BMW once built arguably the best electric city car on earth, and while the automaker’s EV offerings have since arrived a bit more slowly than some might like, it looks like things are about to be shaken up a little. And this – the “The BMW Vision Neue Klasse” — might be the first look at what that shake-up will look like. BMW is making a lot of promises with what seems like less of “just a concept car” and more of “the next chapter for the company” and the debut of a new 800 volt architecture.
Read BMW’s press release, and you’ll hear what you typically hear when an automaker shows off a new concept car — basically, this is what the future looks like. Here it is from BMW itself:
With its lates design concept, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, BMW is showcasing what the next generation of its vehicles will look like.
Oftentimes, this really doesn’t mean a whole lot, but sometimes it does. BMW’s i3 Concept ended up being quite close to the production car, and the way BMW is framing this new “Neue Klasse” tells me it might actually be a decent look at what’s to come from the Bavarian brand. I mean, there’s even a manufacturing plant associated with this concept. Here it is from BMW itself:
“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.”
[…]
Manufactured at the new plant in Debrecen entirely without fossil fuels and with much wider use of raw and secondary materials produced with reduced CO2, the Neue Klasse will also provide significant impetus for resource-efficient individual mobility. High energy efficiency during the vehicle use phase will be ensured by optimizing weight, air and rolling resistance, as well as through intelligent heat management, especially for the electric drivetrain, using sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology.
In addition to highly efficient electric motors, major advances in the new BMW eDrive technology include newly-developed round battery cells, with more than 20% higher energy density than that of the prismatic cells used previously. The sixth generation of BMW eDrive technology will improve the charging speed for Neue Klasse models by up to 30%, in addition to boosting their range by up to 30%. As a result of all these measures, overall vehicle efficiency will increase by up to 25%.
Per Inside EVs, Neue Klasse represents the debut of an entirely new 800-volt platform that uses cylindrical cells. From the EV-focused site:
BMW has already said that Neue Klasse EVs will use newly developed Gen 6 cylindrical cells that are expected to improve energy density by more than 20 percent, charging speed by more than 30 percent and range by 30 percent compared to the carmaker’s current battery technology.
The cells will also be 50 percent cheaper to build and installed straight into the battery pack, eliminating the module layer. BMW said the cells will use a nickel-based chemistry with reduced cobalt content, but Zipse also promised additional battery technologies.
[…]
In November 2022, BMW revealed some key specs of the 800-volt Neue Klasse platform to Car Magazine, including outputs ranging from 268 horsepower to 1,341 horsepower, RWD and AWD configurations with up to four electric motors, batteries ranging from 75 kWh to 150 kWh, and a driving range of up to 621 miles (1,000 kilometers).
Which Cars Is This “Neue Klasse” Foreshadowing?
Clearly this isn’t “just a concept,” and if you want an opinion from someone way more qualified than I am, you should read some words from my friend and BMW expert Horatio Boeriu over at BMW Blog. His article discusses the six models that this new concept car might be previewing:
Today, BMW unveiled the Vision Neue Klasse, a concept car that previews a new design language and technology. Although BMW has not officially confirmed it as the future 3 Series electric (i3), there is very little doubt about that. The first-ever Neue Klasse electric vehicle is scheduled for 2025, but it won’t be the i3.
He predicts that the first Neue Klasse model will be a crossover. From the BMW-guru:
Our sources indicate that the iX3 electric crossover will take center stage as the first Neue Klasse model. The new iX3, with the chassis code NA5, will enter production in Debrecen in the summer of 2025.
Then comes the new i3 (which should look like the concept we see here), Boeriu predicts:
The Neue Klasse-based 3 Series electric will be called the BMW i3 and will arrive in 2026. Clearly, it will be largely based on the Vision Neue Klasse concept we saw today.
I don’t want to steal Boeriu’s thunder, so I’ll let you read the rest of the list on his site, but suffice it to say: This concept car actually means something for BMW as a brand. And those efficiency/charging claims are no joke. BMW is making big promises.
BMW Going Up Against Tesla
Reuters does a good job of putting this vehicle into context, referencing the old BMW “Neue Klasse,” and how it got BMW out of a pickle:
During the early 1960s, BMW (BMWG.DE) was a struggling enterprise with an uncertain future, overshadowed by Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) and the giants of Detroit.
The company’s leaders put all their chips behind a new car they called the “Neue Klasse,” or “new class.” Launched in 1962 as the BMW 1800, the Neue Klasse set the German automaker on course to become “the ultimate driving machine” company and one of the most successful brands in any industry.
