+++ De pre-serieproductie van de “Energy Master” voor de BMW iX5 Hydrogen gaat van start in de BMW Group-fabriek in Landshut +++ Tegelijkertijd wordt een tweede productielijn voor de Energy Master van de elektrische BMW’s van de Neue Klasse in gebruik genomen +++ De fabriek versterkt hiermee haar rol op het gebied van batterij-elektrische en waterstofaandrijvingstechnologieën +++

//

Landshut. BMW Group Plant Landshut has started pre-series production of a key control unit for the BMW Group hydrogen drivetrain. The so-called “Energy Master” will in future be used in the new BMW iX5 Hydrogen. At the same time, the site is commissioning a second production line for the control unit used in the battery-electric vehicles of the Neue Klasse (BMW iX3 and BMW i3).

The Energy Master is the central control unit of the high-voltage system. In battery-electric vehicles, it is mounted on the high-voltage battery. In the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, a modified version performs a central control function within the drivetrain system and is installed on the BMW Hydrogen Flat Storage system. The control unit combines energy and data flows, manages the power supply for the e-machine and on-board electrical system, and ensures safe, intelligent operation of the overall system. This makes it the key interface between the fuel cell system, the innovative high-voltage battery and the electric drive machines.

Josef Hochreiter, Vice President Hydrogen Vehicles at the BMW Group: “Our ambition for the BMW iX5 Hydrogen is clear: a genuine BMW – with sheer driving pleasure. To achieve this, a perfectly coordinated overall system is crucial. The Energy Master is a key component in this: it intelligently controls the innovative high-voltage battery and, together with the third-generation fuel cell system, delivers assured driving dynamics.”

The plant’s expertise creates synergies between battery-electric and hydrogen-based drivetrain technologies. The close integration of electrical/electronics expertise and industrial series production makes the plant ideally suited to manufacture components for both technology paths. At the BMW Group, the development and production of the Energy Master are being carried out fully in-house for the first time.

Thomas Thym, Head of BMW Group Plant Landshut: “With the start of pre-series production of the hydrogen-specific Energy Master, we are reinforcing Plant Landshut’s role as a centre of expertise for innovative drivetrain technologies. Here we combine development, manufacturing expertise and industrial scaling – for battery-electric vehicles as well as hydrogen fuel cells.”

Landshut’s role in electromobility
BMW Group Plant Landshut is home to two production areas for the Energy Master. For battery-electric vehicles (BEV), the highly complex control unit has already been in series production since last year – currently for the BMW iX3 and BMW i3 models of the Neue Klasse. With the commissioning of the second production line, capacity for this will almost double. At the same time, pre-series production of the hydrogen-specific Energy Master for the BMW iX5 Hydrogen is now beginning.

In addition, Landshut plays a central role in the BMW Group hydrogen drivetrain network: the media distribution plate and the fuel cell stack housing for the current pilot fleet of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen were already produced here and have since been further refined. The media distribution plate ensures the precise distribution of hydrogen and air within the fuel cell, while the stack housing structurally integrates and protects the cell stack.

The new BMW iX5 Hydrogen
For the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, which will be launched in 2028, the BMW Group is introducing a new hydrogen tank concept. The arrangement and size of the tanks enable a range of up to 750 kilometres*. The BMW Hydrogen Flat Storage system makes particularly efficient use of the available installation space and is compatible with the Gen6 high-voltage battery without taking up interior space. This makes it possible to produce fuel cell models on the same production line as vehicles with other drive systems.

The BMW Hydrogen Flat Storage technology forms part of the drivetrain. Together with the fuel cell system and an innovative high-voltage battery, it delivers the brand-typical BMW driving pleasure. The latest generation of fuel cell technology (Gen3) will also be used; it is more compact, more efficient and more powerful than all previous generations and is being developed jointly by the BMW Group and Toyota Motor Corporation.

Series production of the fuel cell systems will begin from 2028 at BMW Group Plant Steyr; Landshut is firmly integrated as a technology and component location.

The BMW Hydrogen strategy
The BMW Group sees technological openness and a broad product portfolio as key success factors. By integrating fuel cell technology into the new BMW X5 series, the company is strategically expanding its series offering and making the advantages of hydrogen available to customers.

Hydrogen stands for electric driving with long range and fast refuelling, diversifies energy sources and reduces dependence on a single infrastructure or raw material supply chain.

Investment and funding strengthen Germany as an industrial location
Through the "HyPowerDrive" project the development of the powertrain and the tank system of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) within the framework of the IPCEI Hy2Move. The federal government is providing funding of EUR 191 million. In addition, the project is (co-)financed by the state of Bavaria with a total of EUR 82 million. The funding is implemented by the Project Management Jülich (PtJ) and coordinated by NOW GmbH.

Since 2020, the BMW Group has invested a high three-digit million-euro sum in expanding electromobility and related key technologies at Plant Landshut.

CO2 emissions & consumption.

* As this is a prototype in the development phase, the statutory WLTP consumption data (and EPA) is not yet available.

+++ Optimale integratie van waterstoftechnologie +++ Innovatieve geometrie van de inbouwruimte +++ Vijf aandrijflijnvarianten voor één model +++ Zeer flexibele productie +++ Het kenmerkende rijplezier van BMW +++

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CO2 EMISSIONS & CONSUMPTION.

Bornem. En de elektrificatie gaat verder. Kijken we naar de binnenkomende bestellingen van het afgelopen jaar, dan zijn die bij BMW in 2025 voor het eerst geklommen naar 55 procent, wat een mooie voorafspiegeling is van de inschrijvingen in de komende maanden. Voor 2026 ziet BMW Belux de elektrische bestellingen verder stijgen richting 60 procent, gedreven door het enthousiaste onthaal van de elektrische BMW iX3, het eerste model van de Neue Klasse die een nieuw tijdperk in digitale, geconnecteerde elektromobiliteit inluidt.

Opvallend is verder dat de klanten van marktleider BMW meer en meer overstappen naar een volledig elektrische mobiliteit zonder daarbij de overstap via een hybride te maken. Waren plugin-hybrides in 2023 nog goed voor ruim een derde van de binnenkomende bestellingen, dat is dat percentage in 2025 gezakt tot 13 procent. Het percentage benzine- en dieselwagens bleef de jongste 3 jaar stabiel op ongeveer één derde van de binnenkomende bestellingen en de verwachting is dat dat ook in 2026 zo blijft.

De BMW Group

De BMW Group is met haar merken BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce en BMW Motorrad de voornaamste constructeur ter wereld van premium-wagens en motorfietsen en aanbieder van hoogstaande financiële diensten en mobiliteitsdiensten. Het productienetwerk van BMW Group omvat meer dan 30 productielocaties wereldwijd. De onderneming heeft een wereldwijd verkoopnetwerk met vertegenwoordigers in meer dan 140 landen.

In 2024 verkocht de BMW Group wereldwijd meer dan 2,45 miljoen auto's en meer dan 210.000 motorfietsen. Het resultaat voor belastingen in het boekjaar 2024 bedroeg € 11,0 miljard en de omzet € 142,4 miljard. Op 31 december 2024 telde de onderneming wereldwijd 159.104 werknemers.

Langetermijndenken en verantwoordelijk handelen waren altijd al de basis van het economisch succes van de BMW Group. Duurzaamheid is een belangrijk onderdeel van de bedrijfsstrategie van BMW Group, van de toeleveringsketen over de productie tot het einde van de levenscyclus van alle producten.

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Bornem. Het gaat dus om elektrische auto’s die het afgelopen jaar minstens één keer zijn opgeladen in België. Samen waren ze goed voor 9,7 miljoen laadsessies in het afgelopen jaar. BMW is al 12 jaar actief op de markt voor elektrische auto’s maar de mediaanleeftijd van het park (amper 1,83 jaar oud) toont aan dat de grootschalige transformatie naar elektrisch rijden toch een recent gegeven is. Ook de mediaankilometerstand van 24.000 kilometer toont dat aan.

Toch is de impact van elektrisch rijden op onze lokale emissies enorm: cumulatief hebben de Belgische elektrische BMW’s en MINI’s samen liefst 2,867 miljard kilometers gereden. Vergeleken met een auto met verbrandingsmotor die via de uitlaat 150 gram CO2 per kilometer uitstoot, betekent dat een totale besparing van meer dan 430.000 ton CO2 die niet is uitgestoten op Belgische wegen. Dat komt overeen met 0,5 procent van de totale Belgische CO2-uitstoot in een jaar (2023).

De elektrisch rijdende Belgen met een BMW of MINI wachten niet tot hun batterij bijna helemaal leeg is: gemiddeld wordt maar 2% van de laadsessies gestart als de auto minder dan 30 kilometer rijbereik heeft. De meeste Belgen pluggen de stekker in als ze nog meer dan 30% batterijcapaciteit over hebben.

Tot slot blijken de Belgen ‘vrijdagladers’ te zijn. Met 16,24% van alle gestarte laadsessies is vrijdag de populairste dag van de week waar de Belgen (met het weekend in het vooruitzicht) hun elektrische wagen inpluggen. Ook elektrische auto’s mogen blijkbaar genieten van de zondagsrust want dan laden Belgen hun BMW of MINI het minst op (11,92% van de gestarte laadsessies).

De BMW Group

De BMW Group is met haar merken BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce en BMW Motorrad de voornaamste constructeur ter wereld van premium-wagens en motorfietsen en aanbieder van hoogstaande financiële diensten en mobiliteitsdiensten. Het productienetwerk van BMW Group omvat meer dan 30 productielocaties wereldwijd. De onderneming heeft een wereldwijd verkoopnetwerk met vertegenwoordigers in meer dan 140 landen.

In 2024 verkocht de BMW Group wereldwijd meer dan 2,45 miljoen auto's en meer dan 210.000 motorfietsen. Het resultaat voor belastingen in het boekjaar 2024 bedroeg € 11,0 miljard en de omzet € 142,4 miljard. Op 31 december 2024 telde de onderneming wereldwijd 159.104 werknemers.

Langetermijndenken en verantwoordelijk handelen waren altijd al de basis van het economisch succes van de BMW Group. Duurzaamheid is een belangrijk onderdeel van de bedrijfsstrategie van BMW Group, van de toeleveringsketen over de productie tot het einde van de levenscyclus van alle producten.

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Munich/Salching. The new Cell Recycling Competence Center (CRCC) in Salching in Lower Bavaria has now been officially commissioned – marking a major step forward in implementing innovative direct recycling as a joint project between the BMW Group and Encory GmbH. For construction and operation of the new Competence Center, the BMW Group and Encory are relying on regional partners.

Innovative direct recycling enables reuse of battery raw materials

Direct recycling allows residual materials from battery cell production, including complete battery cells, to be mechanically dismantled. The raw materials are not entirely reverted to their original state, but are instead “directly” fed back into the cell production cycle. This direct recycling methodology, developed by experts from the BMW Group, therefore eliminates the conventional, energy-intensive chemical or thermal processing previously required. At the new CRCC, direct recycling will be scaled up and introduced in stages until, once fully operational, the annual volume of battery cell material recycled will be in the mid-double-digit tonne range. Going forward, the recovered raw materials will be directly reused in pilot production of battery cells at the company’s own Cell Manufacturing Competence Center (CMCC) in Parsdorf.

Direct recycling: A process for the future

“Our direct recycling process puts us at the forefront of the industry,” explains Markus Fallböhmer, SVP of Battery Production at BMW AG. “This technology has tremendous potential to further optimise battery cell production.” It is also conceivable that, for the first time, cell manufacturers could be enabled to use direct recycling in series production.

Joint venture runs Competence Center – IP remains with BMW Group

An existing hall owned by the company Sturm in Salching in Lower Bavaria (Straubing-Bogen district) will be used for the new Competence Center. In addition to the production area and warehouse space of around 2,100 m², the building also offers just under 350 m² of offices and break rooms, as well as photovoltaic systems on the roof. While the Competence Center will be built and operated by Encory GmbH, the intellectual property for the recycling method is fully owned by the BMW Group. As a joint venture between the BMW Group and the Interzero Group, Encory will develop and implement logistics and consulting solutions, including for recovery, recycling and reconditioning of vehicle components. Both partners hold a 50-percent stake in the company. The new Competence Center will employ about 20 people.

Strong partners from the region

With the exception of one Swiss company, only German firms were contracted for the construction and operation of the Competence Center. Nearly half of these companies are located within a 100-kilometer radius of Salching.

Optimal location for new Competence Center in Bavaria

The BMW Group consolidates its battery cell expertise at its Competence Centers in Munich, Parsdorf and Salching. The Battery Cell Competence Center (BCCC) in the north of Munich offers state-of-the-art labs and research facilities for developing the battery cells for next-generation high-voltage batteries and producing them in small quantities. The best battery cell from the BCCC will be scaled up for series processes on a pilot line at the Cell Manufacturing Competence Center (CMCC) in Parsdorf. Recycling of surplus material from pilot production in Parsdorf will take place at the new Cell Recycling Competence Center (CRCC) in Salching. The recovered raw materials will then be reused in cell production, ensuring short distances between all Competence Centers and preventing valuable raw materials from being lost. Following on from the BCCC and CMCC, the CRCC thus represents the next step in the BMW Group’s battery cell strategy on the road to the circular economy.

Circular economy at the BMW Group

The BMW Group views the circular economy as one of the key issues in shaping more resource-efficient mobility. Its approach is aimed at finding the best ways to keep materials in the cycle – ensuring that resources are not lost, but retain their value for long-term use. The BMW Group applies the principles of Re:Think, Re:Duce, Re:Use and Re:Cycle. From vehicle design and production, to recycling and reuse, everything is geared towards ensuring that vehicles can serve as a source of raw vehicles at the end of their use phase. The BMW Group is taking steps to increase the percentage of recycled materials. It returns selected production residues to the material supplier or material processor, enabling their recovery and reintroduction into a new manufacturing process. In this way, recycled and reused materials are already making their way into BMW Group vehicles today. The circular economy requires holistic thinking – from product design, all the way through to vehicle recycling. 

Luxembourg / Munich. The BMW Group is using its presence at the "Fleet Europe Days" on 22 and 23 October in Luxembourg to show fleet operators ways to decarbonise their fleets. In addition to fully electrified vehicles, the focus will be on fuels based on renewable raw materials.

Their advantage: the potential to save CO₂. With more than 250 million existing vehicles in Europe, their CO₂ footprint can be improved if the proportion of renewable fuels is increased. A new technical solution used by the BMW Group is proof that all BMW diesels in a fleet are fuelled exclusively with HVO100. Refuelling data from the vehicle is compared with data from the fleet operator's payment system. This means that the fuel used by the vehicle can be traced seamlessly. An important step towards an "HVO100 only fleet" for fleet customers.

Dr. Martin Kaufmann, Head of Powertrain Development at the BMW Group: "Our goal is always to have more environmentally friendly and efficient vehicles on the road. With the diesel replacement fuel HVO100, we have an opportunity to reduce the CO₂ footprint of vehicle fleets. Especially in the area of fuels that are not based on fossil fuels, we see a potential that we are ready to realise.”

Bernhard Kuhnt, Head of Sales Region Europe, BMW Group: "Fleet customers are extremely important for sales in Europe and at the same time diesel remains a very good powertrain technology for many fleets.

The use of HVO100 offers a way to quickly reduce CO₂ emissions that takes into account individual use cases - whether driving long distances or towing a trailer - and can thus help our fleet customers reduce their CO₂ footprint."

Initial contractual agreements with the operators of large BMW diesel fleets in Germany and Italy are imminent. These test fleets, together with the internal BMW Group fleet that has already been launched, will provide important data and findings for the further improvement of the technical solution.

HVO100 used in the first fuelling of all diesel produced in Germany

Since January 2025, all diesel models produced in Germany are being fuelled with HVO100 before delivery to dealers. This step underlines BMW's commitment to making decarbonisation possible and achievable today. The abbreviation HVO stands for 'Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil' and the suffix '100' indicates that it is filled with 100 per cent pure fuel.

 
"Neste MY Renewable Diesel™" HVO100 is used at the BMW Group plants in Munich, Dingolfing, Regensburg and Leipzig.

The fuel from Finnish manufacturer Neste enables a CO2e reduction of up to 90 per cent ("well to wheel") compared to fossil diesel. The initial filling at the plants before delivery to the BMW Group dealer organisation is five to eight litres, depending on the model.

For the BMW Group, technological openness is a top priority. "Options instead of bans" is its motto. The company continues to invest in a broad portfolio - from battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cells to highly efficient combustion engines that can run on renewable fuels.

The BMW Group has long approved its vehicles for a variety of renewable fuels - including HVO100, B10 and eFuels according to the EN590 standard for diesel engines, and E25 and eFuels according to the EN228 standard for petrol engines.

Regulatory framework conditions must catch up

Regulation must catch up. To accelerate the uptake of renewable fuels across the market, the BMW Group is calling for an ambitious implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), including national quotas that require at least a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from fuels, to be transposed into national law by 2025.

Dr. Thomas Becker, Head of Policy, External Relations and Sustainability at the BMW Group, says: "The BMW Group demands that every measure to reduce CO₂ emissions is taken into account at every stage of a vehicle's life cycle. This also includes the use of renewable fuels - especially for vehicles that primarily run on CO₂-neutral fuel (CNF). These must be formally recognised in EU fleet legislation. The fuels are available, what we need now is a pragmatic and quickly implementable regulation that enables companies to develop innovations and make them marketable."

Munich. BMW Charging and MINI Charging have partnered with Digital Charging Solutions GmbH (DCS) to present an innovative fleet application that greatly simplifies the monitoring and centralised billing of vehicle charging for companies.

This solution links the charging accounts of the fleet vehicles with a central company account. Charging for each driver is automatically invoiced and consolidated into one payment for the company. Fleet drivers can take advantage of the same features, tariffs and brand experiences as private customers.

The introduction of this new fleet solution from BMW Charging and MINI Charging marks another milestone in the electrification of corporate fleets. Specially designed for small and medium-sized companies with up to 50 electric vehicles, it provides an efficient and user-friendly charging solution – and features a central overview that shows all charging sessions and combines them into a single invoice. Businesses benefit from a solution with no setup costs that offers automatic reimbursement for fleet drivers. 

Implementing the fleet solution is quick and straightforward. First, fleet managers create a company account with CHARGE NOW to register their company. Then fleet drivers create a business customer account including a charging contract with BMW Charging or MINI Charging and activate the option for bill payment by the company. Finally, the fleet manager links the driver accounts to the company account, enabling centralized and automated billing. 

This solution optimises charging cost management for electric fleets, reduces the administrative workload and improves cost transparency.

Fleet managers benefit from consolidated invoicing for all charging sessions as well as a central dashboard for monitoring up to 50 vehicles from different brands.

Fleet drivers, meanwhile, enjoy a consistent user experience offering the same functions (e.g. Plug & Charge), tariffs and brand experiences provided for private customers – thanks to seamless integration in the vehicle and the My BMW App or MINI App.

Once activated, charging sessions are automatically paid by the company, without any need for private advance payments or manual refunds. 

