At the Tech Days in Landshut, BMW revealed details about its new high-voltage batteries and electric motors. This is the sixth generation of eDrive technology, which will be used in every electric car in the Neue Klasse series, and the first model with this technology will go into production this year at a plant in Hungary.
The new batteries have cylindrical cells with an increased energy capacity of 20 percent compared to the previous Gen5 prismatic cells. BMW will use 4,695 cells (46 mm diameter, 95 mm height) for the sedans and sports models, and 46,120 cells (120 mm height) for the crossovers. This will enable 30 percent faster charging and a 30 percent longer range, with some models having a range of up to 900 kilometers on a single charge, thanks to the switch to an 800-volt architecture.
The new batteries will also support bidirectional charging, which will allow the cars to be used as a source of energy for the home or even to feed energy back into the power grid. This will be done using the new Energy Master central control unit, which monitors the high-voltage and low-voltage power supply, processes battery data and is responsible for the safe operation of the entire electrical system.
BMW has already patented a number of new solutions for the electrical system, and the first car built on the new platform will be the next-generation BMW iX3, which will debut in September this year.
Source: BMW