[Editor’s Note: The original Neue Klasse was BMW’s big bet on its future existence. With styling by Wilhelm Hofmeister (he’s where the Hofmeister Kink comes from), it launched as the four-door 1500 model with a 1.5-liter M10 four-cylinder engine, semi-trailing arm rear suspension, and front disc brakes, it was the predecessor to the 5 Series. A coupe followed in 1965, and the famous 02 Series followed in 1966 built on cut-down Neue Klasse underpinnings. Needless to say, this car was a huge deal. It also helped that German carmaker Borgward, known for its midsize Isabella, entered liquidation in 1961, effectively opening up a hole in the market big enough for BMW to slot several hundred thousand sedans through. — TH]
The publication says BMW is yet again at a crossroads, and the new “Neue Klasse” represents a vision to end up on the other side of those crossroads victorious. A big part of this means competing with newcomers, especially Tesla (Tesla being a newcomer only in relative terms). From Reuters:
“We want to make this vehicle generation so modern that it looks like we skipped one generation,” BMW Chief Designer Adrian van Hooydonk said. “That is necessary because of those new players that are coming in. You know the debate that’s been going on: Oh, traditional OEM (manufacturer) over 100 years old, can you make this step? We can and we want to.”
The story goes on:
BMW’s new compact models will enter a competitive segment where Tesla has started a price war. BMW has not announced prices for the Neue Klasse.
“It will be a very competitive offer,” Chief Executive Oliver Zipse told reporters ahead of the show. “We will not price ourselves out of this market.”
Tesla has also redrawn the business model around the vehicle – selling directly to customers, using over-the-air software upgrades to add features and constantly capturing vehicle data to improve driver assistance and other features.
“There is a multi faceted transformation that needs to take place” for established automakers such as BMW, said Evangelos Simoudis, a Silicon Valley venture capital investor and expert on vehicle software strategies.
Neue Klasse vehicles will be powered by 48-millimeter-diameter cylindrical batteries in different lengths. The batteries are similar in size and shape to those Tesla plans to use in its Cybertruck and other models.
The User Interface Seems…Odd
You may notice in the interior a lack of buttons. Most car folks that I know don’t like this, but here’s what BMW has in mind:
Analogue operating controls have been reduced to a minimum in the BMW Vision Neue Klasse. Human-car interaction takes place through the BMW Panoramic Vision, the Central Display, and multifunction buttons on the steering wheel. The user experience is rounded out by the sophisticated voice control of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. In this way, the next generation of BMW iDrive offers a modern interpretation of the driver orientation typical of BMW.
As it did with the introduction of the BMW iDrive controller in the center console and the BMW Head-Up Display, BMW is once again leading the world with BMW Panoramic Vision, which will be available for the first time in the Neue Klasse. Information is projected at the ideal height into the driver’s line of sight and, for the first time, across the entire width of the windscreen. This innovation will complement the enhanced BMW Head-Up Display in the production models of the Neue Klasse.
In the next generation of BMW iDrive, both the driver and front passenger are able to interact with information displayed on BMW Panoramic Vision, creating a shared user experience. Drivers can move content shown on the Central Display to the BMW Panoramic Vision with a simple gesture.
“BMW Panoramic vision”— basically a gigantic head-up display on the windshield. Per Reuters, this wasn’t exactly easy to develop, with the technology apparently having fairly significant implications at the platform level. From Reuters:
Developing the large-scale windshield displays has not been easy, Durach said in an interview. “It goes deep into the overall architecture of the car. You get rid of the instrument cluster, you do your steering wheels in a different way.”
[Editor’s Note: Don’t let the glitz and glamor fool you, BMW Panoramic Vision is still an instrument cluster of sorts. This high-mounted instrument cluster may sound strange, but Honda found success with a similar concept in the 2006 Civic. Given how the concept’s greenhouse sits substantially lower than its cowl, expect the top of the display to be essentially level with the hood. The bottom line? This isn’t entirely unlike anything we’ve seen before. — TH]
What Do You Think?
As for my thoughts on how what might be the future electric 3 Series (i3) looks? Though BMW says the design “embodies a clear design language, with expansive surfaces and a just a few distinctive lines, that has been pared down to the essentials” and that “This approach accentuates signature features like the BMW kidney grille and the Hofmeister kink of the side window graphic, giving the design even more of a BMW feel,” I’m not sure I’d say this is that BMW-ish of a design. That Hofmeister Kink looks awfully sharp, and that kidney grille doesn’t look that kidney-ish. The whole thing is a bit edgy and blocky; I agree with the second part of this quote from BMW, particularly the “monolithic” bit:
Powerful wheel arches, the inset greenhouse, and steeply forward-slanting “shark nose” front end are all characteristic BMW features. 21-inch aerodynamic wheels pay tribute to the classic cross-spoke design inspired by motorsports. At the same time, the almost monolithic vehicle body, with strong indentations at the front and rear, as well as large window areas, create a new aesthetic.