The solution was launched in August of this year in eleven European markets: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. They were followed in September by Sweden, Norway, Poland, Czechia, Denmark, Slovakia, Hungary and Finland. 

Further information can be found via the following link:
CHARGE NOW | Het laadnetwerk voor je elektrische voertuig | België

Debrecen. With an impressive ceremony that artistically combined Hungarian culture and modern automotive production, Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, today officially opened the BMW Group plant in Debrecen. The BMW Group’s newest and most innovative production site marks the beginning of a new era for the company. In late October, the new BMW iX3 will enter series production in the Hungarian university town of Debrecen as the first vehicle of the Neue Klasse. Plant Debrecen was planned virtually and realised in practice fully in line with the principles of the BMW iFACTORY, becoming the first BMW Group car plant to rely entirely on electricity from renewable energy during normal operation.

In addition to Oliver Zipse, high-ranking representatives from Hungarian politics, such as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Mayor of Debrecen, László Papp, as well as Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management for Production, Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources and Real Estate, and Hans-Peter Kemser, President and CEO BMW Manufacturing Hungary Kft., attended the grand opening.

“In our global production network, our new plant in Debrecen is a pioneer: It is our first fully-electric plant, the first production site to operate entirely without fossil fuels – and the first to build vehicles for the Neue Klasse. This makes our plant in Debrecen a decisive factor in the BMW Group's future success,” said Oliver Zipse. “The opening also sends a strong signal: We are expanding our footprint on our home continent and reaffirming our commitment to Europe as a strong and competitive location for industry.”

Hans-Peter Kemser added at the ceremony: “This is not only a new BMW Group plant – it is a cornerstone of progress. We are a partner to culture, to education and to the University of Debrecen, where together we foster the talents that will shape the future. And above all, it is a community – deeply embedded in the life of Debrecen and Hungary.”

Strengthening the industrial base and expanding training

The official opening ceremony began with a look back at the plant’s construction, following a 2018 decision that launched one of Hungary’s largest greenfield investments. The BMW Group’s first Central European location has firmly placed Debrecen on the region's automotive map, creating more than 2,000 direct jobs – and many more along the supply chain, at regional suppliers and service providers that have recently established themselves in Debrecen, alongside national and international companies. The new plant has also strengthened the industrial park and driven additional investment in transport and infrastructure.

At the same time, through collaborations with institutions such as the local university and the Vocational Training Centre of Debrecen, DSZC, Plant Debrecen has also become one of the largest training hubs for dual education programmes in Hungary.

Only the best of the best for Debrecen

Plant Debrecen is the first BMW Group production site not tied to a specific primary plant. Instead, it serves as a network plant, combining best practices from different locations worldwide. For example, the press shop is modelled on the systems used in Spartanburg (USA) and Swindon (Great Britain), with their know-how and technologies further refined for Debrecen. In the body shop, the positioning of nearly 1,000 industrial robots, along with their processes, was digitally simulated in detail beforehand. The number of joining methods was also significantly reduced, with further streamlining allowing design features for the Neue Klasse to be integrated early in development.

Paint shop key to largest reduction in CO₂e emissions

At BMW Group Plant Debrecen, the paint shop plays a critical role in significantly reducing the BMW iX3’s CO₂e footprint. Production of the new BMW iX3 will generate a total of about 80kg CO₂e (scope 1/2 emissions). This figure covers CO₂e emissions from Plant Debrecen, as well as in-house parts production at other BMW Group facilities, including components manufactured in Landshut, for example. This represents a reduction of approx. two-thirds compared to production of existing BMW derivatives. For Plant Debrecen alone, this approach will reduce CO₂e emissions from the manufacture of a vehicle, including its high-voltage battery, by around 90% – to about 34 kg CO₂e (when operating at full capacity, compared with other BMW Group facilities).

About a quarter of the plant's annual power needs will be supplied by the 50‑hectare on-site photovoltaic system, one of the largest in Hungary. Surplus solar energy, such as that generated on non-working days, is stored in a 1,800 m³ thermal storage system with a capacity of 130 MWh.

Digitalised assembly processes and smart “finger structure”

Complete digitalisation of production processes further boosts assembly efficiency – for example, sensors and camera systems along the production line are used to automate quality processes. AI evaluates the data and provides real-time feedback to employees on the assembly line. The building's “finger structure” – an optimised version of BMW Group Plant Leipzig – allows 80% of parts to be delivered directly to the correct point of assembly on the line. In-house logistics are fully electric.

High-voltage battery assembly in line with “local for local” principle

High-voltage batteries are assembled directly on site, allowing for short distances in line with the “local for local” principle. Plant Debrecen will be the first of five plants worldwide to begin series production of Gen6 high-voltage batteries at this location. Seamless in-line quality inspections and 100% end‑of‑line monitoring enable a consistent zero-defect approach.

Final photo with employees and two BMW iX3s

The opening ceremony concluded with a music and dance performance celebrating Hungarian culture and traditions, which the BMW Group also supports through local events and organisations. To wrap up, numerous employees joined Viktor Orbán and Oliver Zipse on stage, alongside two new BMW iX3s.

+++ Eerste BMW Group‑werkplaats die tijdens normale bedrijfsvoering volledig op elektriciteit uit hernieuwbare bronnen draait; geen fossiele brandstoffen gebruikt +++ Gebruik van elektrische stroom in de lakstraat levert CO₂e-reductie op bij de productie van de BMW iX3 +++ Typische iFACTORY: virtuele planning en testen, efficiënte processen en structuren, slimme inzet van AI +++ Hoogspanningsbatterijen ter plekke samengesteld +++

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CO2 EMISSIONS & CONSUMPTION.

Munich. BMW Group Plant Steyr is getting ready for series production of fuel cell systems. The third generation of the BMW Group’s hydrogen drive system will be manufactured in Steyr from 2028, and the company’s competence centres in Munich and Steyr are already building the first prototypes. Further drive system components will come from the technology hub in Landshut.

“The launch of the first-ever fuel cell production model from BMW in 2028 will add another exceptionally efficient high-performance drive system with zero emissions to our technology-open product portfolio,” says Joachim Post, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development. “The choice of Steyr as the production location clearly demonstrates our commitment to a European innovation footprint. The BMW competence centres in Munich and Steyr have a key role to play in the development of pioneering fuel cell systems.”  

The third-generation BMW fuel cell system: more compact, more powerful, more efficient 

The first generation of the fuel cell drive system was supplied entirely by the Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and was fitted in the BMW 535iA back in 2014. The second generation made its debut in the current BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet. This time, BMW developed the overall fuel cell system itself, while the individual fuel cells came from Toyota. 

For the new generation, the BMW Group and the Toyota Motor Corporation jointly develop the powertrain system for passenger vehicles, with the core fuel cell technology creating synergies for both commercial and passenger vehicle applications. This close collaboration enables both companies to leverage synergies in development and procurement while creating brand-specific models.

The third generation of fuel cell technology brings some major improvements:

• Compact design: The space taken up by the fuel cell system has been reduced by around 25%. A considerable increase in power density has enabled a much more compact construction compared to the preceding generation.  
• High degree of integration: The third generation can be seamlessly integrated into future vehicle architectures. This paves the way for a technology-open approach that will make it possible to offer customers a variety of drive system variants in future. 
• Optimised components and increased efficiency: The system is set to be substantially more efficient than its predecessor. This is being achieved by upgrading individual component parts that are based on the drive technology jointly developed with Toyota and by improved operating strategies. These advances result in increased range and output combined with lower energy consumption, which represents a significant improvement over the second generation. 

Technological expertise at the BMW Group in Munich

The BMW Group is making prototypes of the highly efficient fuel cell systems at the company’s competence centre for hydrogen in Munich. An electrochemical reaction takes place in the fuel cell, which involves hydrogen from the tanks reacting with oxygen from the air. This reaction produces electricity that powers the electric motor and thereby supplies the vehicle with energy. 

The fuel cell system comprises not only the fuel cells themselves, but also all the components and systems needed for their efficient operation. These include the cooling system and hydrogen- and air subsystems. The compact layout ensures the entire drivetrain delivers the levels of performance and safety for which BMW is renowned. 

Prototype production is currently focused on development and validation of the assembly and testing processes, with particular attention paid to industrialisation, quality assurance and scalability in the longer term. In parallel to this, the prototypes are being used to develop operating strategy and for validation on both a system and vehicle level. These steps are crucial in preparing fuel cell technology for series production. 

Series production at BMW Group Plant Steyr

Production of the fuel cell systems is due to get underway in 2028 at BMW Group Plant Steyr, which can call on decades of development and production expertise covering all drive system types across the BMW Group model range. New test rigs and production facilities are now being built and buildings modified to incorporate the new drive technology and constantly refine it. 

“We are proud to be producing another innovative drive technology at Plant Steyr in future alongside the latest generation of electric motors and combustion engines,” says Klaus von Moltke, Senior Vice President Engine Production at BMW AG and Director of BMW Group Plant Steyr. “This, together with the development expertise we have available on-site, makes our plant a prime example of the BMW Group’s technology-open approach.” 

Component manufacture at BMW Group Plant Landshut

BMW Group Plant Landshut is responsible for manufacturing key components for the fuel cell vehicles. Construction of new hardware and equipment for series production of the hydrogen-specific BMW Energy Master will start there in late May 2026. The BMW Energy Master controls the supply of power in the vehicle across a range from 400 – 800V. It also acts as the interface for data from the high-voltage battery. This control unit is supplemented by various components that are specifically required for the fuel cell application. Production of the first prototypes of the hydrogen-specific Energy Master will begin in mid-2026 just a few miles away at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, where the prototypes of the BMW Energy Master for the Neue Klasse models were also made.  

As with the BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet, Plant Landshut will once again manufacture the housing and pressure plate for the next model generation. 

Munich/Steyr (Austria). The BMW Group Plant Steyr today began series production of the e-engine for the Neue Klasse. “Today, we are laying the foundations for the future of the BMW Group,” explained Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production. “As the first production site for the Gen6 electric engine, Plant Steyr is central to the Neue Klasse and the continued development of our global production network.” The electric engine for the sixth generation of BMW eDrive (Gen6) is the first fully-electric drive train to be produced at the Steyr location in Austria. From there, it will be shipped throughout the production network, providing the drive train for the Neue Klasse. “Three years ago, we announced that we would build this electric engine in Steyr. Today, we are proud to deliver it,” said Klaus von Moltke, SVP of Engine Production for BMW AG and plant director of the Steyr facility. “What we are launching here today is more than just a production ramp-up. It is a firm commitment to Europe, to technology and to the future.”

Technology openness: Plant Steyr as centre of drive train expertise
Between the project launch in 2022 and 2030, the BMW Group is investing over a billion euros in expanding development and production expertise for e-drives at the Steyr location. This capacity expansion will ensure the plant remains the BMW Group's leading location for drive trains. For over 40 years, the plant has developed and manufactured internal combustion engines for the BMW and MINI brands. This extensive experience and wealth of expertise in drive trains make the engine plant the ideal facility to produce the Gen6 electric engines. The site will continue to manufacture diesel and petrol engines in parallel. “Technology openness is our strength – it gives us the necessary flexibility to secure long-term jobs,” said von Moltke. Around 1,000 employees will work in the new electric engine assembly. Depending on global demand, half of the Steyr location’s total workforce could be employed in e-mobility by 2030. von Moltke: “Steyr will remain the heart of our drive train expertise – both for combustion engines and electromobility.”

Powertrain components produced in Steyr, aluminium housings from Landshut
Rotor, stator, transmission and power converter – all core components of the innovative, highly integrated e-drive – will be manufactured at Plant Steyr. The housing for the electric engine will be cast at Plant Landshut's aluminium foundry and further processed in Steyr. The power converter will be produced in a new in-house clean-room environment, marking the Austrian engine manufacturer’s entry into the field of electrical engineering. E-drive components from Steyr will be assembled on two new lines. The overall production concept for the Gen6 e-drive follows the principle of a modular system, making it possible to produce different highly flexible electric drive train derivatives for the entire range of Neue Klasse models. The modular concept generates positive economies of scale and cost savings in both development and production. It also improves the scalability of production volumes. The modular approach keeps production, supply networks and procurement highly flexible.

Comprehensive improvements to electric engine
The electric engine has undergone significant further development for Gen6: The rotor, stator and power converter have all been holistically designed for the Gen6 technology’s new 800-volt architecture, maximising performance capabilities and the efficiency of the drive system. Improvements in geometry and cooling, along with reduced friction, optimise the two-stage spur gearbox. Customer-friendly acoustics have also been further refined. In the e-drive's electric “brain” – the power converter – 800-volt technology and silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor technology are now being used to boost efficiency. Fully integrated into the electric engine housing, the power converter converts direct current from the high-voltage battery into alternating current for the electric engine.

Lower weight, costs and energy loss lead to greater vehicle efficiency
Overall, the intelligent use of new technologies in the e-drive and systematic further development of existing systems produce remarkable results. Comparing one of the future models of the Neue Klasse with a Gen5 xDrive model shows the following improvements in the electric engine: “Energy loss is reduced by 40 percent, costs by 20 percent and weight by 10 percent. All this makes a significant contribution to the approximately 20-percent increase in overall vehicle efficiency”, explains Martin Kaufmann, SVP of global Powertrain Development at BMW AG., The efficient design of the powertrain together with the high energy content of the high-voltage battery, enable a range of up to 800 km (WLTP) in the BMW iX3, the first model of the Neue Klasse.


If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications
Christian Marxt
Press spokesperson, Production Network, Drive Trains and High-Voltage Batteries
Cell phone: +49-151-601-79158
Email: Christian.Marxt@bmwgroup.com

Sandra Schillmöller
Head of Communications Production Network BMW Group
Cell phone: +49-151-601-12225
Email: Sandra.Schillmoeller@bmwgroup.com

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en
Email: presse@bmwgroup.com

+++ Testfaciliteiten in Parsdorf, Hallbergmoos en München maken de weg vrij voor wereldwijde lancering van nieuwe generatie batterijen +++ Milan Nedeljkovic: "Versterking van het innovatievermogen van Duitsland" +++ Consistente 'zero defect'-benadering van productie +++

//

München/Parsdorf. Met de Neue Klasse introduceert de BMW Group een nieuw tijdperk van puur elektrisch rijden, met de start van de serieproductie eind 2025. De hoogspanningsbatterij is een essentieel onderdeel van elk elektrisch voertuig. Voordat de grootschalige serieproductie kan beginnen, moeten de productieprocessen worden ontwikkeld en moeten pre-series batterijen grondig worden getest. Dit gebeurt in de preproductiefaciliteiten van de BMW Group voor hoogspanningsbatterijen in Parsdorf en Hallbergmoos, en in het Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) in München. “Onze preproductiefaciliteiten voor hoogspanningsbatterijen versterken de innovativiteit van Duitsland,” zegt Milan Nedeljković, lid van de Raad van Bestuur van BMW AG, verantwoordelijk voor Productie. “Ze leggen de basis voor de nieuwe serieproductiefaciliteiten wereldwijd en zorgen voor een soepele opstart van de productie van hoogspanningsbatterijen.” Om hoogspanningsbatterijen te produceren voor de zesde generatie BMW eDrive (Gen6), richt het bedrijf vijf assemblagelocaties op op drie continenten: in Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Neder-Bavaria), Debrecen (Hongarije), Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) en Woodruff (VS).

Kwaliteit is de sleutel: Consistente ‘zero defect’-aanpak

Voor de in eigen huis ontwikkelde Gen6-hoogspanningsbatterij implementeert de BMW Group intelligente, geavanceerde productieprocessen die gebruikmaken van de nieuwste technologieën. "Voor de productie van onze hoogspanningsbatterijen streven we een consistente 'zero defect'-aanpak na", legt Markus Fallböhmer, hoofd van Battery Production bij BMW AG, uit. "Zeer intelligente, AI-ondersteunde kwaliteitscontroles zijn geïntegreerd in het productieproces om ons te helpen dit te bereiken." Omdat kwaliteit essentieel is: In koetswerken voor de Neue Klasse fungeert de hoogspanningsbatterij als een structureel onderdeel ('pack to open body'). De nieuwe cilindrische ronde cellen worden rechtstreeks in de hoogspanningsbatterij geïntegreerd ('cell to pack'). Met zijn innovatieve productieprocessen voeren de piloot- en seriefabrieken van BMW Group nieuwe sectorstandaarden in voor de productie van batterijen. Voorbeelden hiervan zijn, naast de consistente 'zero defect'-aanpak, het gebruik van digitale productie-tweelingen voor taken zoals het trainen van werknemers, maar ook het gebruik van uitgebreide AI-databases om de leverings- en productielogistiek te optimaliseren. Alle productiestappen worden naadloos gemonitord op de lijn met uitgebreide gegevensopslag, waardoor een maximale processtabiliteit en voortdurende optimalisatie op basis van gegevens mogelijk zijn.

Proeffabrieken van dichtbij: Parsdorf, Hallbergmoos en München (FIZ)

De grootste proeffabriek voor Gen6-hoogspanningsbatterijen bevindt zich in Parsdorf, waar meer dan 350 werknemers sinds 2023 de eerste prototypes bouwen. Sinds medio 2024 wordt een deel van de daar geproduceerde hoogspanningsbatterijen al geleverd aan de autofabriek in Debrecen, Hongarije, waar ze worden geïnstalleerd in testvoertuigen voor de Neue Klasse. In de buurt van de luchthaven van München staat ook een proeffabriek voor hoogspanningsbatterijen. Sinds de zomer van 2024 ontwikkelt de vestiging in Hallbergmoos productietechnologieën voor de assemblage van hoogspanningsbatterijen. In deze kleinschalige batterijfabriek werken ongeveer 200 mensen. De locatie Hallbergmoos staat model voor de serieproductie in de fabriek Woodruff bij Spartanburg, South Carolina, VS. In het onderzoeks- en innovatiecentrum in München (FIZ) produceren en testen nog eens 200 werknemers prototypes en kleinere modulevarianten van de hoogspanningsbatterij. Verschillende verdiepingen van het onlangs geopende Aeroacoustics and E-drive Centre (AEZ) zijn gewijd aan dat werk.

Lancering in reeks van vijf batterijfabrieken in minder dan twee jaar

De systemen en processen die in de Beierse proeffabrieken zijn ontwikkeld, zullen worden uitgerold naar de serieproductievestigingen wereldwijd. Binnen minder dan twee jaar wordt de serieproductie opgevoerd op vijf locaties verspreid over drie continenten. In lijn met het 'local-for-local'-principe laat BMW Group de Gen6-hoogspanningsbatterijen zo dicht mogelijk bij de autofabrieken assembleren. Deze aanpak waarborgt de productie, zelfs in het geval van onvoorziene politieke en economische ontwikkelingen. Het zal ook bestaande productielocaties versterken en banen behouden en creëren. De serieproductie van de BMW iX3, het eerste model van de Neue Klasse, gaat eind dit jaar van start in de fabriek in Debrecen, naast de productie van hoogspanningsbatterijen op dezelfde locatie. De lancering in Debrecen wordt gevolgd door de batterij-assemblagefabrieken in Shenyang, Irlbach-Straßkirchen, Woodruff en San Luis Potosí.

