(Munich) German carmaker BMW presented its “Neue Klasse” project on Saturday, to stay in the race for electric cars against competition from Tesla and Asian manufacturers, far ahead of the day before the opening. from the Munich Motor Show on Monday in Germany.
The Neue Klasse (New Class) refers to a set of “a new generation of six 100% electric car models” that the group will launch over two years, from 2025, ranging from sedans to SUVs, announced Oliver Zipse , CEO of BMW, during the presentation of the concept of these future vehicles.
The models will first be manufactured at the group’s new Hungarian factory, then at its factories in Munich, China and Mexico, he added.
This new generation will allow “30% more autonomy, 30% faster charging, 25% more efficiency”, said the group in a press release.
BMW had announced since 2021 the launch of this Neue Klasse strategy, which it today called a “vision” for “more humane, intelligent and eco-responsible mobility”, without giving more details on the models or a date of change. complete to electric.
Oliver Zipse also mentioned the development of an electronic control box common to all of these future models and to the other brands of the group. BMW thus hopes to increase its margins and remain competitive in an increasingly competitive environment.
“The backbone, the operational system, the way we operate our cars will be the same, in all our brands, this is how we will make economies of scale”, explained to AFP Walter Mertel, director financial institution of the group, which also includes the Mini and Rolls-Royce brands.
BMW is one of the few manufacturers in the automotive industry not to have set a deadline for the end of combustion engines and to bet on hydrogen while continuing to work on traditional engines, while the roads of the European Union are preparing for carbon-free mobility by 2035.
In this context, the Neue Klasse must be a response to the success of Tesla and its Asian and particularly Chinese competitors, whose unprecedented presence at the Munich show demonstrates the desire to conquer the European market in the electric segment.
BMW is “not behind”, but it must “be good, because this playing field is not empty, and about to become much more crowded from 2024”, summarizes Matthias Schmidt, industry expert .