The chemistry inside an electric vehicle battery is important in determining how it will perform, as well as how much it will ultimately cost to plug into an EV. As BMW prepares for the next generation of electric vehicles, it is turning to new battery technologies to make these cars more efficient and less costly.
The company has announced that its Neue Klasse electric car platform will be based on newly developed round battery cells. However, BMW has signed contracts to build these cells itself and replace it with CATL and EVE Energy’s factories in China and Europe. BMW also wants to have two battery manufacturing facilities in the North American free trade zone, but partners for it have not yet been announced.
Current BMW electric vehicles use flat, rectangular battery cells called prismatic cells. BMW claims that with the new round cells it can increase the maximum range of vehicles by up to 30%. In addition, BMW states that these cells will be 20% more energy-intensive and will be charged approximately 30% faster thanks to the 800-volt electrical architecture of the new class.
Improvements aren’t just about shape. Cell chemistry will also play an important role. BMW’s new round cells increase the nickel content at the cathode and the silicon content at the anode while reducing the cobalt dependence at the anode. BMW will also offer optional lithium-iron-phosphate cathodes, which sacrifices some performance to keep the costs of EVs down.
In terms of sustainability, BMW cells will be produced using renewable energy, which will reduce the carbon footprint of BMW cell production by 60%.
BMW’s Neue Klasse platform will be on the market in 2025.
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