Hoe de BMW Group Gen6-hoogspanningsbatterijen bouwt

De BMW Group koopt batterijcellen voor zijn hoogspanningsbatterijen in van toonaangevende celfabrikanten, die de cellen volgens de specificaties van het bedrijf produceren. De hoogste technische normen zijn van toepassing. Bij ontvangst van goederen worden aanvullende metingen uitgevoerd, zoals spanningscontroles. Daarna volgt celclustering, waarbij de batterijcellen worden verbonden met koelvloeistoffen. Die stap zorgt voor een optimale isolatie en koeling van de cellen. De celclusters en het celcontactsysteem worden vervolgens met een laser gereinigd en met uiterste precisie gelast. De inspectie op de lijn controleert continu elke lasnaad in real time. Daarna volgt een innovatief schuimproces dat ervoor zorgt dat alle elementen als een mechanische eenheid worden beschermd. Het schuim garandeert dus de veiligheid, stabiliteit en duurzaamheid van de hoogspanningsbatterij. Vervolgens wordt de behuizing gesloten, verzegeld en vastgeklonken.

De BMW Group

De BMW Group is met haar merken BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce en BMW Motorrad de voornaamste constructeur ter wereld van premium-wagens en motorfietsen en aanbieder van hoogstaande financiële diensten en mobiliteitsdiensten. Het productienetwerk van BMW Group omvat meer dan 30 productielocaties wereldwijd. De onderneming heeft een wereldwijd verkoopnetwerk met vertegenwoordigers in meer dan 140 landen.

In 2024 verkocht de BMW Group wereldwijd meer dan 2,45 miljoen auto's en meer dan 210.000 motorfietsen. Het resultaat voor belastingen in het boekjaar 2024 bedroeg € 11,0 miljard en de omzet € 142,4 miljard. Op 31 december 2024 telde de onderneming wereldwijd 159.104 werknemers.

Langetermijndenken en verantwoordelijk handelen waren altijd al de basis van het economisch succes van de BMW Group. Duurzaamheid is een belangrijk onderdeel van de bedrijfsstrategie van BMW Group, van de toeleveringsketen over de productie tot het einde van de levenscyclus van alle producten.

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The BMW Group is bringing large-format, pure ASSB cells from Solid Power to its test vehicle, a BMW i7, which is being operated in the Munich area. The potential benefits of ASSB technology: higher energy density in a very compact storage system compared to current technologies.

Since 2022, the BMW Group and Solid Power, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLDP) have intensified their activities for the development of all-solid-state battery (ASSB) technology through their technology transfer agreement.

The BMW Group and Solid Power believe in the potential of genuine ASSB technology. With a higher energy density compared to current battery technologies, ASSB batteries have the potential to achieve longer ranges in vehicles without the disadvantages with regard to the weight of the overall storage system.

“Solid Power is extremely proud that our partnership with BMW has resulted in the first demonstration of truly all-solid-state battery cells in a vehicle,” said John Van Scoter, President and Chief Executive Officer of Solid Power.  “We believe in the promise of ASSB’s and continue to drive innovation of our sulfide electrolyte in support of that future for EV’s.”

Martin Schuster, Vice President Battery Cell and Cell Module at the BMW Group, says: “Our BMW i7 ASSB test vehicle on the road is a perfect example of the BMW Group's technology-open mindset. We are continuously advancing the development of new battery cell technologies and are constantly expanding our know-how with valuable partners such as Solid Power. ”

The concept battery integrated in the BMW i7 test vehicle combines proven Gen5 construction principles (prismatic cells in modules) with new, innovative module concepts for integrating ASSB cells from Solid Power.

The management of cell expansion will be investigated here. In addition: How is the operating pressure controlled and how to adjust the temperature conditions.

The use of solid power cells with sulfide-based electrolytes and their complete integration into a battery pack will provide the BMW Group with further important findings in the test program over the coming months.

The innovative cells were developed and manufactured by Solid Power in collaboration with experts from the BMW Group. Further development steps are required to implement ASSB technology in a competitive overall storage system.

The BMW Group and Solid Power have been cooperating since 2016 through an extended “Joint Development Agreement”, which was supported by BMW Group's investment in Solid Power in May 2021 as part of a financing round.

At the end of 2022, BMW and Solid Power agreed to further deepen their partnership. BMW will operate a solid cell prototype line at the CMCC (Cell Manufacturing Competence Center) in Parsdorf on the basis of a research and development license and using the experience and expertise of Solid Power.

Since 2008, the BMW Group has been steadily expanding its expertise in the area of battery cell technology. Since 2019, this know-how has been bundled at the BMW Group's Battery Cell Competence Center (BCCC) in Munich. The BCCC covers the entire value chain, from research and development to battery cell design and production capability.

In order to be able to implement innovations in battery cell technology quickly and efficiently, the BMW Group cooperates in a network of around 300 partners, including established companies, start-ups and universities.

The cooperation with Solid Power underlines the BMW Group's battery strategy -to further develop innovative battery technologies on equal footing with leading partners in the industry. This strategically strong position in the value chain ensures the BMW Group access to all new and innovative battery cell research worldwide.

Munich. As it pulls back the curtain on a new era in 2025, fuelled by the all-electric Neue Klasse models, BMW is creating a holistic driving and user experience that breaks genuinely new ground. One of the elements of the far-reaching BMW Panoramic iDrive concept is the new HypersonX soundscape. Developed by the BMW Group Sound Design Studio, it comprises 43 sound signals and special driving sounds for Personal Mode and Sport Mode. The multi-dimensional spectrum adapts the sounds precisely to the driving situation at hand and, in so doing, creates an emotional interaction between the driver and their vehicle.

This new stage in the evolution of the automotive sound experience has been made possible by the technological advances in hardware and software brought by the Neue Klasse. The revolutionary BMW Operating System X and a newly developed control unit pave the way for an innovative audio architecture. This allows the overall experience offered by the Neue Klasse to be perfected at an acoustic level, as well as in terms of vehicle character, driving experience and functional range.

A new dimension in drive sounds: distinctive and precisely honed.

“The unique sound spectrum of HypersonX plays a major role in giving a Neue Klasse model its own, highly distinctive character acoustically. Through our focus on precision, warmth and lightness, we can create a direct emotional connection between the driver and their vehicle,” emphasises Renzo Vitale, Creative Director of Sound Design BMW Group. In both Personal Mode and Sport Mode, the drive sounds focus on the essentials and are inspired by tones from nature and structures from the worlds of art and science. HypersonX has fewer basic notes than the sound experience previously employed. But at the same time, the acoustic spectrum has grown to include a new dimensional level. This gives the sound more “colour”, depth and precision, and it embodies more than ever the pleasure of driving for which BMW is renowned.

One of the main elements underpinning this capability is the audio control unit developed for the Neue Klasse, which enables a significant expansion of the dynamic range.

Added to which, the spatial modulation of the drive sound achievable in the Neue Klasse ensures that the vehicle occupants are thoroughly immersed in the soundscape generated by HypersonX. Under acceleration, for example, the vehicle gives the impression of moving between different three-dimensional layers of sound, thus transporting the feeling of speed and BMW-typical driving dynamics authentically into the cabin.

Humanity is a central design element of the welcome sound.

As well as intelligent reduction to the essential elements, the human aspect played an important role in the development of the soundscape for the Neue Klasse. The middle and lower frequency ranges of the BMW HypersonX sound spectrum have been brought to the fore to create a well-balanced acoustic ambience. In conjunction with intuitive operation, precisely adjusted light effects and homely interior design, this gives those on board a fine sense of wellbeing.

A choir made up of BMW Group Design Studio employees brings voice – in their respective native languages – to moments of driving joy, infusing the welcome sound with a particularly empathetic flavour. Carefully isolated elements of these recordings enhance the overall composition of the welcome sound to excellent effect and treat the driver to moments of joy and human warmth.

BMW HypersonX gives the sounds for the Neue Klasse an expressive and distinctive, but also understated and sensitive feel. To this end, more than nine million sound instances based on BMW’s sound DNA were generated using a new algorithm. At the BMW Group Sound Design Studio, these were then filtered into a brand-typical essence that in turn generates a cohesive and multi-dimensional acoustic experience. The result is a sound that creates an emotional connection between human and vehicle in all driving situations and brings a positive, congenial and inviting aura to the acoustic presence of the Neue Klasse.

München/Landshut. De BMW Group presenteert haar volgende innovaties op het gebied van elektrische aandrijftechnologie en luidt daarmee een nieuw tijdperk van volledig elektrisch rijden in. Tijdens het Tech Days evenement in Landshut gaf de constructeur enkele eerste inzichten in de ontwikkeling en productie van hoogspanningsbatterijen en elektrische aandrijfsystemen met de BMW eDrive-technologie van de zesde generatie. Elke zuiver elektrische wagen van de Neue Klasse zal hiervan voorzien worden. Het eerste model van de Neue Klasse gaat later dit jaar in serieproductie in de fabriek in Debrecen (Hongarije). Hieronder zetten we de hoogtepunten van de technologie op een rijtje:

• De slimme centrale regeleenheid ‘Energy Master’ op de hoogspanningsbatterij, ontwikkeld door de BMW Group en geproduceerd in de fabriek van Landshut.
• Een nieuw concept voor de hoogspanningsbatterij, dat samen met de cilindrische cel van BMW een technologische kwantumsprong belooft te maken, inclusief merkbare verbeteringen inzake energiedichtheid, laadsnelheid en rijbereik.
• De BMW Group demonstreert haar technologische openheid ook met elektrische aandrijfsystemen, door het gebruik van verschillende types van elektromotoren: SSM en ASM.
• Een modulaire benadering van de productie van elektromotoren geeft de BMW Group een uitzonderlijke mate van flexibiliteit.
• De BMW Group bundelt de expertise van de hele waardeketen voor elektrische mobiliteit in Beieren en Oostenrijk, van ontwikkeling, over inkoop en productie, tot recyclage.
• De BMW Group getuigt zowel van technologische openheid als van een totale expertise op alle gebieden van de elektrische mobiliteit.

Een open technologiebenadering hanteren en tegelijkertijd het tempo bepalen in de elektrische mobiliteit

“Voor de BMW Group is elektrische mobiliteit de toekomst, alsook een belangrijk groeigebied. We zetten de toon voor deze aandrijftechnologie. Tegelijkertijd kiezen we bewust voor een open technologiebenadering, omdat we beseffen dat verschillende regio’s in de wereld verschillende mobiliteitsbehoeften hebben”, aldus Dr. Joachim Post, lid van de Raad van Bestuur van BMW AG, Purchasing and Supplier Network. “We willen onze klanten voor elke behoefte het beste aandrijfconcept bieden. Het is perfect mogelijk om beide te combineren: enerzijds de beste aandrijftechnologie voor elke behoefte bieden en anderzijds vooroplopen op het gebied van elektrische mobiliteit.”

Slanker, sneller, verder: de hoogspanningsbatterijen voor Gen6

Met de nieuwe BMW eDrive-technologie van de zesde generatie (afgekort tot Gen6) maakt de BMW Group een technologische kwantumsprong. Verbeteringen aan de productzijde zijn onder meer een 30 procent hogere oplaadsnelheid en een 30 procent groter rijbereik. Bij bepaalde modellen liggen die cijfers zelfs nog hoger. Bovendien plukt het concept van de Gen6-hoogspanningsbatterij de vruchten van de nieuwe 800V-technologie. Gen6 debuteert dit jaar in de Neue Klasse en zal vervolgens zijn weg vinden naar de meest uiteenlopende zuiver elektrische modellen van de BMW Group. Het concept voor de Gen6-hoogspanningsbatterijen is fundamenteel nieuw en zal worden toegepast in alle voertuigsegmenten, tot en met de prestatiegerichte modellen van BMW M GmbH. Dankzij het nieuwe, nog slankere ontwerp kan de hoogspanningsbatterij in verschillende modellen geïntegreerd worden, ongeacht de hoogte van de wagen. De hoogspanningsbatterij fungeert als een structuuronderdeel in de koetswerken van de Neue Klasse-modellen (‘pack-to-open-body’), terwijl de nieuwe cilindrische cellen rechtstreeks in de hoogspanningsbatterij geïntegreerd worden (‘cell-to-pack’). De nieuwe cilindrische cel van BMW heeft een 20 procent hogere energiedichtheid dan haar voorganger, de prismatische Gen5-cel. Bovendien wordt het mogelijk om in twee richtingen te laden: bidirectioneel laden zal standaard voor Gen6.

Uiterst slimme centrale regeleenheid: de BMW Energy Master

Alle elementen die deze technologische sprong voorwaarts mogelijk maken, komen samen in de BMW Energy Master. Deze centrale regeleenheid bevindt zich op de hoogspanningsbatterij en fungeert als interface voor hoog- en laagspanningsvoeding en voor gegevens van de hoogspanningsbatterij. Ze regelt ook de elektriciteitsstromen naar de elektromotor en het elektrische systeem van de wagen en verzekert een veilige en slimme werking van de hoogspanningsbatterij. De BMW Group heeft een hele reeks nieuwe patentaanvragen ingediend voor het elektrische systeem van de wagen, inclusief de elektronische zekeringen. Zowel de hardware als de software van de Energy Master werd volledig intern ontwikkeld bij de BMW Group. Daardoor kunnen technologische ontwikkelingen en updates voor wagens onafhankelijk en in real time worden geïmplementeerd via Remote Software Upgrades, een belangrijk voordeel voor klanten.

‘Local for local’-benadering voor de assemblage van hoogspanningsbatterijen en het leveranciersnetwerk

De hoogspanningsbatterijen voor de Neue Klasse worden geassembleerd in vijf nieuwe productiefaciliteiten die de BMW Group dicht bij haar autofabrieken heeft gevestigd als onderdeel van een ‘local for local’-benadering. Zo krijgen de geavanceerde assemblagelocaties voor Gen6-hoogspanningsbatterijen vorm in Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Neder-Beieren), Debrecen (Hongarije), Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) en Woodruff, in de buurt van Spartanburg (VS). Deze aanpak waarborgt de productie, zelfs in het geval van onvoorziene politieke en economische gebeurtenissen. Bovendien worden de bestaande locaties versterkt, waarbij banen worden veiliggesteld en gecreëerd. Het ‘local for local’-principe wordt ook doorgetrokken naar het leveranciersnetwerk voor batterijcellen: om aan de vraag naar Gen6 te kunnen voldoen, heeft de BMW Group met verschillende partners contracten afgesloten voor vijf batterijcelfabrieken, verspreid over Europa, China en de VS.

‘Cell-to-pack’ en ‘pack-to-open-body’

De productie van de Gen6-hoogspanningsbatterijen volgt de ‘cell-to-pack’- en ‘pack-to-open-body’-principes. ‘Cell-to-pack’ houdt in dat de cilindrische cellen – die de leveranciers produceren volgens specificaties van de BMW Group – rechtstreeks in de behuizing van de hoogspanningsbatterij worden geïntegreerd, zonder dat er eerst een module wordt geproduceerd. ‘Pack-to-open-body’ verwijst naar de nieuwe rol van de hoogspanningsbatterij als structureel onderdeel van de voertuigarchitectuur. Veel van de innovaties die de BMW Group heeft gepatenteerd, zijn hier te vinden.

Knowhow uit Beieren en Oostenrijk – wereldwijd in trek

Voordat de serieproductie van de hoogspanningsbatterijen wereldwijd van start gaat, worden de productieprocessen ontwikkeld en worden de preproductiebatterijen grondig getest. Dat zal gebeuren in de testfabrieken van de BMW Group voor hoogspanningsbatterijen in Parsdorf, Hallbergmoos en München. Tegen dan zullen de nieuwe serieproductiefabrieken over de hele wereld klaar zijn. De product- en procesexpertise is geconcentreerd in Beieren. De productie van de Energy Master zal plaatsvinden in de fabriek van Landshut, die vervolgens alle assemblagefabrieken voor hoogspanningsbatterijen over de hele wereld zal bevoorraden. Daar wordt de uiterst slimme regeleenheid op de hoogspanningsbatterij geïnstalleerd. De elektromotor met BMW eDrive-technologie van de zesde generatie zal van de band rollen in de fabriek van Steyr (Oostenrijk), waar ook een ontwikkelingscentrum voor elektrische aandrijfsystemen en thermisch beheer is gevestigd.

Productie van de Energy Master in de BMW Group-fabriek in Landshut  

Het ultramoderne productiesysteem voor de BMW Energy Master krijgt vorm in de fabriek van Landshut. Deze fabriek produceert momenteel preproductie-exemplaren van de erg complexe regeleenheid. De serieproductie op de eerste productielijn gaat in augustus 2025 van start en de volgende uitbreidingsfase volgt midden 2026. Dit is de eerste keer dat de ontwikkeling en producties van deze centrale regeleenheid binnen de BMW Group zelf plaatsvindt. “Als grootste interne onderdelenfabriek van de constructeur speelt Landshut een sleutelrol voor de Neue Klasse”, zegt Dr. Joachim Post. “De fabriek is een innovatiehub en een drijvende kracht achter de transformatie.” In de productieruimte voor de Energy Master in Landshut zullen bij de start van de productie ongeveer 200 mensen werken, en dat aantal zal stijgen tot 700 naarmate de productie verder wordt opgedreven. De BMW Group heeft sinds 2020 honderden miljoenen euro’s geïnvesteerd in de fabriek van Landshut voor de expansie van de elektrische mobiliteit, waardoor zowel de productiefaciliteit zelf als de status van Duitsland als industriële grootmacht voor de lange termijn worden versterkt. Het modulaire productiesysteem dat wordt gebruikt om de Energy Master te produceren, werd eveneens volledig intern ontworpen door de BMW Group. De onderdelen worden geleverd door een toeleveringsketen die is opgezet door de BMW Group. Die strekt zich uit tot de n-tier-toeleveringsketen voor toeleveringskritieke componenten zoals halfgeleiders. De voordelen van deze set-up uiten zich zowel in de kosten als in de leveringszekerheid. Dankzij het schaalbare productiesysteem kan het bedrijf snel en flexibel reageren op de eisen van de markt. De hoge mate van automatisering, met tot 400 robots in de laatste uitbreidingsfase, maximaliseert de efficiëntie. De uitgebreide procesbewaking, met onder meer AI-ondersteunde camerasystemen, en 100 procent systeemcontroles aan het einde van de lijn in een ‘clean room’-omgeving verzekeren een optimale kwaliteit.