I like the greenhouse; in general, I find glass to be beautiful, so I tend to prefer as much of it as possible. I like the colorful, airy-looking interior; I’d love some physical switches, but design-wise, I’m liking what I see in that cabin. I’m curious to hear what you, dear readers, think.
All Images: BMW
A car that looks like… a car! Not angry catfish, shark, tank or transformer – just car. An ancient concept, almost forgotten in this sea of overdesigned appliances. May the God of Honest Transportation favour this design language once more.
I’m a little surprised that you could get through talking about the exterior design without at least mentioning the 1970 Bertone Garmisch concept.
It’s no secret that I’m optimistic for the future of BMW’s electric division. It’s clear that they’re giving their electrical engineers enough latitude and resources to pull magic tricks like giving the iX more efficiency than a Tesla Model X (3rd party testing, not EPA).
That said, I feel like their visual design team is asleep at the wheel. EVs are the perfect opportunity to pivot back to the small, functional kidney grille that everyone loved. But no. They chose giant decorative Kamina glasses. And calling it that is doing it a favor.
And come on… touchscreen-only controls? What is this, 2016? People like the aesthetic, but they don’t love the function and this is supposed to be the ultimate driving machine, not the ultimate iPad-on-wheels. But even just judging this concept car as an art piece, it’s old news. It’s the most derivative and least bold look they could go with.
(You can’t see, but I’m giving all of Germany a well-deserved dismissive limp-wristed hand gesture right now.)
Every new car or concept is ruined by their absurd interiors.
I like to think that designers know that the production model has to change a lot, and they put those wacky interiors to serve as sacrificial “weirdness” to get away with the design elements they really want.
My question is, with this being EV… How will BMW keep the sweet, sweet repair money coming back to their dealerships?
Also if BMW acts like the rest of the legacy auto makers approach of “dont worry our 2nd tier supplies will figure out all the ev powertrain + batteries for us…”, what the hell exactly is supposed to be their competitive differentiator?
The “next, next gen iDrive software”?; which keep in mind, will be made by UX/UI + developers who weren’t good enough to work for… Google/Alphabet/Facebook/Meta/Apple/Amazon? B/C legacy auto has clearly been crushing it with with their “digital interfaces so far
The smaller grill is a welcome change, although this looks like BMW trying to out-Tesla Tesla – with a Polestarry interior.
To me, the right answer to “BMW EV” would be a refreshed E24 6-series. Keep the lithe chassis, greenhouse and physical switches, preferably canted towards the driver.
BMW has been trying to out Tesla Tesla for too long, from about 2017-2021 kept hearing #1 brand people leave when going to Tesla was BMW. BMW took it too serious and wants its customers back, I didn’t care cause most weren’t real BMW owners. Coincidently Tesla owners became the #1 d-bags, cause… they were previously the d-bag BMW owners. When the i4 was months away from possible ordering, sales guy told me the price, as an i3 owner wanting something new I was shocked. His justification was a comparable Tesla was $80k+ and they sell well.
Yeah I miss my 635CSi 5spd and wish I could have another, sadly they are outrageous pricing now a days.
I think the aerodynamics are only optimized within the context of this styling zeitgeist. Judging by the quoted max pack size and range figures, this would get about 240 Wh/mile, and thus probably has a Cd in the low 0.2X range if we assume it weighs around 4,500 lbs with the largest of the available battery packs. Lower Cd is possible without giving up what makes the car practical or usable, but you’d have to give up this abominable aesthetic.
As for that interior, it looks like that of the cars in the film Equilibrium. They’re going for that early-millennium dystopian-chiq look inside, but the car’s exterior is simultaneously both Baroque AND clean to make it look like it belongs in a Vincent Price film. Having one in all black outside with a red velvet interior inside would be pretty cool.
It’s abominably ugly, IMO, but still a massive improvement aesthetically over BMW’s current offerings. And I absolutely hate how everything is controlled with a touch screen.
to your last paragraph, that is the only justification for the current offerings: to thrill everyone with this change.
They forgot to put the door handles, bumpers, and dashboard on the clay model before they sent it out for the photoshoot. Sloppy work, BMW.
Whatever BMW is paying their interior designers, it’s too much. It looks like something a first year design college student would come up with.
“I don’t feel like drawing a bunch of buttons, I’ll just say the car is operated entirely by voice commands.” What a joke.
