In addition to a factory for the production of vehicles, BMW will build a battery factory in Debrecen (Hungary).
Neue Klasse is the code name for a new generation of electric vehicles from BMW, models which should casually represent half of the brand’s sales at the end of the decade. The first member of this family will be a sedan launched in 2025, a preview of which will be given in January 2023 with a concept-car.
For this Neue Klasse project, BMW has launched the construction of a new factory, located in Debrecen, Hungary. And the brand has just announced that the site will also accommodate the production of batteries. This means a doubling of the investment planned for what should become, in the words of the firm, “the most advanced factory in the world”. Investment thus increases from one to two billion euros.
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The site will have an initial capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year. All the batteries intended for the factory’s vehicles will therefore be assembled on site. BMW thus wishes to remove the logistical distance between battery and car, which improves the industrial process and reduces the carbon footprint of car manufacturing.
BMW is preparing a new generation of battery for the Neue Klasse. The cylindrical cells will be assembled inside a metal frame, a frame which will be adapted to the floor of the car. With its sixth generation of battery, BMW is aiming for 30% more autonomy, and a charging speed up to 30% faster.