Verschillende recyclageprocessen binnen de waardeketen

Naarmate elektrische mobiliteit toeneemt, wordt er steeds meer aandacht besteed aan de recyclage van hoogspanningsbatterijen aan het einde van hun levenscyclus. In het kader van een langdurig partnerschap met SK tes – een toonaangevende leverancier van innovatieve technologische levenscyclusoplossingen – worden kobalt, nikkel en lithium uit afgedankte batterijen teruggewonnen bij de BMW Group en geïntegreerd in de toeleveringsketen voor de productie van nieuwe batterijen. Deze gesloten-lusbenadering verhoogt de efficiëntie en veerkracht van de BMW Group als onderdeel van een circulaire economie. De BMW Group zal een vergelijkbaar pad bewandelen in de VS, Mexico en Canada, tot 2026 met een apart partnerschap.

Innovatieve directe recyclage bij de BMW Group

De BMW Group onderzoekt ook andere recyclageopties in het waardecreatieproces. Een voorbeeld daarvan is de intern ontwikkelde methode voor directe recyclage. De BMW Group werkt samen met haar joint venture Encory om een competentiecentrum voor de recyclage van batterijcellen op te zetten in Neder-Beieren, waar het bedrijf zijn ideeën over directe recyclage in de praktijk zal brengen. Met dit innovatieve proces kunnen restmaterialen van de batterijcelproductie en hele batterijcellen mechanisch worden afgebroken tot hun waardevolle bestanddelen. De grondstoffen die op deze manier worden verkregen, zullen rechtstreeks worden hergebruikt in het pilootproductieproces voor batterijcellen in de competentiecentra van het bedrijf.

Open technologiebenadering voor elektrische mobiliteit: het nieuwe e-drive-systeem van Gen6

De BMW Group heeft het principe van een elektrisch bekrachtigde synchrone motor (EESM) behouden voor haar Gen6-krachtbron. Bij dit soort synchrone motoren wordt het magnetische veld in de rotor gegenereerd door wikkelingen die worden gevoed met gelijkstroom in plaats van permanente magneten. Op die manier kan de sterkte van het magnetische veld van de rotor optimaal worden aangepast aan de belasting van het moment. Dat vertaalt zich zowel in uitstekende efficiëntieniveaus op klantrelevante bedrijfspunten als in een constant vermogen bij hoge draaisnelheden. Net als bij de Gen5-versie wordt de synchrone motor boven de achteras geplaatst en heeft hij een compacte behuizing waarin de elektrische aandrijfeenheid, vermogenselektronica en transmissie zijn opgenomen. Veel van de technische details van de motor werden gecreëerd met behulp van gepatenteerde expertise, waarbij de niet-ingegoten rotor op zijn eentje al goed was voor meer dan tien patentaanvragen.

Neue Klasse voegt aanvullend ASM-technologie toe

De Gen6-aandrijving maakt gebruik van een tweede, aanvullende elektromotor in de vorm van een asynchrone motor (ASM). Daarbij wordt het magnetische veld van de rotor niet opgewekt door permanente magneten (PSM) of elektrische bekrachtiging (EESM), maar geïnduceerd door de stator. Bij dit motortype heeft de rotor de vorm van een metalen kooi. De asynchrone motor biedt het voordeel van een compacter ontwerp en een superieure kostenefficiëntie. De ASM-motorvarianten zullen worden gemonteerd op de vooras van Neue Klasse-wagens met BMW xDrive.

Uitgebreide verbeteringen aan de EESM-technologie

Naast de toevoeging van ASM-technologie heeft de EESM-technologie ook een grote upgrade ondergaan voor Gen6: rotor, stator en omvormer zijn allemaal volledig ontworpen voor de nieuwe 800V-architectuur van de Gen6-technologie om de prestaties en efficiëntie van het aandrijfsysteem te maximaliseren. Dat werd verder bevorderd door een compleet nieuw ontwerp van de olie- en waterkoelsystemen. Daarnaast zijn de experts van de BMW Group er ook in geslaagd om de elektromotor en de centrale behuizing te verbeteren op het gebied van gewicht en stijfheid. De transmissie maakt nog steeds gebruik van een spiraalvormig tweetrapsdesign, maar werd verder geoptimaliseerd door verbeteringen aan de geometrie en koeling, lagere wrijvingsniveaus en een aangenamere akoestiek. De omvormer, het ‘brein’ van de elektrisch aangedreven synchrone motor, is nu voorzien van 800V-technologie samen met halfgeleiders met siliciumcarbide (SiC) om de efficiëntie te verhogen. De omvormer is volledig geïntegreerd in de behuizing van de elektromotor. Hij heeft de taak om de gelijkstroomvoeding van de hoogspanningsbatterij om te zetten naar wisselstroom voor gebruik in de elektromotor. De omvormer werd intern ontwikkeld door de BMW Group en wordt geproduceerd in de fabriek van Steyr (Oostenrijk).

Minder gewicht, kosten en energieverliezen – meer efficiëntie in de wagen

De slimme integratie van nieuwe technologieën in de elektrische aandrijflijn en de consequente verbetering van bestaande systemen leveren indrukwekkende resultaten op. In vergelijking met een xDrive-model van Gen5 kan een toekomstig model van de Neue Klasse met EESM- en ASM-technologie de volgende verbeteringen naar voren schuiven: het energieverlies daalde met 40 procent, de kosten met 20 procent en het gewicht met 10 procent. Door verschillende types van elektromotoren te combineren, is de open technologiebenadering van de BMW Group duidelijk zichtbaar in de sector van de elektrische mobiliteit. In de toekomst zullen klanten kunnen kiezen uit modellen met één, twee, drie of vier elektromotoren, naargelang hun individuele voorkeuren en eisen. De zesde generatie van de BMW eDrive-technologie draagt in aanzienlijke mate bij tot de totale voertuigefficiëntie van de Neue Klasse, die ongeveer 20 procent hoger ligt. Dat cijfer is gebaseerd op een vergelijking met de huidige generatie zuiver elektrische wagens van de BMW Group.

Modulair concept biedt cruciaal voordeel voor de productie van elektromotoren

Het productieconcept voor het elektrische aandrijfsysteem van Gen6 maakt gebruik van het principe van modulaire bouwstenen. Dat vormt de basis voor een erg flexibele productie van diverse elektrische aandrijvingsvarianten voor het hele gamma Neue Klasse-modellen. Het concept van modulaire bouwstenen leidt tot positieve schaalvoordelen en kostenbesparingen bij de ontwikkeling en productie. Bovendien verbetert het de schaalbaarheid van de productievolumes. De modulaire aanpak zorgt voor een hoge mate van flexibiliteit in de productie, de toeleveringsnetwerken en de inkoop.

De elektrische aandrijfsystemen van Gen6: gebouwd in Steyr

De serieproductie van de elektrische aandrijfsystemen van Gen6 gaat in de zomer van 2025 van start in de BMW Group-fabriek van Steyr. In september 2024 begon de Oostenrijkse fabriek al met de preproductie. De preproductiemotoren worden strikt getest en sommige worden al gemonteerd in testvoertuigen van de Neue Klasse, gebouwd in de fabriek van Debrecen. Tegen 2030 zal de BMW Group meer dan een miljard euro hebben geïnvesteerd in de vestiging sinds het project in 2022 werd opgestart, om zo haar ontwikkelings- en productie-expertise voor elektrische aandrijfsystemen uit te breiden. Dankzij de capaciteitsverhoging behoudt de fabriek haar status als toonaangevende faciliteit voor aandrijfsystemen van de BMW Group. De fabriek ontwikkelt en bouwt al meer dan veertig jaar verbrandingsmotoren voor de merken BMW en MINI. Door die jarenlange ervaring en de doorgedreven expertise op het gebied van aandrijfsystemen is de fabriek van Steyr de ideale locatie voor de productie van de elektromotoren van Gen6. Ze heeft een jaarlijkse productiecapaciteit van 600.000 elektrische aandrijfeenheden. Behalve de elektromotoren worden er ook nog steeds diesel- en benzinemotoren geproduceerd. Tegen 2030 zou ongeveer de helft van de werknemers ter plaatse moeten werken aan de elektrische mobiliteit – een essentiële stap om de meer dan 4.700 banen in de fabriek op lange termijn veilig te stellen. In de toekomst zal de fabriek alle belangrijke onderdelen van de innovatieve, sterk geïntegreerde elektrische aandrijfeenheid produceren: de rotor, stator, transmissie, omvormer en behuizing. Dat houdt onder meer in dat de omvormers voor het eerst in een interne ‘clean room’-omgeving worden geproduceerd, waardoor de motorfabriek zich in de sfeer van elektrotechniek begeeft. De onderdelen voor de elektrische aandrijving worden gebouwd op twee nieuwe assemblagelijnen in Steyr.

Thermisch beheer: complexe interactie, cruciaal voor de prestaties

Het thermische beheer in een elektrische wagen omvat een uiterst complexe interactie tussen verschillende systemen en is van cruciaal belang voor verscheidene prestatieparameters, zoals rijbereik, reëel verbruik, acceleratie en oplaadtijd. Het thermische beheer moet de temperatuur van de elektromotor, de vermogenselektronica en de hoogspanningsbatterij constant binnen het optimale bereik houden en tegelijkertijd het comfort van de inzittenden op peil houden. Ook bij snelladen is een efficiënt thermisch beheer primordiaal. In dat geval moet de batterijtemperatuur binnen een bepaald bereik worden gehouden om optimaal gebruik te maken van de beschikbare laadcapaciteit. In tegenstelling tot verbrandingsmotoren geven elektromotoren weinig warmte af. Dat betekent dat de batterij en het passagierscompartiment naargelang de bedrijfstoestand niet alleen gekoeld, maar ook verwarmd moeten worden. De vestiging in Steyr ontwikkelt de thermische beheersystemen voor alle elektrische wagens van de BMW Group. Het ontwikkelingscentrum van de fabriek is ook verantwoordelijk voor het brein in het hart van de elektromotor: de omvormer.

BMW Group Plant Landshut – een veelzijdige onderdelenfabrikant

De fabriek van Landshut is de grootste onderdelenfabriek van de BMW Group ter wereld en levert onderdelen aan alle voertuig- en aandrijvingsfabrieken van het bedrijf. Ze telt ongeveer 3.700 werknemers en produceert een breed spectrum aan geavanceerde onderdelen voor wagens van de BMW Group. In nauwe samenwerking met het onderzoeks- en innovatiecentrum (FIZ) van de BMW Group in München speelt de fabriek van Landshut een centrale rol als innovatiecentrum voor de auto-industrie. Ze ontwikkelt baanbrekende technologieën en productieprocessen die de constructeur helpen om zijn concurrentievoordeel te behouden. In het kader van het Neue Klasse-project investeert de vestiging ongeveer 200 miljoen euro in haar lichtmetaalgieterij om de jaarlijkse productiecapaciteit voor de behuizingen van elektromotoren te verhogen. Het in Landshut ontwikkelde en gepatenteerde ICA-proces (Injector Casting) is een uitstekend voorbeeld van de innovatieve kracht van de fabriek. Dit wereldwijd unieke proces wordt gebruikt om de erg complexe aluminium behuizingen van elektromotoren te produceren en vestigt nieuwe normen voor lichtgewicht design en functionele integratie.

Voor vragen kunt u contact opnemen met:

Corporate Communications

Christian Marxt

Woordvoerder Production Network, Powertrain and High-voltage Batteries

Mobiel: +49-151-601-79158

E-mail: Christian.Marxt@bmwgroup.com 

Carolin Seidel

Woordvoerder BMW Group-fabriek Landshut

Mobiel: +49-151-601-90340

E-mail: Carolin.Seidel@bmwgroup.com

Florian Moser

Team Lead Purchasing and Supplier Network, Woordvoerder Dr. Joachim Post

Mobiel: +49-151-601-62847

E-mail: Florian.Moser@bmwgroup.com

Bernhard Ederer

Woordvoerder Drive Technology, Battery, Charging, Efficient Dynamics

Mobiel: +49-176-601-28556

E-mail: Bernhard.Ederer@bmwgroup.com

Diana Schaidnagel

Woordvoerder Sustainability

Mobiel: +49-151-601-38407

E-mail: Diana.Schaidnagel@bmw.de

De BMW Group

De BMW Group is met haar merken BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce en BMW Motorrad de voornaamste constructeur ter wereld van premium-wagens en motorfietsen en aanbieder van hoogstaande financiële diensten en mobiliteitsdiensten. Het productienetwerk van BMW Group omvat meer dan 30 productielocaties wereldwijd. De onderneming heeft een wereldwijd verkoopnetwerk met vertegenwoordigers in meer dan 140 landen.

In 2024 verkocht de BMW Group wereldwijd meer dan 2,45 miljoen auto's en meer dan 210.000 motorfietsen. Het resultaat voor belastingen in het boekjaar 2023 bedroeg € 17,1 miljard en de omzet € 155,5 miljard. Op 31 december 2023 telde de onderneming wereldwijd 154.950 werknemers.

Langetermijndenken en verantwoordelijk handelen waren altijd al de basis van het economisch succes van de BMW Group. Duurzaamheid is een belangrijk onderdeel van de bedrijfsstrategie van BMW Group, van de toeleveringsketen over de productie tot het einde van de levenscyclus van alle producten.

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+++ Het nieuwe weergave- en bedieningsconcept wordt vanaf eind 2025 in alle nieuwe BMW modellen geïntroduceerd +++ Consistente focus op de bestuurder, informatiedistributie en ergonomie +++ Het nieuwe BMW Operating System X biedt een intelligente softwarebasis, uitgebreide personaliseringsmogelijkheden en een brede waaier aan digitale functies +++

//

München/Las Vegas. De BMW Group presenteert de rij- en gebruikerservaring van de toekomst op de Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 in Las Vegas. Tijdens de beurs biedt BMW voor het eerst de mogelijkheid om de nagenoeg productierijpe nieuwe BMW iDrive te ervaren, compleet met BMW Panoramic Vision als middelpunt. De software die aan de basis ligt van dit alles is het nieuwe BMW Operating System X, dat fungeert als de intelligentiehub achter het nieuwe weergave- en bedieningsconcept. Het holistische systeem met zijn moderne, stijlbepalende design wordt vanaf eind 2025 in alle nieuwe BMW modellen geïntroduceerd.

“Toptechnologie en een uiterst intuïtieve bediening gaan hand in hand – de nieuwe BMW Panoramic iDrive verenigt een kwarteeuw pionierswerk en technologisch leiderschap in bedieningsconcepten”, zegt Frank Weber, lid van de Raad van Bestuur van BMW AG, verantwoordelijk voor Ontwikkeling.

“De basis wordt geleverd door het nieuwe BMW Operating System X. Met deze innovatie geven we een van de beste en meest uitgebreide infotainmentsystemen ter wereld nog meer mogelijkheden en vestigen we eens te meer nieuwe normen voor multimodale interactie. Zodra het eerste seriemodel van de Neue Klasse eind dit jaar op de markt komt, zal de nieuwe BMW Panoramic iDrive integraal deel uitmaken van alle toekomstige BMW modellen.” 

Vier onderdelen, één doel: consistente focus op de bestuurder in kenmerkende BMW stijl.

De nieuwe BMW iDrive verenigt vier centrale elementen in een uniek weergave- en bedieningsconcept.

• BMW Panoramic Vision, een nieuw ontworpen concept voor het Head-Up Display, dat BMW ontwikkelde om content te projecteren, reflecteert zichtbare informatie op een zwart geprint oppervlak in het onderste deel van de voorruit. Deze informatie is zichtbaar voor alle inzittenden.
  Het systeem projecteert de belangrijkste rijgegevens rechtstreeks in het gezichtsveld van de bestuurder, in het linkerdeel van het BMW Panoramic Vision-display (in wagens met het stuur links), boven het stuur. De bestuurder kan de inhoud van de centrale en rechtse delen van het BMW Panoramic Vision-display personaliseren via het centrale scherm. De integratie van BMW Panoramic Vision creëert een 3D-effect voor bestuurder en passagiers.
• Boven het BMW Panoramic Vision-display toont het nieuwe en optionele BMW 3D Head-Up Display geïntegreerde navigatie en geautomatiseerde rijgegevens rechtstreeks in het gezichtsveld van de bestuurder. De inhoud van BMW Panoramic Vision en het BMW 3D Head-Up Display wordt netjes op elkaar afgestemd.
  Het innovatieniveau van de twee Head-Up Display-technologieën wordt onderstreept door verscheidene patentaanvragen van de BMW Group, die voortvloeien uit de ontwikkeling van deze projectietechnologieën.
• Op het centrale scherm met matrix-achtergrondverlichting zorgt de vertrouwde, bijgewerkte menustructuur met QuickSelect voor een optimale bediening van de functies en inhoud door aanraking. Het geheel laat zich erg eenvoudig en vlot bedienen, omdat het display met vrij uitgesneden ontwerp zich in een ergonomisch ideale positie dicht bij het stuur bevindt. Geselecteerde inhoud (widgets) kan met een veegbeweging op het centrale scherm naar het BMW Panoramic Vision-display worden verplaatst. Er zijn maar liefst zes widgets, die naar wens kunnen worden gerangschikt op het BMW Panoramic Vision-display.
• Het nieuwe multifunctionele stuur maakt gebruik van de Shy-Tech-benadering van BMW, waarbij de relevante knoppen oplichten om de beschikbare functies te benadrukken. Het stuur dient als primaire fysieke bediening en de knoppen geven actieve gevoelsmatige feedback. Ze hebben een doordacht, reliëfachtig oppervlak, waardoor ze gemakkelijk te vinden zijn en de bestuurder ze kan indrukken zonder zijn blik van de weg af te wenden.
  De plaatsing van de knoppen volgt het bekende principe waarbij de rijhulpfuncties aan de linkerkant van het stuur zitten en de inhoudsbedieningsfuncties aan de rechterkant.

De combinatie van deze vier elementen herinterpreteert de gebruikelijke BMW benadering van ‘handen aan het stuur, ogen op de weg’, waarmee het merk normen vestigt op het vlak van bestuurdergerichtheid en een unieke vorm van intuïtieve, gebruiksvriendelijke en ergonomisch geoptimaliseerde bediening presenteert. BMW Panoramic iDrive bezorgt de bestuurder altijd de juiste informatie op de juiste plaats en op het juiste moment. Het systeem blijft gebruikmaken van een optimale combinatie van analoge en digitale bedieningselementen door schakelaars, knoppen, aanraakbediening en spraakbediening te combineren. Er zijn haptische schakelaars voor de ruitenwissers, richtingaanwijzers, buitenspiegels, volumeregeling, versnellingskeuzeschakelaars en ruitontdooiing. Andere functies zijn dan weer geoptimaliseerd voor aanraak- of spraakbediening of voor bediening via het multifunctionele stuur, zoals de telefoonfuncties, mediabedieningssystemen, navigatie, rijhulp, personalisering van schermen, selectie van MyModes en nog veel meer.

Naast de op data gebaseerde inzichten over het gebruik van BMW Operating Systems in het wereldwijde wagenpark van nu al meer dan 22 miljoen verbonden BMW’s omvatte de ontwikkelingsfase van de nieuwe BMW Panoramic iDrive ook talrijke onderzoeken in de gebruikerslabs van de BMW Group, waarbij ongeveer 3.000 klanten betrokken waren. Elke beslissing over de diverse aspecten van de besturingslogica is dan ook gebaseerd op gegevens en op een gestructureerde manier bepaald. Ook hier is de uitgebreide ruimte voor personalisering van de gebruikerservaring afgestemd op de voorkeuren en eisen van de klant.