Great, another nondescript personal transportation pod. It looks like a midjourney-generated car from a video game cut scene.
I see fisker karma exterior, has bmw sunk to a new low?
I mean look at that first picture and squint, i bet now you cannot unsee it
first it was the ridiculous grille, with the patterns borrowed from a kia
I am not interested in BMWs, or most BEVs, but I’d much rather look at a bunch of these on the road than XMs and the new 5/7er (are they purposely ruining the lineup so people jump out of their leases at the first sight of Neue Klasse cars?). That greenhouse is glorious, and it looks French. Both good in my book.
Hate the rear, though.
One of the reasons I left the old site was that articles were becoming endless “quotes” copy-pasted from manufacturer’s press releases. Please don’t start doing it here too.
Stop with the square steering wheels, but it’s not butt ugly like the current cars.
Love it!
I don’t think I would like that glass roof. I also think glare will be a problem off that screen and for the HUD. Make mine with a fixed steel roof (no sunroof) and with a conventional instrument pod and pass the savings on to me….as the third+ buyer of the fully depreciated car of course.
A bottom feeder’s lament at the loss of future acquirables
I’m enough of a realist to acknowledge that manufacturers never had, and never will care about their products viability to secondary purchasers post warranty, their job is to sell new products. The devotion of R&D into furthering the integration of software and latest tech. into their products assures that those products have a termination date. I’ve met people that have never needed to replace tires, they trade up before needed. Some consider themselves enthusiasts, and I suppose that’s fair enough, but they certainly are not hobbyists, and surprised they want, or at least pay for all this new gadgetry.
Being a fan of advancements in performance and efficiency, and pro EV in principle as such, I find myself disheartened that my bottom feeding predisposition will go unfulfilled, and can no longer advance my acquisitions at a ten year lag. Most disturbing is the increasing Mission Critical automation that is clearly not ready for prime time, and do not understand how it is legal to make consumers, and the non-consenting public at large subject to massive Beta testing. In my alternate reality, these systems would be required to have years of real world non interfering deployment, and periodic analysis, then maybe would get to where those that want to offload responsibility can do so.
SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT by making disposable products is just nuts. I’m firmly in Gossin’s Motors camp regarding what is most ecologically responsible, though I wouldn’t have picked any of his acquisitions.
As for “The BMW Vision Neue Klasse” Not Earl Grey Hot, and what is with making the expensive bits First Contact, and Constitution Class UI. “Computer, Disengage, disentangle, then eject core” thank you very much.
“manufacturers never had, and never will care about their products viability to secondary purchasers post warranty, their job is to sell new products.”
Except those used cars aren’t typically just sent to the scrapyard. They are more often sold or traded in. It’s a lot easier to sell new cars if new car customers (or the dealers) don’t have a hard time unloading those used cars without taking a huge loss.
By that time the problems of those used cars are well publicized and no longer have a new car cachet so if those now used, presumably off lease cars are POS they will depreciate heavily and/or be lot poison. The lower the resale/trade in amount the less money new car customers have available to spend on a new car. Manufacturers of POS cars also have a harder time convincing rational customers who plan to keep their car past the warranty period to spend more for their products if someone else makes a similar, non POS car for the same price.
Unreliable cars can also cost manufacturers lots of money in recalls and warranty work so there’s that more motivation not to churn out POS. That of course assumes a clever accountant can’t somehow make THAT look like a profit or at least SEP. That also dosen’t include those people who have a perverted sense of betterhood in being able to afford owning expensive, unreliable POS.
I’m not sure how increased software, which allows OTA updates rather than a classic recall, leads to the conclusion that these are disposable products. Of course, every company that sells any product or service has a vested interest in getting consumers to want the NEW UPGRADED VERSION as quickly as possible, but no OEM is purposefully incurring massive warranty, recall, and other liabilities by making “disposable products.”
I clearly stated “post warranty ” Short answer, if you buy a connected car, you will be handed a key of some sort, probably a fob, but the real Key is retained by the manufacturer and/or third party, and cyber criminals. Remember Windows 7 updates, with a cascade of this bug ridden update will fix the last ? The older “dumber” stand alone car chips served their simpler functions very reliably. EVs and hybrids are a dicey proposition at the ten year mark due to exorbitant cost of battery replacement. How long will a manufacturer support updates? Speaking of which, manufacturers DO support some long out of warranty products that have gained a cult following, if they feel it will promote a positive corporate image. As for cyber security, I refer to more knowledgeable sources;
Is OTA secure?
