BMW paves way for next era EVs starting with electric 3 series

German carmaker BMW will enter the second half of the decade with an all-electric version of its popular 3 series, using a new electric platform designed to enable higher volume production that can scale from an electric 2 series all the way up to a large X7 SUV.

The new architecture, first revealed in the second-half of 2020 and dubbed “Neue Klasse” as a nod to its eponymous compact range from the 1960s, will replace the CLAR cluster architecture that the current generation of cars including the electric iX, iX3 and soon-to-be-launched BMW i4 are made on.

According to Autocar, which broke the story, BMW is likely to introduce its future Neue Klasse platform first with an electric variant of the next-generation 3 Series.

“The Neue Klasse represents the beginning of a new phase of operations for BMW,” said research and development chief Frank Weber said according to Autocar.

“It’s scaled to allow us to build electric cars from a 2 Series-sized saloon up to an X7-sized SUV.”

The name Neue Klasse was previously used by BMW in the early 1960s for a range of compact notchback models with which the brand was reinventing itself, and from which current 3 Series descends.

The car is reportedly codenamed NK1 internally and promises to be quite original: “People expect a different aesthetic. This is why we have developed a new stylistic direction for our electric models,” said Weber.

The design choices of the new iX electric SUV are far from unanimous, but some visual elements of the NK1 could be taken from the i Vision Circular concept unveiled at the Munich Motor Show 2021, such as the wide grille incorporating the lights.

Although designed for zero-emission vehicles, the Neue Klasse architecture is not designed exclusively for them and will also be able to accommodate a variety of electrified powertrains or even a hydrogen fuel cell.

Importantly, it is designed such that BMW can produce various drivetrains on the same assembly, enabling higher production numbers.

“We won’t be building separate structures. The Neue Klasse will see a big ramp-up in volume potential. We’ve learned a lot in scaling over the past two generations of platform development,” he said, referencing the earlier Life module architecture of the i3 and the more recently developed electrified CLAR structure of the iX and i4.

It is understood that it would also allow 100% electric variants to do without a central tunnel and instead offer a flat floor. The bodywork would combine aluminum, steel and plastic-based composite materials. The vehicles would be powered by BMW’s sixth generation electric motors and better-performing batteries than today.

“We know that solid batteries won’t arrive until the end of the decade, but we will increase energy density to increase range,” Weber reportedly announced. Voltage of 800 V and recharging up to 350 kW are also on the cards.

Before the arrival of the Neue Klasse architecture, BMW is expected to launch a 100% electric variant of the current 3 Series, which has already been seen in testing. First to market however after the i4, iX and iX3 will be an iX M60 and a powerful 7 series.