BMW Operating System X: slim, veelzijdig, klaar voor de toekomst.
Het nieuwe BMW Operating System X is een update van het nieuwste besturingssysteem dat in veel BMW modellen wordt gebruikt, en werd volledig intern ontwikkeld door BMW. Net als het BMW Operating System 9 steunt het op een AOSP-softwarestack (Android Open Source Project). Het biedt nog meer mogelijkheden voor upgrades dan het vorige systeem, waardoor het enerzijds geschikt is voor de toekomst en anderzijds compatibel is met oudere softwareversies. Het biedt ook de mogelijkheid om extra functies te integreren, waardoor wagens met de nieuwe BMW Panoramic iDrive gedurende een lange periode technologisch toonaangevend zullen blijven.

“Het totaalconcept van de nieuwe BMW Panoramic iDrive met Operating System X is mogelijk gemaakt door een grote technologische sprong voorwaarts”, zegt Stephan Durach Senior Vice President Connected Company BMW Group. “Het verenigt een intuïtieve bediening, emotioneel aantrekkelijke ervaringen en specifieke personaliseringsmogelijkheden. De nieuwe BMW iDrive met Operating System X demonstreert het potentieel van een ‘software-defined vehicle’.”

De doorgedreven intelligentie van het BMW Operating System X maakt het mogelijk om BMW Panoramic Vision, het optionele BMW 3D Head-Up Display, het centrale display en het multifunctionele stuur zodanig met elkaar te laten samenwerken dat fysieke en digitale ervaringen samensmelten. Zo verschijnt er bij een inkomend gesprek eerst een afbeelding op het BMW Panoramic Vision-display. Tegelijkertijd licht een eerder verborgen symbool op de relevante stuurknop groen op om aan te geven dat de oproep kan worden aangenomen door op de knop te drukken of dat de oproep kan worden geweigerd door over de rechterkant van het stuur te vegen.
Wanneer een navigatiebestemming via aanraak- of spraakbediening wordt ingevoerd, verschijnen er waarschuwingen voor de routegeleiding op het BMW 3D Head-Up Display en meer informatie over wegen en kruispunten op het BMW Panoramic Vision-display. Voor oriëntatie op grotere schaal kan op elk moment een overzicht van de hele kaart worden weergegeven op het centrale display.

De personalisering van content bereikt een ongekend niveau met het BMW Operating System X. De displays in Panoramic Vision kunnen worden aangepast aan de persoonlijke voorkeuren. Daarnaast hebben bestuurders nu ook de optie om hun eigen instellingen te kiezen voor rijeigenschappen zoals respons en stuureigenschappen in de My Mode ‘Personal’. Bovendien kan de gebruiker foto’s uploaden als achtergrond voor het centrale display en kan hij de kleur van de sfeerverlichting en het design van de gebruikersinterface aanpassen aan zijn voorkeuren, voor een nog persoonlijkere rijervaring.

De BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant reageert zoals gebruikelijk op het commando ‘Hey BMW’ of kan worden opgeroepen door op de betreffende toets op het multifunctionele stuur te drukken. De mogelijkheden van de BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant worden voortdurend uitgebreid en zullen voor de Neue Klasse naar een geheel nieuw niveau worden getild door de integratie van Large Language Models (LLM). Het gebruik van deze technologie is in eerste instantie gericht op navigatie, waardoor de klant uitgebreidere gesproken commando’s kan geven met behulp van natuurlijke taal, bijvoorbeeld: “Breng me naar een laadstation dat dicht bij een voedingswinkel ligt.” Op de stand van technologiepartner Amazon op CES 2025 krijgen bezoekers een eerste indruk van deze mogelijkheden aan de hand van een bètaversie van deze versie van de BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant in een BMW X3. 

Net als de huidige infotainmentsystemen van BMW kan de BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant – als de bestuurder dat wil – proactief suggesties doen op basis van gebruikersgedrag. Deze intelligentie wordt verder uitgebreid met het BMW Operating System X. In relevante situaties wijst de BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant op rijhulpsystemen die de bestuurder zelden gebruikt. Als een soort geheugensteuntje stelt het systeem voor om de Sport Mode te activeren op geschikte routes als de bestuurder de Sport Mode eerder al zelfstandig heeft geactiveerd. Als de bestuurder deze proactieve suggesties meermaals negeert of er niet op reageert, leert het systeem hiervan en geeft het na een tijd geen suggesties meer. 

Het BMW Operating System X neemt de integratiemogelijkheden voor apps van derden over van de vorige infotainmentgeneratie. Op dit moment biedt de BMW ConnectedDrive Store wereldwijd meer dan zestig apps voor het BMW Operating System 9. Dat aanbod zal blijven groeien, bijvoorbeeld met productiviteitsapps zoals de videoconferentiedienst Zoom.

Design en technologie voor een unieke gebruiks- en rijervaring.
De nieuwe BMW Panoramic iDrive is schaalbaar en wordt vanaf eind 2025 geïntegreerd in alle nieuwe BMW modellen, ongeacht hun voertuigsegment en aandrijftechnologie.

De rijervaring staat centraal. De bestuurder moet zich op zijn gemak voelen en moet de volledige controle over de wagen hebben. Dat principe komt tot uiting in het design van de nieuwe BMW Panoramic iDrive. Er wordt bijzondere aandacht besteed aan de details: de gebruikersinterface werd zo intuïtief en adaptief mogelijk ontworpen om een naadloze interactie te garanderen. Dat resulteert in een holistische ervaring die wordt versterkt door een harmonieuze combinatie van geluid, licht en innovatief design. Elke reis wordt een uniek moment van verbinding tussen mens en wagen.

“Technologie en klantvoorkeuren veranderen sneller dan ooit. Het ontwerp van digitale ervaringen en geluid speelt een steeds belangrijkere rol”, zegt Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “De nieuwe BMW Panoramic iDrive maakt onze wagens niet alleen slimmer en gebruiksvriendelijker, maar maakt ook een veel uitgebreidere personalisering mogelijk, waardoor elke nieuwe BMW een wagen wordt die helemaal van de gebruiker is.”

Een ander aspect in de holistische ervaring van de BMW Panoramic iDrive is de nieuwe HypersonX-geluidservaring in de Neue Klasse-modellen. Die werd ontwikkeld door de BMW Group Sound Design Studio en omvat 43 geluidssignalen en speciale rijgeluiden voor de Personal Mode en Sport Mode. Het multidimensionale spectrum past de geluiden precies aan de rijsituatie aan en creëert zo een emotionele interactie tussen de bestuurder en zijn BMW.

De BMW Group

De BMW Group is met haar merken BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce en BMW Motorrad de voornaamste constructeur ter wereld van premium-wagens en motorfietsen en aanbieder van hoogstaande financiële diensten en mobiliteitsdiensten. Het productienetwerk van BMW Group omvat meer dan 30 productielocaties wereldwijd. De onderneming heeft een wereldwijd verkoopnetwerk met vertegenwoordigers in meer dan 140 landen.

In 2023 verkocht de BMW Group wereldwijd meer dan 2,55 miljoen auto's en meer dan 209.000 motorfietsen. Het resultaat voor belastingen in het boekjaar 2023 bedroeg € 17,1 miljard en de omzet € 155,5 miljard. Op 31 december 2023 telde de onderneming wereldwijd 154.950 werknemers.

Langetermijndenken en verantwoordelijk handelen waren altijd al de basis van het economisch succes van de BMW Group. Duurzaamheid is een belangrijk onderdeel van de bedrijfsstrategie van BMW Group, van de toeleveringsketen over de productie tot het einde van de levenscyclus van alle producten.

www.bmwgroup.com

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+++ Meer dan een derde van de BMW’s geproduceerd in Regensburg zijn elektrisch dit jaar +++ Fabrieksdirecteur Armin Ebner: “Regensburg behaalt groeiprognose voor EV-productie” – Totale jaarproductie 2024: meer dan 330.000 eenheden +++

//                                                                   

Regensburg. BMW Group Plant Regensburg has achieved another major milestone: As projected, the threshold of 100,000 fully-electric vehicles produced since the start of the year was reached today. The milestone vehicle, which came off the assembly line in Regensburg today, watched by Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production, is a BMW iX1. The vehicle, finished in Blue Bay Lagoon metallic, will be shipped to overseas, to the island of La Réunion. The plant has produced this successful premium compact model for customers worldwide since November 2022.

Nedeljković: “We offer a very wide range of fully-electric vehicles across all key segments. Our German plants produce these vehicles for the global market, delivering a major contribution to the growth of e-mobility.”

Regensburg Plant Director Armin Ebner offers a correspondingly positive assessment of the year: “We are meeting customer needs with our BMW iX1 and BMW iX2 models. I am especially proud of our team at Plant Regensburg, who once again showed tremendous commitment and flexibility, despite volatile market conditions. We have achieved our projected growth target for production of fully-electric vehicles in Regensburg in 2024, as promised.

More than a third of the vehicles built at our plant this year were electrified – i.e. a plug-in hybrid or an all-electric model. In 2024, we will substantially exceed last year's figure of 238,301 BMW vehicles built in Regensburg –with annual production of well over 330,000 units in total.”

More than 1,400 BMW X1 and BMW X2 models are currently coming off the production line at BMW Group Plant Regensburg every workday. The core BMW X1 model will be produced with all drive train variants: as a combustion-engine vehicle and plug-in hybrid, alongside the fully-electric BMW iX1.

“Our plant has become even more digital, more circular and more efficient overall this year,” says Ebner. “We are systematically driving our transformation towards electromobility and the BMW iFactory – an intelligently connected digital factory.” Recent accolades, such as being named “FACTORY OF THE YEAR” 2024 in the category “excellent large-series assembly” and receiving the “Best Cars Award” for the BMW X1 from trade journal auto motor und sport in 2024, provide impressive proof of this. “I would like to extend a big thank you to our entire plant team and our partners for everything we have achieved together.”

BMW Group Corporate Communications
Saskia Graser, head of Communications Regensburg and Wackersdorf
Cell phone: +49 151 60602014, Email: Saskia.Graser@bmw.de

Martina Hatzel, Communications Production Network

Cell phone: +49 151 60111966, Email: Martina.Hatzel@bmwgroup.com

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmw.de

BMW Group Plants Regensburg and Wackersdorf
The BMW Group vehicle plant in Regensburg has been in operation since 1986 and is one of more than 30 BMW Group production locations worldwide. Every workday, around 1,400 vehicles of the BMW X1 and BMW X2 models roll off the production line at Plant Regensburg, destined for customers around the globe. Different types of drive trains are flexibly manufactured on a single production line – ranging from vehicles with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids and fully-electric models.

BMW Group Plant Regensburg was recognised as “FACTORY OF THE YEAR” 2024 in the category “excellent large-series assembly” of the prestigious industrial competition. As it implements the BMW iFACTORY, the BMW Group is focused on digitalisation of the Regensburg plant site to create a digital and intelligently connected factory. It is already possible to experience in virtual form what the factory will look like a few years from now. Production of models for the NEUE KLASSE, BMW’s next generation of vehicles, will ramp up in Regensburg in the second half of the decade.

The BMW Group plant in Wackersdorf is home to cockpit production and parts supply for overseas plants. With the opening of a new battery testing centre and commissioning of the first phase in autumn 2024, the location has also become a key facilitator for electromobility. An entirely new area of expertise for the site is the door and flap production centre for Rolls-Royce.

The BMW Group core staff at the Regensburg and Wackersdorf locations in eastern Bavaria consists of around 9,250 employees, including more than 300 apprentices.

www.bmwgroup-werke.com/regensburg/de.html

+++ Eerste e-motoren van de zesde-generatie vanuit Steyr naar Debrecen verzonden voor testvoertuigen +++ BMW Group fabriek in Debrecen produceert eerste testvoertuigen voor Neue Klasse +++

//

Steyr. Just ten months after the start of system installation, the first electric engine was now shipped from BMW Group Plant Steyr to Debrecen, Hungary. At BMW Group Plant Debrecen, the e-engine will be used in Neue Klasse text vehicles.

“Our plant in Steyr has been delivering the first sixth-generation electric engines to the development department in Munich since September. We also recently began sending our e-engines directly to BMW Group Plant Debrecen, where they are being installed in test vehicles,” explains Klaus von Moltke, SVP Engine Production at BMW AG and Managing Director of BMW Group Plant Steyr.

Plant Steyr already launched production of the first next-generation electric motors three months ago. Helmut Hochsteiner, VP of Electric Engine Production at BMW Group Plant Steyr, adds: “Over the coming months, we will continue to validate and optimise the complex production process for the new electric motors,” The supply of Plant Debrecen with electric engines from Steyr marks the next important milestone towards the start of series production – both Neue Klasse and its electric motors from Austria.

Further information on the  production of test vehicles at BMW Group Plant Debrecen can be found in the BMW Group PressClub.

This is BMW Group Plant Steyr

The BMW Group's largest engine plant worldwide is located in Steyr in Upper Austria, where 4,700 employees produce over one million petrol and diesel engines each year. Steyr is also home to a major development centre for the research and development of new drive trains. In June 2022, the company announced that it would begin production of e-drives in 2025. BMW Motoren GmbH in Steyr is currently one of Austria's top industrial companies in terms of revenues and exports.

+++ Mechanisch proces zonder traditionele chemische of thermische bewerking +++ Methode intern ontwikkeld door BMW Group +++ Batterijcel expertise gebundeld in Bayern +++

//

Munich. The BMW Group is building a Cell Recycling Competence Centre (CRCC) for battery cells in Kirchroth, in the Straubing-Bogen district of Lower Bavaria, where it will implement a process referred to as “direct recycling”. This innovative procedure enables residual materials from battery cell production, as well as whole battery cells, to be mechanically dismantled into their valuable components. The recovered raw materials are then directly reused in pilot production of battery cells at the company’s own Battery Cell Competence Centres.

“The new Cell Recycling Competence Centre brings another element to our in-house expertise: From development and pilot production to recycling, we are creating a closed loop for battery cells,” says Markus Fallböhmer, SVP Battery Production at BMW AG, “taking advantage of the short distances between our Competence Centres in Bavaria.” The BMW Group is investing around 10 million euros in construction of the new Competence Centre. Installation work at the building is already scheduled to begin in the second half of 2025. Once completed, validation of the recycling method in near-series processes will get underway.

Innovative direct recycling recovers valuable raw materials

Battery cell raw materials – primarily lithium and cobalt, but also graphite, manganese, nickel and copper – are among the main cost factors in cell production. Responsible use of these resources is essential from both environmental and economic perspectives. “The direct recycling will help reducing the costs for our battery cell pilot line”, explains Fallböhmer. Unlike conventional methods, the main characteristic of direct recycling is that raw materials from battery cells are not reverted to their original state, but are instead fed back “directly” into the cell production cycle. This method dispenses with the previously common energy-intensive chemical or thermal processing. The recycling method was developed by BMW Group experts at the Competence Centres in Munich and Parsdorf. At the new CRCC, it will be implemented on a larger scale and, once the processes are finalised, battery cell material in the mid-double-digit tonne range can be recycled per year.

Optimal location for new Competence Centre in Bavaria

The BMW Group consolidates its battery cell expertise at its Competence Centres in Munich and Parsdorf. The Battery Cell Competence Centre (BCCC) in the north of Munich offers state-of-the-art labs and research facilities for developing the battery cells for next-generation high-voltage batteries and producing them in small quantities. The most promising battery cell from the BCCC will be scaled up for series processes on a pilot line at the Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre (CMCC) in Parsdorf. Once completed, recycling of surplus material from pilot production in Parsdorf will take place at the new Competence Centre in Kirchroth. The recovered raw materials will then be reused in cell production in Parsdorf. This ensures short distances between all Competence Centres and prevents valuable raw materials from being lost. Following on from the BCCC and CMCC, the CRCC thus represents the next step in the BMW Group’s battery cell strategy on the road to the circular economy.

Joint venture operates Competence Center, intellectual property at the BMW Group

The new CRCC, spanning an area of 2,200 m², will be integrated into the expansion of an existing building in the Kirchroth-Nord industrial park, near Straubing. Electrical energy from the discharged cells will be captured in energy storage systems within the building and used to operate the recycling systems. The energy concept will be rounded out by photovoltaic systems installed on the roof of the building. While the intellectual property for the recycling method is fully owned by the BMW Group – the Competence Centre will be built and operated by Encory GmbH. As a joint venture of the BMW Group and Interzero Group, Encory develops and implements logistics and consulting solutions in areas such as collection, recycling, and remanufacturing of vehicle components. Both partners hold a 50% stake in the company. Around 20 people will be employed in the new Competence Center.

Circular economy at the BMW Group

The BMW Group views the circular economy as one of the key issues in designing more resource-efficient vehicles. The premise is to optimize the circularity of materials. This means resources are not lost, but retain their value for long-term use. The BMW Group applies the principles of Re:Think, Re:Duce, Re:Use and Re:Cycle. From vehicle design and production, to recycling and reuse, everything is geared towards ensuring cars can serve as a source of raw materials for new vehicles at the end of their use phase. Recycling focuses, in particular, on the use of innovative methods to recover high-voltage batteries from electrified vehicles.

+++ BMW Group fabriek Debrecen in Hongarije maakt zich klaar voor de start van serieproductie eind volgend jaar +++ Eerste testwagens geproduceerd voor volledig elektrisch Neue Klasse X model +++

//

Debrecen. BMW Group Plant Debrecen in Hungary is shifting into first gear: Production of test vehicles is ramping up and the first near-series fully-electric X models for the Neue Klasse are now leaving the production line.* This marks the beginning of the final preparation phase for the start of series production in late 2025.

“The production of the first test vehicles in Debrecen is an important milestone in commissioning the new plant,” says Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production. With vehicles now approaching series maturity, all logistics and production processes at the plant are being tested and constantly optimised under real conditions to ensure a smooth start of series production.

On the road to series production

The integration of new models in a plant starts with the production of near-series vehicles – an important step for the preparation of series production in Debrecen. As part of this process, test vehicles cycle through all production steps. This also means that all logistics processes, manufacturing equipment and operations performed by employees at the plant already have to function smoothly. These operations are just as complex as in actual series production. Despite the limited number of parts involved, they must still be made available in the appropriate logistics processes.

Materials and vehicle parts are delivered daily to Plant Debrecen, with test vehicles coming off the production line on a continuous basis. Every part and every production step is closely scrutinised. Special attention is paid to validation of cutting-edge production systems and tools, including their digital connectivity.

Running system tests for the future vehicle model helps identify further potential for optimisation. In the coming months, the focus will be on refining processes, based on the insights gained.

During this phase, new staff will also undergo intensive training on the installations and machinery. Close cooperation across all areas of production will ensure operations are seamlessly integrated for a smooth and successful series launch.

*Since this is a pre-production model, consumption data for the X model of the Neue Klasse is not available at this time.