Any wireless network can be a cyberattack target, and design vulnerabilities can provide a way for hackers to gain access to the networks. Inside autonomous vehicles, there are multiple sophisticated mini networks connecting multiple electronic control units, including the telematic control unit (TCU), which is a gateway to the outside world.
A TCU is capable of connecting 4G/5G, LTE, Wi-Fi, and other short-range wireless connections. The various TCU components include network and GPS chips, e-SIM, MCU, memories (to store driving and vehicle data), and interfaces such as CAN, Ethernet, and USB. Any of these components can be a target. Once the TCU is compromised, the rest of the networks and systems are exposed.
https://semiengineering.com/cybersecurity-risks-of-automotive-ota/
There is a lot of the late design argentinian peugeot 504 is this car, and i like it.
I thought this would be a story by The Bishop. “What if Lincoln brought back the Zephyr?” Good looking, though.
Agreed – all I see here is a new Lincoln
I think the design language and overall proportions would work as a real car in the real world, unlike most concepts. Expansive glass area and shortish overhangs hit me right in the feels.
If BMW had commissioned Syd Mead to take a run at the original BMW Bavaria, he’d probably have come up with something very close to this.
Gorgeous.
Way to go, BMW.
I’m curious what the hearing and/or speech impaired folks think of all this reliance on voice commands. I guess nobody is listening to them anyway.
Does this speak to a failure in the way industrial design is taught these days? It would never have been acceptable back when I got my degree. We were taught to look for the simplest, functional and if possible, elegant solution. Not gimmicks.
Add all the people with glasses to those that are gonna be in pain when all mirrors will be camera and screens.
I think we can all kiss K.I.S.S. goodbye these days.
The overall shape and proportions of the (concept) sedan are pleasant, and the bobbed (kamm?) shape of the butt with the almost-lightbar is nice. The extra-wide kidneys that seem to contain both the faux grill and lights is somewhat less pleasing. I’d have liked some kind of return to traditional/normally-sized kidney grills (even if non-functional, just housing sensors, cameras, and whatnot) with twin round headlights (preferably complete with angel eyes) …a modern interpretation of peak BMW nose if you will. The divot in the center of the hood is nice, as it how it leads to/blends into the nose.
Even assuming the clear glass roof is electrochromic, that’s going to add considerable cost, and raise the center of gravity a bit too. Presumably, it’ll be an option, with a fixed roof and or sun/moonroof below it pricewise.
I don’t mind the odd colors and textiles inside the car… as long as they wear well, I’m fine with ‘unusual.’ I can also get along with the rounded rectangle steering wheel… unlike a yoke, at least here a driver will always have something to hold onto during maneuvers. The otherwise extremely minimalist interior on the other hand… well, as in other cars largely bereft of buttons like the Model 3 and EX30, it gives me pause. Personally, I’d like a mix of virtual (on screen) and actual physical controls, but like ICE, real buttons and dials seem to be a sunsetting technology.
That exterior business with the addressable, color-changing film or wrap I’d avoid like the plague, even if they manage to provide body shops with a semi-affordable way to make repairs to it, which I doubt will happen. Just let’s have some decent quality paint in some interesting colors and I’ll be happy… a few non-metallics please, and also one of those amazing metallic purples I see on 3 and 5 series cars around town.
Of course, my impressions are moot, as I’m not in the target demo of potential buyers looking to spend $40-65K on a new small sedan or a crossover derived from it. Maybe something based on a Neue Klasse platform will eventually be offered to compete with Tesla’s $25K Model 2 whenever it exists, but I won’t hold my breath, since BMW hasn’t had a car that downmarket in ages… since the 318 maybe.
Overall, it’s nice enough, and promises some interesting ideas. But I’ll reserve my enthusiasm until I know whether any of that good stuff will trickle down to more reasonably-priced models.
318ti was 20grand off the lot in 94. BMW keeps Mini around for the riff raff that wish to leak oil everywhere.
I like the direction overall but I just can’t judge a design from a concept knowing how much it will change going into production. But it’s so much improved from the over-cooked designs currently being offered so I can appreciate the restraint displayed.
I am picking up an influence of Dodge Challenger for some reason, maybe just the large panels without crease or other character lines. Not in a bad way at all but I can see this design scaled up for a 7 series replacement and down for a 3 series. It works.
On the HUD, is it actually a part of the windshield? If I get a rock chip/crack in that glass how much does that cost to repair?
That steering wheel is nauseating. Like some nightmare version of Austin’s quartic wheel. Nobody liked it back then and nobody likes this one.
I think the exterior looks pretty damn good. The interior looks way too Architectural Digest for my taste. At least it doesn’t have a huge space-robbing center stack, so that’s a good thing.