-relevant operating points
and constant power output at high rotational speeds. As with the Gen5
version, the synchronous motor will be positioned above the rear axle
and feature a compact housing incorporating the electric drive unit,
power electronics and transmission. Many of the motor’s technical
details were created with the help of patented expertise, with the
non-potted rotor alone accounting for more than ten patent applications.

Neue Klasse additionally incorporates ASM technology

The Gen6 powertrain employs a second, additional electric motor
technology in the form of the asynchronous motor (ASM). Here, instead
of being generated by permanent magnets (PSM) or electrical excitation
(EESM), the rotor’s magnetic field is induced by the stator. On this
type of motor, the rotor takes the form of a metal cage. The
asynchronous motor offers the advantage of a more compact design and
superior cost efficiency. The ASM motor variants will be fitted at the
front axle of Neue Klasse cars with BMW xDrive.

Extensive improvements to EESM technology

Besides the addition of ASM technology, the EESM technology has also
undergone a major upgrade for Gen6: rotor, stator and inverter have
all been fully designed for the new 800V architecture of the Gen6 tech
in order to maximise drive system performance and efficiency. This has
been further helped by a complete redesign of the oil and water
cooling systems. In addition to this, the experts from the BMW Group
have also succeeded in improving the electric motor and central
housing in terms of their weight and rigidity too. The transmission
still uses a two-stage helical design, but has been further optimised
by enhancements to its geometry and cooling, lower friction levels and
more pleasant acoustics. The electrically excited synchronous motor’s
“brain”, the inverter, now features 800V technology along with silicon
carbide (SiC) semiconductors to boost efficiency. The inverter is
completely integrated into the electric motor’s housing. Its task is
to convert the DC power supply from the high-voltage battery to AC for
use in the electric motor. The inverter was developed in-house by the
BMW Group and is produced at Plant Steyr in Austria.

Lower weight, costs and energy losses – greater efficiency in
the vehicle

The results obtained from intelligently incorporating new
technologies into the electric powertrain while consistently enhancing
existing systems make impressive reading. When compared to a Gen5
xDrive model, a future Neue Klasse model complete with EESM and ASM
technology boasts the following improvements: energy losses have been
reduced by 40%, costs by 20% and weight by 10%. By combining different
types of electric motor, the BMW Group’s technology-open approach is
therefore clearly in evidence within the field of electric mobility.
In future, customers will be able to choose from models equipped with
one, two, three or four electric motors to suit their individual
preferences and requirements. The sixth generation BMW eDrive
technology is a significant factor in the gain in overall vehicle
efficiency of around 20 per cent for the Neue Klasse. This figure is
based on a comparison with the current generation of all-electric
vehicles from the BMW Group.

Modular concept provides crucial advantage for manufacturing
electric motors

The manufacturing concept for the Gen6 electric drive system uses the
principle of modular building blocks. This forms the basis for highly
flexible manufacturing of various electric drive variants across the
entire Neue Klasse model range. The modular “building block”
concept leads to positive economies of scale and cost savings in
development and production. It also has the effect of improving the
scalability of production volumes. The modular approach ensures a high
degree of flexibility in production, the supply networks and procurement.

The Gen6 electric drive systems: made in Steyr

Series production of the Gen6 electric drive systems will commence at
BMW Group Plant Steyr in summer 2025. Pre-production already got
underway at the Austrian facility in September 2024. The
pre-production motors are undergoing rigorous testing and some are
already being fitted in Neue Klasse test vehicles from Plant Debrecen.
By 2030, the BMW Group will have invested over one billion euros at
the site since the project’s launch in 2022 to expand its development
and production expertise for electric drive systems. Thanks to the
increase in capacity, the plant will retain its status as the BMW
Group’s leading facility for drive systems. The plant has been
developing and building combustion engines for the BMW and MINI brands
for over 40 years. Plant Steyr’s many years of experience and high
level of expertise in the field of drive systems make it the ideal
site for manufacturing the Gen6 electric motors. It has an annual
production capacity of 600,000 electric drive units. Diesel and petrol
engines continue to be manufactured there alongside the electric
motors. By 2030, around half of the on-site employees should be
working in electric mobility – a vital step for safeguarding the more
than 4,700 jobs at the plant in the long term. In future, all key
components of the innovative, highly integrated electric drive unit –
i.e. the rotor, stator, transmission, inverter and housing – will be
produced at Steyr. This will include manufacturing the inverters in an
in-house clean room environment for the first time, thereby taking the
engine plant into the realm of electrical engineering. The electric
drive components will be built on two new assembly lines at Steyr.

Thermal management: complex interaction, crucial for
performance
Thermal management involves highly complex
interaction between various systems in an electric vehicle and is of
critical importance for a host of performance parameters, including
range, real-world consumption, acceleration and charging time. Thermal
management is a question of constantly keeping the temperature of the
electric motor, power electronics and high-voltage battery in the
optimum range, while maintaining standards of passenger comfort at the
same time. Efficient thermal management is important for fast charging
too. Here, the battery temperature must be kept within a defined
window in order to make optimum use of the available charging
capacity. Unlike combustion engines, electric motors give off little
heat. This means that, depending on the operating state, the battery
and the passenger cell have to be not only cooled, but heated too. The
Steyr site develops the thermal management systems for all electric
vehicles from the BMW Group. The plant’s development centre is also
responsible for the brain at the heart of the electric motor – the inverter.

BMW Group Plant Landshut – a multi-talented component
manufacturer

BMW Group Plant Landshut is the BMW Group’s largest component plant
anywhere in the world, supplying components to all the company’s
vehicle and drive system plants. Its workforce of around 3,700
employees produces a broad spectrum of cutting-edge components for
vehicles from the BMW Group. Working closely with the BMW Group’s
Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) in Munich, Plant Landshut plays a
pivotal role as a hub of innovation for the automotive industry. It
develops pioneering technologies and manufacturing processes that
serve to maintain the company’s competitive edge. Over the course of
the Neue Klasse project, the site is investing some €200 million in
its light metal foundry to increase annual production capacity for the
electric motor housings. The Injector Casting (ICA) process developed
and patented in Landshut is a prime example of the plant’s innovative
strength. This globally unique process is used to manufacture the
electric motors’ highly complex aluminium housings that set new
standards for lightweight design and functional integration.

 

In the event of enquiries please contact:

 

Corporate Communications

 

Christian Marxt

Spokesperson Production Network, Powertrain and High-voltage Batteries

Mobile: +49-151-601-79158

E-mail: Christian.Marxt@bmwgroup.com

 

Carolin Seidel

Spokesperson BMW Group Plant Landshut

Mobile: +49-151-601-90340

E-mail: Carolin.Seidel@bmwgroup.com

 

Florian Moser

Team Lead Purchasing and Supplier Network, Spokesperson Dr Joachim Post

Mobile: +49-151-601-62847

E-mail: Florian.Moser@bmwgroup.com

 

Bernhard Ederer

Spokesperson Drive Technology, Battery, Charging, Efficient Dynamics

Mobile: +49-176-601-28556

E-mail: Bernhard.Ederer@bmwgroup.com

 

Diana Schaidnagel

Spokesperson Sustainability

Mobile: +49-151-601-38407

E-mail: Diana.Schaidnagel@bmw.de

 

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW
Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide;
the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more
than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the
financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to €
155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce
of 154,950 employees.

The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on
long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key
element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products
from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.