+++ Investering van meer dan € 100 miljoen in BMW Group Fabriek Wackersdorf – vestiging in Oberpfalz wordt belangrijke schakel in elektromobiliteit +++

//

Wackersdorf. One year ago, the BMW Group announced plans to build a new battery testing centre at the Wackersdorf location. Now, the initial phase has come on-stream as planned. Scheduled for completion in late 2025, the site, which spans over 8,000 square metres, will rigorously test individual battery cells, complete high-voltage batteries and other electric powertrain components for future BMW Group models early in development, well before they go into production.

The investment of around 100 million euros has primarily focused on complex test-bench technology and the upgrades to the building's existing infrastructure required for operation. Hall 80, located on the grounds of the Wackersdorf plant, has been remodelled for this purpose: Originally constructed in the 1980s for a planned reprocessing facility, the building has quite a history.

In recent months, structural work for the new battery testing centre has been in progress, including installation of a new floor slab. A total of 2,200 tonnes of structural steel and 10,000 cubic metres of concrete were used in the expansion.

The commissioning of the initial section means that the so-called “battery testers” will be operating around the clock to test battery cells during the early phase of development. Essentially, the electrical performance of individual battery cells is determined during charging and discharging under different conditions. This allows use cases that will be relevant for customers later to be simulated, long before a vehicle under development drives on the road. 

“Parallel testing of several hundred battery cells will initially be possible. Once the ramp-up is complete, testing capacity will reach several thousand battery cells,” explains Project Manager Dr Felix Schmidt-Stein. In the final phase from 2025 onwards, the testing centre will also be used to validate the BMW Group’s battery-electric vehicles prior to the official launch of series production and ensure the required premium quality. “For example, this includes subjecting the batteries to vibration and shock tests,” adds Schmidt-Stein. “We can also simulate complex driving patterns in endurance tests, including charging and discharging cycles. Tests like these are essential for type approval of electric vehicles.” 

“Commissioning of the first phase of the new battery testing centre means that the BMW Group's Wackersdorf location is poised to become a major facilitator in the transformation towards electromobility,” confirms Site Manager Christoph Peters. “The new battery testing centre gives our site a broader foundation. We are now adding a fourth pillar in Wackersdorf – in addition to supplying our overseas plants, cockpit production and door production for Rolls-Royce models. This represents a strong commitment to the future of the site.” 

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Saskia Graser, head of Communications Regensburg and Wackersdorf
Cell phone: +49 151 6060 2014, Email: Saskia.Graser@bmw.de 

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en 
Email: presse@bmw.de 

BMW Group Plants Regensburg and Wackersdorf

The BMW Group has viewed itself for decades as the benchmark for production technology and operational excellence in vehicle construction – including at its locations in Regensburg and Wackersdorf. 
The BMW Group vehicle plant in Regensburg has been in operation since 1986 and is one of more than 30 BMW Group production locations worldwide. A total of up to 1,400 vehicles of the BMW X1 and BMW X2 models come off the production line at Plant Regensburg every workday – destined for customers all over the world. Different types of drive trains are flexibly manufactured on a single production line – from vehicles with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids, to fully-electric models. 

High-voltage batteries for the electric models built in Regensburg are also produced locally, in direct proximity to the vehicle plant. They are assembled at the electric component production facility, which opened in 2021 at the Leibnizstrasse location.

BMW Innovation Park Wackersdorf also belongs to the Regensburg site. The 55-hectare campus built in the 1980s was originally intended as a nuclear reprocessing facility. The BMW Group has located its cockpit production there, as well as its parts supply for overseas plants. In addition to BMW as the largest employer, several other companies are also based at Innovation Park Wackersdorf. A total of around 2,500 employees work there. 
The BMW Group core staff at the Regensburg and Wackersdorf locations in eastern Bavaria is made up of around 9,250 employees, including more than 300 apprentices.

www.bmwgroup-werke.com/regensburg/de.html 

+++ BMW Group blijft consequent zijn succesvolle productstrategie implementeren +++ Wereldpremière van de eerste volledig elektrische performance modellen MINI John Cooper Works Electric en MINI John Cooper Works Aceman +++ Eerste keer dat BMW Vision Neue Klasse en BMW Vision Neue Klasse X samen op een autosalon te zien zijn +++

//

Paris. Parallel to the market launch of the new BMW 1 Series, the new BMW X3 and the new BMW M5, the BMW Group will present the next steps in its unchanged product strategy at the Mondial de l'Auto Paris 2024. The focus is on the world premieres of the first all-electric MINI John Cooper Works models and the first joint motor show appearance of the latest concept studies of the BMW Neue Klasse, which will go into series production in 2025.

“The BMW Group is demonstrating its pioneering role in electric mobility at the Mondial de l'Auto Paris with a cross-segment range of electrified vehicles. Thanks to our attractive BEV product portfolio, we are able to grow our all-electric sales even in a demanding market environment. In the European market, we were even able to gain market share with the BMW brand,” says Jochen Goller, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Customers, Brands, Sales.

What BMW M is to BMW, JCW is to MINI. 
The new all-electric MINI John Cooper Works models.
With the world premiere of the all-electric MINI John Cooper Works Electric and the MINI John Cooper Works Aceman, the brand's long racing history is transferred to the here and now with innovative power. The two models effortlessly transfer motorsport expertise from the race track to the road. In addition to the exclusive, sporty design

and optimised aerodynamic driving characteristics, MINI fans can also look forward to the brand's hallmark agile handling. Click [here] for more information.

The roll-out of electrification to the John Cooper Works brand within MINI transmits another strong signal on how the BMW Group is committed to electric driving as a strategic direction.

At the same time, the Mondial de l'Auto Paris 2024 marks the ideal starting point for intensified communication in the further ramp up for BMW Neue Klasse, due for launch in 2025.

First joint appearance of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse and BMW Vision Neue Klasse X.
BMW is showing two Neue Klasse Vision Vehicles in Paris, which provide an outlook on the wide range of BMW's future model portfolio.
The BMW Vision New Class is a sporty electric sedan for the premium mid-range. The BMW Vision New Class X transfers the philosophy and technology of the future generation of vehicles to the Sports Activity Vehicle segment.

"With the two vision cars for Neue Klasse we are showing how we are going to change the look & feel of the BMW brand. Many aspects of our cars will be completely new and yet we believe that the Neue Klasse will reflect the very essence of the BMW brand", says Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design.

Both vehicles are characterized by a clear, reduced design language. In the interior, the next generation of BMW iDrive enables intuitive interaction between driver and vehicle. The combination of BMW Panoramic Vision, 3D Head-Up Display, Central Display and the new multifunction steering wheel redefine the BMW driver orientation. Click [here] for more information.

The new BMW iX2 features in-car entertainment highlight UNO® Car Party! And Paramount+.
With UNO® Car Party! in the BMW iX2, the BMW Group is showing the next in-car gaming highlight. Since the end of August 2024, the game has already been available in over 500,000 BMW and MINI vehicles via the AirConsole platform. In addition, it was only at the beginning of October that the BMW Group brought the popular subscription streaming service Paramount+ into the vehicle, offering subscribers access to a wide range of blockbusters, new originals and hit series such as Star Trek Discovery. Customers have access to in-car entertainment highlights in their vehicles with BMW and MINI Operating System 9 in conjunction with BMW Digital Premium or the MINI Connected Package*.

*Paramount+ subscription is not part of BMW Digital Premium/MINI Connected Package.

In addition to the outlook for the BMW Neue Klasse and new digital services, also hydrogen technology is key topic at the Mondial de l'Auto Paris 2024, as a further expression of the BMW Group's open technology drive strategy.

BMW will launch its first hydrogen-powered production model in 2028. 
After successfully testing the BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet worldwide, the BMW Group is now preparing for series production of vehicles with hydrogen drive systems in 2028. The series production models will be integrated into BMW’s existing portfolio. Hydrogen is recognized as a promising future energy carrier of the future, actingas an effective storage medium for renewable energy sources, helping to balance supply and demand and enabling a more stable and reliable integration of renewables into the energy grid.

Click [here] for more information.

The BMW Group is also showing the complete all-electric BMW and MINI product portfolio at Mondial de l'Auto Paris 2024. It now consists of more than 15 models, which cover all major market segments.

The motor show presentation is rounded off with the electric two-wheelers from BMW Motorrad for urban areas. Click [here] for more information.

The BMW Group stand at Mondial de l'Automobile Paris 2024 covers an area of 1,300 square metres. The fair is open to trade visitors on 14 October and to the general public from 15 to 20 October 2024.

+++ BMW en Toyota ontwikkelen gezamenlijk de volgende generatie brandstofceltechnologie +++ BMW lanceert in 2028 het allereerste brandstofcelvoertuig in serieproductie +++ Beide bedrijven promoten de ontwikkeling van waterstofinfrastructuur +++

//

München. BMW is van plan om in 2028 zijn allereerste brandstofcelvoertuig (FCEV) in serieproductie te lanceren, waarmee klanten de keuze krijgen voor een extra volledig elektrische aandrijflijn met nul lokale emissies in een BMW, naast het bestaande batterij-elektrische gamma. BMW Group en Toyota Motor Corporation bundelen hun innovatieve kracht en hun technologische mogelijkheden om een ​​nieuwe generatie brandstofcel-aandrijflijntechnologie op de weg te brengen. Beide bedrijven delen de ambitie om de waterstofeconomie te bevorderen en hebben hun samenwerking uitgebreid om deze lokaal emissievrije technologie naar een hoger niveau te tillen.

De toonaangevende ontwikkelingsexpertise van de BMW Group op het gebied van elektrische aandrijftechnologieën wordt opnieuw aangetoond door de onvermoeibare inspanningen om waterstof-brandstofceltechnologie te verbeteren, dit als onderdeel van een 'technology-openness'-benadering waarbij klanten een scala aan mobiliteitsoplossingen voor de toekomst aangeboden krijgen.

“Dit is een mijlpaal in de autogeschiedenis: het allereerste serieproductie-brandstofcelvoertuig dat door een wereldwijde premiumfabrikant wordt aangeboden. Aangedreven door waterstof en gedreven door de geest van onze samenwerking, zal het benadrukken hoe technologische vooruitgang de toekomstige mobiliteit vormgeeft", aldus Oliver Zipse, voorzitter van de raad van bestuur van BMW AG. "En het zal een tijdperk van aanzienlijke vraag naar brandstofcel-elektrische voertuigen inluiden."

Koji Sato, president en lid van het directiecomité van Toyota Motor Corporation, zei: "We zijn verheugd dat de samenwerking tussen BMW en Toyota een nieuwe fase is ingegaan. In onze lange geschiedenis van partnerschap hebben we bevestigd dat BMW en Toyota dezelfde passie voor auto's delen en geloven in 'technologie-openheid' en een 'multi-pathway'-benadering van koolstofneutraliteit. Op basis van deze gedeelde waarden zullen we onze samenwerking verdiepen, onder andere door gezamenlijk de volgende generatie brandstofcelsystemen te ontwikkelen en de infrastructuur uit te breiden. Doel hiervan is de realisatie van een waterstofeconomie. We zullen onze inspanningen samen met BMW en partners in verschillende sectoren versnellen om een ​​toekomst te realiseren waarin waterstofenergie de maatschappij ondersteunt."

Gedeelde aandrijflijntechnologie gebruikt in individuele modellen om aantrekkelijke FCEV-opties te bieden.

BMW Group en Toyota Motor Corporation zullen gezamenlijk het aandrijflijnsysteem voor personenauto's ontwikkelen, waarbij de brandstofceltechnologie (de individuele brandstofcellen van de derde generatie) synergieën creëert voor zowel commerciële als personenautotoepassingen. Het resultaat van deze gezamenlijke inspanning zal worden gebruikt in individuele modellen van zowel BMW als Toyota en zal het aanbod van FCEV-opties voor klanten uitbreiden, waardoor de visie van waterstofmobiliteit een stap dichter bij de realiteit komt. Klanten kunnen verwachten dat de BMW en Toyota FCEV-modellen hun onderscheidende merkidentiteiten en -kenmerken behouden, waardoor ze kunnen kiezen uit individuele FCEV-opties. Synergieën realiseren en het samenvoegen van het totale volume van aandrijflijneenheden door samen te werken in ontwikkelings en inkoop, belooft de kosten van brandstofceltechnologie te verlagen.

BMW brengt in 2028 zijn eerste waterstofaangedreven productiemodel op de markt.

Nadat de BMW iX5 Hydrogen testvloot wereldwijd succesvol is bevonden, bereidt de BMW Group zich nu voor op serieproductie van voertuigen met waterstofaandrijfsystemen in 2028 op basis van de gezamenlijk ontwikkelde aandrijflijntechnologie van de volgende generatie. De serieproductiemodellen worden geïntegreerd in het bestaande portfolio van BMW, d.w.z. BMW zal een bestaand model aanbieden in een extra systeemvariant op waterstof met een brandstofcel. Omdat FCEV-technologie een andere elektrische voertuigtechnologie is, ziet de BMW Group het expliciet als een aanvulling op de aandrijftechnologie die wordt gebruikt door batterij-elektrische voertuigen (BEV), naast plug-in hybride elektrische voertuigen (PHEV) en verbrandingsmotoren (ICE).

Een nieuw niveau van partnerschap.

De BMW Group en Toyota Motor Corporation kunnen terugkijken op meer dan tien jaar van vertrouwde en succesvolle samenwerking. Voortbouwend hierop, breiden de bedrijven nu hun samenwerking uit om de innovatie van brandstofcelaandrijfsystemen van de volgende generatie te versnellen en deze nieuwe technologie te pionieren.

Gedeelde visie op het bevorderen van de waterstofeconomie.

Het pad naar het realiseren van het volledige potentieel van waterstofmobiliteit omvat het gebruik ervan in commerciële voertuigen en de oprichting van een tankinfrastructuur voor alle mobiliteitstoepassingen, inclusief op waterstof aangedreven personenauto's. De BMW Group en Toyota Motor Corporation erkennen de complementaire aard van deze technologieën en ondersteunen de uitbreiding van zowel waterstoftanken als batterij-elektrische voertuiglaadinfrastructuur. Beide bedrijven moedigen de voorziening van duurzame waterstof aan door het creëren van een vraag, en werken nauw samen met bedrijven die koolstofarme waterstofproductie-, distributie- en tankfaciliteiten bouwen.

De BMW Group en Toyota Motor Corporation pleiten voor het creëren van een gunstig kader door overheden en investeerders om de penetratie van waterstofmobiliteit in de markt te vergemakkelijken en de economische levensvatbaarheid ervan te waarborgen. Door de bijbehorende infrastructuur te promoten, willen ze de FCEV-markt vestigen als een extra pijler naast andere aandrijflijntechnologieën. Bovendien zoeken de bedrijven naar regionale of lokale projecten om de ontwikkeling van waterstofinfrastructuur verder te stimuleren via samenwerkingsinitiatieven.

Voordelen van waterstoftechnologie.

De BMW Group

Met zijn vier merken BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce en BMW Motorrad is de BMW Group 's werelds grootste premium fabrikant van auto's en motorfietsen en leverancier van premium financiële en mobiliteitsdiensten. Het productienetwerk van BMW Group omvat meer dan 30 productielocaties wereldwijd; het bedrijf heeft een wereldwijd verkoopnetwerk in meer dan 140 landen.

In 2023 verkocht BMW Group wereldwijd meer dan 2,55 miljoen personenauto's en meer dan 209.000 motorfietsen. De winst voor belastingen in het boekjaar 2023 bedroeg € 17,1 miljard op een omzet van € 155,5 miljard. Op 31 december 2023 had de BMW Group 154.950 werknemers in dienst.

Het succes van de BMW Group is altijd gebaseerd geweest op langetermijndenken en verantwoordelijk handelen. Het bedrijf heeft de koers voor de toekomst al in een vroeg stadium uitgezet en maakt van duurzaamheid en efficiënt gebruik van middelen consequent kernelementen van zijn strategische richting, van de toeleveringsketen over de productie tot het einde van de gebruiksfase van al zijn producten.

+++ Wereldwijd vijf nieuwe assemblagelocaties voor 6e generatie hoogspanningsaccu's +++ Statusupdate van de initiatieven in Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Duitsland), Debrecen (Hongarije), Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) en Woodruff (VS) +++

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Munich. The Neue Klasse will usher in a new era of fully electric driving at the BMW Group – the success of which will depend heavily on the production of powerful high-voltage batteries. That’s why the BMW Group is expanding its production network for the next generation of high-voltage batteries significantly. “We are setting up five facilities on three continents to produce our sixth-generation high-voltage batteries,” explained Milan Nedeljković, Board Member for Production at BMW AG. Across the globe, the principle of “local for local” will apply: "Close connection of battery production with vehicle production is part of our strategy," explains Markus Fallböhmer, Senior Vice President of Battery Production at BMW AG. This helps the BMW Group increase the resilience of its production.

Battery and vehicle production closely connected

The Neue Klasse will be the first to incorporate the all-new cylindrical cells. These represent a technological leap by the BMW Group, offering vastly improved energy density, charging times and range. They will be assembled in new facilities located as closely as possible to vehicle plants, in keeping with the principle of “local for local”. State-of-the-art assembly plants for sixth-generation high-voltage batteries are currently under construction in Irlbach-Strasskirchen (Lower Bavaria), Debrecen (Hungary), Woodruff (near Plant Spartanburg in the US), Shenyang (China) and San Luis Potosí, Mexico. With the “local for local” approach in place, production will be able to continue even when unexpected political or economic events occur. In addition, short distances between battery and vehicle plants will reduce the carbon footprint of car production. The BMW Group is also upgrading its existing sites and therefore securing and creating jobs.

Neue Klasse to launch first at Plant Debrecen in 2025

The first Neue Klasse vehicles will be produced at the BMW Group’s new plant in Debrecen, starting in 2025. High-voltage battery and vehicle manufacturing will launch in parallel. With the training centre in Debrecen open since autumn 2023 and the communications centre in use since February 2024, a large number of employees are already at work in their offices at the site. The production team, meanwhile, are preparing for their new jobs at various locations across the BMW Group production network. This will ensure a smooth start to pre-series production and a successful series launch in the second half of 2025. Currently, the final buildings are being completed. They will be handed over to the technologies by the end of the year.

High-voltage batteries from Lower Bavaria

The BMW Group is also going to manufacture high-voltage batteries for Neue Klasse models in Germany – specifically in Irlbach-Straßkirchen, in Lower Bavaria. The new facility will supply sixth-generation high-voltage batteries to German car plants. The BMW Group was granted permission to build the new high-voltage battery assembly plant in April 2024 and erected the first of pillar for the production hall in late June 2024. The production building is scheduled to be enclosed with facade and roof by the end of the year. The citizens of Straßkirchen had previously voted in favour of the BMW Group coming to their area, with a clear majority in the referendum of September 2023.

China to produce the Neue Klasse from 2026

From 2026 Neue Klasse vehicles will also be made by BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) in Shenyang, China. Here, too, the sixth-generation high-voltage batteries required for the cars will be manufactured locally. The production hall was completed in November 2023 after a construction time of only 21 months. The installation of plant and machinery has been underway since March 2024. Preparing for the launch of the Neue Klasse, the BMW Group has also set up its largest R&D network outside Germany, with facilities in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Nanjing.

Neue Klasse in Mexico from 2027

At San Luis Potosí in Mexico, additional production capacity is being established for series production of the Neue Klasse to start in 2027. Construction of the new high-voltage battery assembly plant started in May 2024 and will comprise more than 80,000 square metres of production space when completed. But the integration of battery assembly is not all that’s changing at Plant San Luis Potosí: the bodyshop is set to grow to more than 90,000 square metres in total, while vehicle assembly and logistics spaces will expand by nearly 10,000 square metres. The BMW Group is the first premium OEM to manufacture fully electric cars and high-voltage batteries in Mexico – and a pioneer in the industry. Additionally, the company plans to expand the photovoltaic systems within the plant and thus double the power generated from photovoltaics. This is intended to generate more than 20 percent of the current electricity demand directly on the plant premises in the future.

BMW Group Plant Woodruff: High-voltage batteries for Spartanburg

Electromobility is also advancing in South Carolina. BMW Group Plant Woodruff will cover an area of about 93 hectares and consist of a technology building, ancillary structures, an energy centre, a staff restaurant, a fire department and a Talent Campus. It will create more than 300 new jobs with the BMW Group. When construction reaches completion in 2026, Woodruff will assemble high-voltage batteries for fully electric cars made in nearby Plant Spartanburg. The ground-breaking ceremony for the first building in Woodruff – the training centre – was in June 2023.

Battery expertise concentrated in Parsdorf and Munich

Prototype battery cells like the ones in the Neue Klasse, launching in 2025, are already being made at the BMW Group’s Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre (CMCC) in Parsdorf, just east of Munich. The CMCC was built to complement the Battery Cell Competence Centre (BCCC) in the north of the city, where development work is carried out. The CMCC scales up the best product for series production. Product and process are uniquely interlinked by the close collaboration across divisions, between Development, Purchasing and Production. The BMW Group operates further pre-series plants and pilot lines for future high-voltage batteries in Munich and the nearby towns of Parsdorf and Hallbergmoos.

San Luis Potosí. BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosí is gearing up for production of the Neue Klasse: Construction of a local high-voltage battery assembly has now begun, along with expansion projects for the body shop, assembly and logistics areas. A total of 800 million euros will be invested in expanding the Mexican production site.

The Neue Klasse will also be produced in Mexico from 2027 onwards. The Sports Activity Vehicle model will be launched at the new BMW Group Plant Debrecen in Hungary as the initial derivative of the Neue Klasse in late 2025, while the Sedan will ramp up in Munich in 2026. Just one year later, additional production capacity will be available in Mexico – initially, for the Sports Activity Vehicle. The future high-voltage battery assembly at Plant San Luis Potosí, covering an area of more than 80,000 square metres, is key to integrating the Neue Klasse at the production site.

“The battery assembly in San Luis Potosí will be part of our global production network. For our new sixth-generation e-drive alone, we are building five locations on three continents,” explained Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production, at the start of construction in Mexico. The BMW Group is committed to the “local for local” principle worldwide. “Locating battery factories close to vehicle manufacturing makes production more resilient.”

Close links between battery factory and vehicle production

In line with its “local for local” principle, the BMW Group locates its high-voltage battery assembly facilities worldwide as close as possible to its vehicle plants. In addition to the location in San Luis Potosí, assembly sites for sixth-generation high-voltage batteries are also being built in Debrecen (Hungary), Shenyang (China), Woodruff, near Spartanburg (USA) and Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Lower Bavaria). This approach safeguards production, even in the event of unforeseen political and economic developments. Existing locations are also being strengthened, securing jobs. The short distances involved reduce the carbon footprint of vehicle production.

The BMW Group will use its newly developed round cells for the first time in the Neue Klasse. This leap in technology will boost the energy density of cells by 20 percent and improve charging speed by up to 30 percent. Range will be extended by 30 percent. 

Further development of Plant San Luis Potosí

As well as integrating battery assembly, other changes are being made at Plant San Luis Potosí: Just under 20,000 square metres will be added to the body shop, resulting in a total area of over 90,000 square metres. Assembly and logistics areas are also being expanded by almost 10,000 square metres.

“With this further development of our site, we are also gearing up in Mexico for the launch of the next BMW model generation. As the first premium OEM producing fully-electric vehicles and high-voltage batteries in Mexico, we are at the forefront of our industry and, at the same time, continuing to reduce our environmental footprint,” said Harald Gottsche, president and CEO of BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosí.

Photovoltaic output to double

When it comes to efficient energy supplies, the BMW Group uses site-specific solutions at its locations around the world. “In Mexico, we are planning to expand the photovoltaic systems within the plant, to double the output from the solar panels,” said Nicole Haft-Zboril, Head of Real Estate Management at the BMW Group. “The plan is to generate more than 20 percent of the electricity we need at the moment – directly on the factory premises.” The wastewater treatment plant has also been expanded, with an investment of 3.3 million euros significantly increasing the reuse of treated wastewater.

Extensive skills development programme

BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosí is also stepping up its commitment to skills development, aimed at ensuring employees are highly qualified and prepared for the challenges of the future. Training will include topics such as safety awareness around production of high-voltage systems and the use of robotics in manufacturing processes.

The BMW Group plant in San Luis Potosí started production in 2019. Around 3,700 employees currently produce the BMW 3 Series Sedan as well as the BMW 2 Series Coupé and the BMW M2 models for the global market.

+++ Langdurige, strategische samenwerking op het gebied van volledig elektrische aandrijftechnologie tussen toonaangevende premium fabrikant en jong, technologisch georiënteerd bedrijf +++ Het gezamenlijke doel is om innovatieve oplossingen te creëren voor de hoogspanningsbatterijen in toekomstige voertuiggeneraties +++

//

Munich / Zagreb. The BMW Group and Rimac Technology, headquartered near Zagreb, Croatia, officially announced a long-term partnership.

The aim of the collaboration is to co-develop and co-produce innovative solutions in the field of high-voltage battery technology for battery-electric vehicles.

The results are to be used in the BMW Group’s future product range – in model generations slated for the second half of the 2020s.

The respective strengths and expertise of the two companies complement each other in a productive way. The BMW Group’s electrification strategy is aimed at building further on its leading position in the premium electric mobility sector. Even before we reach 2030, battery-electric vehicles will account for over half of global vehicle sales. The BMW Group brings battery and electric drive system expertise amassed over more than 15 years to the partnership.

As an integral part of the Rimac Group, Rimac Technology stands out as a Tier 1 supplier specializing in electrification in the automotive sector. Its portfolio consists of high-voltage battery packs, e-axles, as well as electronics and software solutions. Rimac Technology products are designed, engineered and produced in-house to offer advanced technology with a high degree of customization. The long-term partnership with the BMW Group is a sign of the Rimac Technology transition from niche high-performance solutions supplier to high-volume Tier 1 supplier. With the relentless growth of the business, including the opening of the Rimac Campus, Rimac Technology is ready to deliver large-scale projects at the highest automotive standards.

The two partners will release more details about what form the strategic tie-up will take, as well as its scope and content, at a later stage.

Separately from the new strategic cooperation, the BMW Group is preparing for the introduction of its Neue Klasse range: The first model will celebrate its market launch in 2025. The arrival of the Neue Klasse models will also mark the debut of the sixth generation of BMW eDrive technology, which will bring another significant leap forward in all customer-relevant attributes, such as range and charging time.

Munich. BMW Neue Klasse models scheduled for launch in 2025 will be able to store electricity and function as a power outlet. They are equipped with technology for bidirectional charging – i.e. the ability to both accept and supply electricity.

With the latest design studies, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse sedan and the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X SAV, the BMW Group is showing what the next generation of core vehicles from the BMW brand will look like. They represent the range of technological innovations with which the company is showcasing its future viability.

With the world premiere of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X, BMW is now announcing another innovation set to enter series production: the ability to charge bidirectionally. This technology makes it possible to use the high-voltage battery of an all-electric vehicle as an energy storage device and to return the cached electricity to either your own household supply or the power grid at a later stage.

This makes it even easier for BMW customers to actively contribute to the energy transition and promotes the sustainable generation and use of renewable energy. Functions such as “Vehicle to Home”, “Vehicle to Grid” and “Vehicle to Load” will therefore be available to BMW customers for the first time. This move also underlines the ongoing expansion of the BMW Group Charging offer.

 “We are constantly improving our range of charging products and services in order to maximise the benefit to the customer,” says Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Development. “Starting this summer, we will be offering cost-optimised charging together with our partner E.ON in a number of markets. And with the Neue Klasse we will be taking the next step: bidirectional charging. Vehicle to Home and Vehicle to Grid, all fully integrated into our comprehensive charging ecosystem – BMW Connected Home Charging. Using the vehicle, the My BMW App, the BMW backend – plus a BMW DC Wallbox Professional and their photovoltaic system, customers will be able to control the energy flow in such a way that home charging is possible off grid at times. And, of course, they will also be able to lower their charging costs by feeding the electricity stored in their BMW back into the power grid.” 

Vehicle to Home: electricity for your household
In the technology’s initial stage, bidirectional charging will enable customers to essentially use their vehicle’s high-voltage battery as a stationary energy storage device. Here, the carbon-neutral electricity generated by the customer’s photovoltaic system is temporarily stored in the vehicle’s battery with the help of the BMW DC Wallbox Professional and then subsequently fed back to power other consumers in the home, making the customer independent from the external power grid for a time and reducing their energy costs.

Vehicle to Grid: feeding into the network

The second stage of bidirectional charging will allow customers to make a portion of their battery’s capacity available externally. This energy capacity can be used for both charging from the grid and discharging electricity into it at appropriate times. Access to the energy market is provided by BMW cooperation partner E.ON. To do this, customers will need the dynamic electricity tariff from E.ON, who will manage the charging process together with the BMW backend to enable revenue generation from the energy exchange. 
This function will only become available in the various markets once the necessary regulatory measures have been adopted.

Vehicle to Load: the car as a power bank

The vehicle to Load function allows energy stored in the vehicle to be used for powering external electrical equipment. This means the Neue Klasse can double as a form of mobile power bank for charging an e-bike, for example, or supplying energy to electrical equipment while camping.

Regardless of which type of bidirectional charging is used, the customer's desire for mobility always comes first. This is ensured by intuitive and easy operation in the My BMW App, which can be used to control the entire BMW Connected Home Charging ecosystem.

Accelerating the energy transition

Bidirectional charging not only ensures greater supply security. By both accepting and supplying electricity, electric vehicles can make a significant contribution to the share of electricity consumption coming from renewable sources. Using the storage capacities provided by high-voltage batteries allows supply and demand in the area of green electricity to be better coordinated. For example, electric vehicle storage systems can selectively absorb peak wind and solar energy generation and release the electricity again during periods of low generation (night, lulls) in supply. This makes it possible to reduce the start-up of fossil power plants and their emissions during such periods. In this way, electric mobility is becoming an ever more integral part of the energy revolution. With bidirectional charging, CO₂ emissions can be reduced both in the area of mobility and in power generation overall.

Munich. A new era is dawning for BMW Group Plant Munich: from 2026, the iconic parent plant will produce the Neue Klasse sedan. Just one year later, the factory will manufacture nothing but all-electric models, making the Munich plant the first location in the BMW Group’s existing production network to have successfully completed the transformation to E-mobility from the end of 2027.

“The Munich plant is an excellent example of our ability to adapt. We are investing € 650 million here and will produce exclusively all-electric vehicles in our parent plant from the end of 2027,” says Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Production. “Last year alone, six all-electric models went into production. At the same time, we also set a production record, proving that we are simultaneously able to both deliver and shape the future in our production network.”

Peter Weber, Director BMW Group Plant Munich, adds: “Munich is the beating heart of BMW. The plant in Munich is innovative and adaptable. As in the 1960s, a Neue Klasse is again laying the foundation, on which our plant is reinventing itself. The fact that this comprehensive transformation is taking place at the same time as roughly 1,000 vehicles per day are currently being manufactured is common practice in Munich and is possible thanks to the outstanding performance of all our employees. We are delighted to be guiding the Munich plant into a fully-electric future – starting with the Neue Klasse sedan.”

Smooth transition to electromobility, as the era of combustion automobiles from Munich ends in 2027

BMW Group Plant Munich is a prime example of the fluent transition to the era of electromobility. In 2015, the first plug-in hybrid models from the BMW 3 Series were manufactured on the same production line as combustion vehicles. In 2021, the BMW i4 became the first all-electric vehicle to be produced on the same production line. Nowadays, every second vehicle that rolls off the production line has an all-electric drive system.

From 2026, production of the Neue Klasse in the Munich plant will initially run parallel to production of current models. A good year later, from the end of 2027, the BMW Group’s parent plant will be the first existing site in the global production network to manufacture exclusively all-electric vehicles, having been transformed accordingly. As such, the era of vehicles with combustion engines in Munich will draw to a close 75 years after the launch of the BMW 501 in 1952.

After the start in the new plant in Debrecen, Hungary, and in Munich, the Neue Klasse vehicles will also be produced in Shenyang, China, and San Luis Potosí in Mexico.

Extensive modifications offer long-term security for location

Over the course of a history stretching back more than 100 years, BMW Group Plant Munich has undergone many changes and repeatedly reinvented itself. Together with the conversion from manufacturing aircraft engines to automobile construction, the successful introduction of the Neue Klasse in the 1960s is a milestone in the list of changes throughout the company’s history.

At the moment, multiple large construction sites are evidence of the turnaround, as they pave the way for the arrival of the Neue Klasse from 2026. The € 650 million of investment comprises four buildings, including a new vehicle assembly line with logistics areas and a new body shop.

In order to create the space within the limited floor space at the plant in the heart of Munich, the traditional engine manufacturing has been moved to Hams-Hall in Great Britain and Steyr in Austria after roughly 70 years at the parent plant. 1,200 employees have been trained for different production strategies in Munich or have taken up employment at other locations in the production network.

As in the 1960s and all other changes since, the current transformation of BMW Group Plant Munich is taking place whilst production is still ongoing. Regardless of the construction work, roughly 1,000 cars roll off the production line every day, including BMW 3 Series and the BMW i4 – all on the same assembly line.

The extensive reorientation of the plant secures a long-term future for the site in Munich, and is also a significant investment in Bavaria as an industrial location.

Digitalisation at the Munich plant in accordance with the principles of BMW iFACTORY

The principles of BMW iFACTORY guarantee the utmost flexibility, excellent processes and outstanding integrability at all sites within the BMW Group – from the completely new plant in Debrecen to the parent plant in Munich, which is over 100 years old and at which the transformation is in full swing. BMW iFACTORY is synonymous with the superb production expertise throughout the entire production network. One important aspect is a comprehensive digitalisation with a holistic approach to the interaction between people, processes and systems. It optimises processes and supports employees with their work. The implementation takes place in three areas: data science, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtualisation.

Munich/Parsdorf. A tiny piece of the future began rolling off the production line in Parsdorf today: 95 millimetres tall, cylinder-shaped, with a diameter of 46 millimetres. These are the new battery cell samples – like those that will be used in the models of the Neue Klasse from 2025 onwards – being produced at the new Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre (CMCC) in Parsdorf. The BMW Group is thus positioning itself to ramp up electromobility efficiently and showcasing its leading role in battery cell technology.

“With the Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre, we are strengthening Germany’s capacity for innovation,” explained Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Production. “In this way, we are making an important contribution to the quantum leap in technology in the Neue Klasse.”

“Production of battery cell samples in Parsdorf marks the next logical step in our battery cell strategy,” said Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Development. “The Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre is the perfect complement to our existing Battery Cell Competence Centre in the north of Munich. Development takes place there, then we scale the best product towards a series process in Parsdorf. Thanks to cross-divisional collaboration, we are able to link product and process in a unique way.”

The CMCC in Parsdorf will enable the BMW Group to span the whole cell value creation process. With this know-how, the company is setting benchmarks for production, quality, performance, costs and environmental standards, which it is implementing in close cooperation with its partners for standard production of battery cells. At its battery cell competence centres in Munich and Parsdorf, the BMW Group is systematically pursuing future milestones, such as the ramp-up of the sixth generation of BMW electric drive trains and development of all-solid-state batteries (ASSB). About 80 employees work at the 15,000-square-metre Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre, which has benefited from a total investment of around 170 million euros. The German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy are supporting the project within the framework of the European funding process IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest).

Recycling at the CMCC: Keeping materials in the loop

Raw materials are among the significant cost factors for cell production. Efficient and responsible use of raw and carrier material is therefore necessary and makes sense from both an environmental and economic perspective. At the new CMCC, experience will be gained from all processes and the lessons learned analysed to further optimise the use of resources. Residual materials from the production process will be collected at the CMCC, sorted and fed back into the cell production cycle. In addition to working on the cell manufacturing process, BMW Group experts are also focusing on reusing materials and components from the whole battery after its initial use in the vehicle.

At the Battery Cell Competence Centre (BCCC) in Munich, the first battery cells made from 100% recycled and/or secondary (battery-grade) cathode material have been manufactured and tested using state-of-the-art characterisation methods. Our cell suppliers are already delivering battery cells containing secondary raw materials (e.g. nickel) from various used-battery sources (incl. production waste). The long-term aim of the BMW Group is to reuse all raw materials in recyclable high-voltage batteries.

How the cell is created: Production steps for sample manufacturing at the CMCC

Cell manufacturing begins with electrode production. Here the base material, comprising, for example, graphite for the anode and nickel oxides for the cathode, with binders and solvents, is metered and mixed in a precisely measured ratio. This creates the so-called “slurry” – which means wafer-thin metal foils are coated and then compressed after drying. In technical jargon, this is referred to as “calendering”. The highest level of precision is required: The foil is just a few micrometres thick – in other words, thinner than the threads of a spider web, while the coating is in the micrometre range. During cell assembly, the coated foils, referred to as calendered electrodes, are wound into so-called “jelly rolls” using the separator and inserted into the cell housing. The cells are filled with electrolyte, then charged for the first time and finally checked for functionality and quality.

CMCC Parsdorf: Buildings with a focus on the environment

The CMCC in Parsdorf is built to high environmental standards. An immission control approval procedure has been carried out for the technical installations used in battery cell production – ensuring that the company complies with all requirements and guidelines. The CMCC will also operate fossil-free, relying on electricity produced using renewable energy, including from photovoltaic systems on the roof of the building. The building will also be supplied with regenerative heat produced using state-of-the-art groundwater and air heat pumps.

Sixth-generation BMW battery technology: New cell format and enhanced cell chemistry

The battery cell is responsible for electric vehicles’ core properties: range, driving performance and charging time. With the new BMW round cell specially designed for the electric architecture of the Neue Klasse models, it will be possible to significantly increase the range of the top model by up to 30 percent (according to WLTP).

The new BMW round cells come with a standard diameter of 46 millimetres and two different heights of 95 millimetres and 120 millimetres. Compared to the prismatic cells of the fifth BMW battery cell generation, the nickel content of the sixth-generation BMW round cells will be higher on the cathode side, while the cobalt content will be reduced. On the anode side, the silicon content will be increased. As a result, the cell’s volumetric energy density will improve by more than 20 percent.

Battery, drive train and charging technology in the Neue Klasse will have a higher voltage of 800 volts. Among other things, this will optimise how energy is supplied to direct current high-power charging stations, which can achieve a much higher charging capacity with a current of up to 500 amperes – thus reducing the time it takes to charge from ten to 80 percent by up to 30 percent.

Reducing the carbon footprint of battery cell production by up to 60 percent

The BMW Group is particularly focused on keeping the carbon footprint and resource consumption of production as low as possible, starting in the supply chain. For standard production of battery cells, the cell manufacturers commissioned will use cobalt, lithium and nickel containing secondary material. Together with the commitment by its cell suppliers to use only green power from renewable energies in production, the BMW Group will reduce the carbon footprint from battery cell production by up to 60 percent, compared to the current generation of battery cells.

München. BMW Group voert zijn elektrische offensief op en vertrouwt steeds meer op regionale toeleveringsketens, in overeenstemming met het principe 'lokaal voor lokaal'. Het bedrijf wil onderdelen zoals batterijcellen dicht bij de voertuigproductie betrekken en de toeleveringsketen voor primaire materialen geleidelijk aan lokaliseren.

Nieuwe partner levert grondstoffen voor de productie van batterijcellen

Het Belgische bedrijf Umicore werd aangeworven als een bijkomende partner om een lokale toeleveringsketen in Noord-Amerika uit te bouwen. Umicore zal onze batterijcelleverancier AESC voorzien van kathodeactieve batterijmaterialen dankzij een nieuwe fabriek in Ontario, Canada. Dat zal in aanzienlijke mate bijdragen tot de versterking van de regionale toeleveringsketens van BMW Group en de versnelde uitbreiding van de elektrische mobiliteit.

In lijn met het 'local for local'-principe bouwt onze partner AESC momenteel een batterijcelfabriek in Florence (South Carolina). Deze fabriek met een capaciteit van 30 GWh per jaar zal de innovatieve cilindervormige cellen van de lithium-ionbatterijen produceren, die speciaal voor de zesde generatie van de BMW eDrive-technologie werden ontwikkeld. De elektriciteit voor de productie van de batterijcellen en de kathodegrondstof zal uitsluitend afkomstig zijn uit hernieuwbare bronnen.

“We streven naar een wereldwijd evenwichtige aankoopstrategie in de drie belangrijkste geografische regio’s. Onze batterijcelleverancier in de VS zal in de toekomst belangrijke grondstoffen uit Canada betrekken. Dat zal ons helpen om de toeleveringsketen voor de voertuigproductie in onze Amerikaanse fabriek in Spartanburg verder te verfijnen conform het ‘lokaal voor lokaal’-principe. Korte afstanden garanderen de efficiëntie en robuustheid,” aldus Joachim Post, lid van de Raad van Bestuur van BMW AG verantwoordelijk voor het aankoop- en leveranciersnetwerk.

Verdere investering van BMW Group in South Carolina

Oliver Zipse, voorzitter van de Raad van Bestuur van BMW AG, kondigde al in oktober 2022 een uitgebreide investering van 1,7 miljard dollar aan in de uitbreiding van de Amerikaanse productievestiging. Dat bedrag omvat 700 miljoen USD voor de bouw van het nieuwe assemblagecentrum van BMW Group in Woodruff, dat in de toekomst hoogspanningsbatterijen voor de zuiver elektrische BMW X-modellen zal leveren. In een eerste fase zal de ongeveer 93.000 m² grote faciliteit batterijmodules van de zesde generatie produceren. Het montagecentrum zal ook zo'n 300 nieuwe banen opleveren.

Batterijceltechnologie van de zesde generatie voor betere prestaties en meer duurzaamheid

Het nieuwe batterijformaat van de zesde generatie zal de energiedichtheid met meer dan 20 procent verhogen en de laadsnelheid en actieradius met tot 30 procent verbeteren. Tegelijk zal de CO₂-uitstoot van de celproductie met 60 procent dalen: enerzijds doordat de batterijcelleveranciers gebruikmaken van energie uit hernieuwbare bronnen, en anderzijds doordat ze een percentage gerecycleerde grondstoffen gebruiken voor lithium, kobalt en nikkel.

Indien u vragen hebt, kunt u contact opnemen met:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Benedikt Fischer, Communications Purchasing and Supplier Network

Telefoon: +49 89 382-66887

E-mail: benedikt.fischer@bmw.de

Marc Sauber, Communications Purchasing and Supplier Network

Telefoon: +49 89 382-52332

E-mail: marc.sauber@bmw.de

Perscontact BMW Group Belux:

Jeroen Lissens
GSM: +32 488 23 55 85
Tel.: +32 3 890 97 08
E-mail: jeroen.lissens@bmw.be

Mediawebsite: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

E-mail: presse@bmw.de

BMW Group

Met zijn vier merken – BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce en BMW Motorrad – is BMW Group 's werelds belangrijkste prestigeconstructeur van auto's en motorfietsen en levert de onderneming ook hoogwaardige financiële en mobiliteitsgerelateerde diensten. Het productienetwerk van BMW Group telt wereldwijd meer dan 30 productievestigingen en het wereldwijde verkoopnetwerk van de onderneming beslaat meer dan 140 landen.

In 2022 verkocht BMW Group wereldwijd ruim 2,4 miljoen personenwagens en meer dan 202.000 motorfietsen. De winst voor belastingen in boekjaar 2022 bedroeg € 23,5 miljard op een omzet van € 142,6 miljard. Op 31 december 2022 had BMW Group 149.475 werknemers in dienst.

Het succes van BMW Group steunt vanouds op langetermijndenken en verantwoord ondernemen. De onderneming heeft zijn koers voor de toekomst in een vroeg stadium uitgestippeld en plaatst duurzaamheid en efficiënt grondstoffenbeheer consequent centraal in zijn strategische keuzes, van de toeleveringsketen over de productie tot het einde van de gebruiksfase van alle producten. 

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CO2 EMISSIONS & CONSUMPTION.

Munich. At the IAA Mobility 2023 international motor show in Munich, the BMW Group will be presenting the most recent highlights of its ongoing transformation in the key action areas of electrification, digitalisation and circularity. The latest new models with electrified powertrains from the BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad brands, plus Vision Vehicles and concepts for individual mobility in tomorrow’s world all serve to underline the company’s innovative strength in these fields. As the dawn of a new era in personal mobility approaches, the BMW Group is set to unveil its latest highlight, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, which brings together the Group’s development expertise in the three crucial disciplines for the future of mobility.

The IAA Mobility show is being staged in Munich for the second time. For the BMW Group and its brands, this provides an excellent opportunity to enter into constructive dialogue on the future of individual mobility with local people, as well as with visitors to the show from outside Munich and other stakeholders. The IAA Mobility Summit at the exhibition centre and the BMW Group’s Open Space at Max-Joseph-Platz in the heart of Munich will be the main arenas where BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad present their new products on 5 – 10 September 2023. Among the models visitors can acquaint themselves with here alongside the BMW Vision Neue Klasse is the fully electric BMW i5. And they can also experience the world premieres of the new fully electric MINI Cooper, new fully electric MINI Countryman and BMW CE 02 eParkourer.

Electric, digital, circular – the focus areas of the BMW Group.

The BMW Group’s presence at IAA Mobility 2023 revolves around the company’s rigorous focus on electric, digital and circular mobility for the future and the latest progress it has made in these areas. The BMW Vision Neue Klasse is joined by a selection of new models from across the Group’s brands whose electrified powertrains, digital innovations and resource-efficient manufacturing illustrate the ongoing process of change in a variety of ways.

The new products poised for launch by the BMW brand include the plug-in hybrid variants of the new BMW 5 Series. The new BMW i7 Protection – the first ever all-electric protection vehicle in the luxury sedan segment – is also making its debut at IAA Mobility 2023.

MINI is unveiling the members of the brand’s new model family for the first time with the help of two world premieres: the new fully electric MINI Cooper and new fully electric MINI Countryman will both be on show at the Open Space site. A new model with all-electric drive also forms the centrepiece of BMW Motorrad’s line-up at Max-Joseph-Platz. Conceived as a compact eParkourer with a trailblazing design, the new BMW CE 02 injects fresh impetus into the urban mobility scene.

Locally emission-free mobility sets the theme for the models on show.

The IAA Mobility show will be officially opened on 5 September at Munich’s exhibition centre. The BMW Group will be represented at its stand in Hall A2, where the BMW Vision Neue Klasse will be unveiled to kick off the event. The BMW i7 Protection all-electric protection vehicle will also be presented for the first time at the IAA Mobility Summit.

The IAA Mobility Summit is taking place under the banner “Experience Connected Mobility” and is aimed primarily at trade visitors. It will showcase trends and technological innovations for future mobility over the course of numerous talks, presentations and panel discussions. One of the central topics is the use of hydrogen as an energy source for current and future vehicles. BMW is carrying out pioneering work in this field with its development and practical testing of a Sports Activity Vehicle with a hydrogen-powered fuel-cell drive system. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is also being exhibited at the Summit.

Locally emission-free mobility is also the dominant theme for the models awaiting visitors to the Open Space site. BMW has at least one purely electrically powered representative in all relevant model segments. The brand is presenting its entire line-up to the public, ranging from the BMW iX1 compact Sports Activity Vehicle via the BMW i4 and BMW i5 to the BMW iX and the BMW i7 luxury sedan.

The Open Space at Max-Joseph-Platz can be visited free of charge on 5 – 9 September from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sunday 10 September from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition, BMW Welt will continue to provide an attractive destination for all automotive enthusiasts during IAA Mobility 2023. The current model portfolios of the BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad brands are presented here, along with the latest BMW and MINI Lifestyle collections. Plus, starting on 2 September 2023, BMW Lifestyle together with BMW M GmbH will be running a GOODS WITH FREUDE pop-up store in the Hofstatt shopping centre at No. 10 Sendlinger Straße. Located just a few minutes’ walk away from the Open Space, the store will feature both familiar lifestyle articles and the new BMW Lifestyle collection.

World premiere: the BMW Vision Neue Klasse.

At IAA Mobility 2023, the BMW Group is offering visitors a preview of the Neue Klasse – the forthcoming generation of models from BMW. The BMW Vision Neue Klasse brings together innovations from the areas of electrification, digitalisation and circularity in signature BMW style. The Vision Vehicle takes design, control/operation, efficiency and sustainability into a whole new dimension – one that it will be possible to experience on the road before long.

During IAA Mobility 2023, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse will be on show at both the Summit and the Open Space. The new Vision Vehicle incorporates the latest innovations in the BMW Group’s key future-focused fields. It therefore builds on the BMW i Vision Circular and the BMW i Vision Dee – which have already demonstrated the BMW Group’s development expertise in the areas of circular economy and digitalisation – and combines their qualities with further new developments in exterior and interior design, user experience and powertrain and battery technology.

World premiere: the plug-in hybrid variants of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan.

As well as the all-electric BMW i5, the brand is exhibiting two other model variants with electrified powertrains at IAA Mobility 2023. As early as spring 2024, two models featuring state-of-the-art plug-in hybrid technology will be added to the new BMW 5 Series Sedan range. Their six-cylinder and four-cylinder in-line petrol engines from the new modular generation of Efficient Dynamics units will each be combined with the latest BMW eDrive technology for plug-in hybrid systems. This will result in a notable increase in output and much sharper power delivery, while also significantly improving efficiency and electric range compared to the outgoing model generation.

The electric motor purpose-developed for the new plug-in hybrid system is integrated into the eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission together with its power electronics. The highly integrated drive unit contributes up to 145 kW/197 hp to the maximum combined output of 360 kW/489 hp in the case of the new BMW 550e xDrive Sedan (fuel consumption combined: 1.1 – 0.8 l/100 km [256.8 – 353.1 mpg imp]; electric power consumption combined: 22.5 – 20.1 kWh/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 24 – 19 g/km in WLTP cycle, provisional figures) and 220 kW/299 hp for the new BMW 530e Sedan (fuel consumption combined: 0.8 – 0.6 l/100 km [353.1 – 470.8 mpg imp]; electric power consumption combined: 21.4 – 18.9 kWh/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 19 – 14 g/km in WLTP cycle, provisional figures).

A BMW-patented innovation has been used to enhance the electric motor’s power delivery in the new plug-in hybrid models: a pre-gearing stage enables the nominal torque of 280 Nm (206 lb-ft) to be increased to effective torque of up to 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) at the transmission input for the motor. The compact electric motor is therefore able to boost torque by an amount that would normally only be possible using a larger unit and makes a clear difference both when accelerating off the line and putting in a rapid burst of speed. Electric range is now up to 79 – 90 kilometres (49 – 56 miles) in the WLTP cycle for the new BMW 550e xDrive Sedan and 87 – 101 kilometres (54 – 63 miles) in the WLTP cycle for the new BMW 530e Sedan.

The lithium-ion high-voltage battery’s space-saving positioning within the vehicle’s underbody has a beneficial effect on both the car’s centre of gravity and the capacity of its luggage compartment, which holds a total of 520 litres in the plug-in hybrid models – meaning it is just as large as that offered by their purely combustion-engined siblings. The usable energy provided by the high-voltage battery has climbed to 19.4 kWh. At the same time, maximum charging capacity has doubled compared to the outdoing models and now stands at 7.4 kW, enabling the high-voltage battery to be fully recharged from empty in 3.0 hours. When hooked up to a conventional domestic power socket, a full vehicle charge is completed in 9.8 hours.

World premiere: the BMW i7 Protection.

BMW is presenting a new generation of protection vehicles in the luxury sedan segment at the IAA Mobility 2023 show. The new BMW i7 Protection (electric power consumption combined in WLTP cycle: 30.0 kWh/100 km, provisional figure) is absolutely unique in this segment, as it is the world’s first ever certified protection sedan with an all-electric drive system. Driven by two powerful electric motors, it meets all the requirements of class VR9 protection without any limitations, as does the new V8-engined BMW 7 Series Protection (fuel consumption combined in WLTP cycle: 14.6 l/100 km [19.3 mpg imp]; CO₂ emissions: 328 g/km, provisional figures).

Both models blend the integrated protection concept channelled into the development of the new BMW 7 Series range with outstanding levels of ride comfort and spaciousness, advanced equipment features and the unbeatable dynamic prowess for which BMW is renowned. The concept centres around the new and unique BMW Protection Core, which forms a self-supporting body structure made from armour steel. This is then combined with features such as additional armouring for the underbody and roof, plus armoured glass. The result is customised protection from attacks with firearms or explosives for at-risk individuals. The glass in the new protection vehicles even meets the requirements for the highest class of civilian protection, VPAM 10.

The all-electric BMW i7 Protection is equipped with one electric motor at the front axle and another at the rear. Together they generate a combined output of 400 kW/544 hp and maximum combined torque of 745 Nm (549 lb-ft), and create an electric all-wheel-drive system. The new BMW i7 Protection sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) from rest in 9.0 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 160 km/h (99 mph). The instantaneous, precisely orchestrated power delivery from the two motors guarantees exceptional traction and directional stability even when the car is being driven hard and performing challenging manoeuvres, such as when escaping from an attack.

Tuned and optimised specifically for this model, the chassis technology also makes allowance for the additional weight of its armouring, resulting in superbly assured performance in any situation. Another unique offering for this segment is the inclusion of Integral Active Steering as standard. This reduces the car’s turning circle, increases agility when cornering at speed and improves driving comfort for rear-seat passengers. The 20-inch light-alloy wheels are a further standout feature. The PAX tyres that also come as standard allow the car to continue its journey at up to 80 km/h (50 mph) even in the event of a total loss of pressure.

The latest generation of BMW iDrive based on BMW Operating System 8.5 is fitted, complete with the BMW Curved Display. The system is intuitive to use and operates in a way familiar to BMW drivers. The special functions relevant to occupant protection are also operated via BMW iDrive. The new protection vehicles can also be tailored precisely to any purpose, with items including a fresh-air supply system, a fire extinguishing system, flashing lights, radio transceivers and flag poles for when the car is on official duty, plus other special customer-specific options.

Trailblazing: the BMW iX5 Hydrogen.

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen presented at IAA Mobility 2023 provides further evidence of the company’s superlative innovative strength in the field of drive technology. A pilot series of the Sports Activity Vehicle with hydrogen fuel-cell drive, developed on the basis of the current BMW X5, has entered service for demonstration and test purposes with various target groups around the world. This allows selected test groups who haven’t been involved in the development process to get behind the wheel of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen and gain a direct impression of its attributes for the first time.

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is equipped with the latest, fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology. The highly integrated drive unit at the rear axle draws its energy from a high-performance battery with li-ion technology that was specially developed for the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle and generates maximum output of 295 kW/401 hp. The electric motor also doubles as a generator that feeds energy back into the high-performance battery on the overrun or under braking.

The model’s two 700-bar tanks made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) together hold six kilograms of gaseous hydrogen and can be refilled in three to four minutes. A chemical reaction takes place in the fuel cell system between the hydrogen and oxygen from the air, through which the electric power for the electric motor is generated. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen achieves a range of 504 kilometres (313 miles) in the WLTP cycle without having to refill the tanks. The hydrogen-powered SAV completes the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in under six seconds and goes on to reach a top speed in excess of 180 km/h (112 mph).

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen combines long-distance capabilities and short refuelling stops with zero tailpipe emissions and hallmark BMW driving dynamics. Its hydrogen fuel-cell technology has the potential – provided the necessary basic conditions are in place – to serve as an additional pillar in the BMW Group’s future powertrain portfolio. As part of its ongoing transformation, the BMW Group is following an approach that embraces all technologies when it comes to drive systems. The company is therefore readying itself for differing customer requirements, infrastructure standards and political and regulatory frameworks in the various regions of the world. This degree of flexibility puts the BMW Group in a position to react quickly to changing requirements in the markets in any situation and to present as many customers as possible with an appropriate model offering at all times.

München. De volledig elektrische modellen van de nieuwe MINI familie krijgen geluidswerelden die kenmerkend zijn voor het merk, voor een nog meeslependere rijervaring. Het repertoire omvat compleet nieuwe rijgeluiden in het interieur, een onmiskenbaar merkgeluid om het exterieur als MINI te onderscheiden, jingles voor de nieuwe MINI Experience Modes en nieuwe geluidspictogrammen voor informatie- en waarschuwingsfuncties.

"De nieuwe geluiden vormen een integraal onderdeel van de digitale ervaring en zijn individueel afgestemd op het karakter van elk van de nieuwe modellen. Ze doen een emotionele beroep op de passagiers in het interieur en geven tegelijkertijd vorm aan de akoestische perceptie naar de buitenwereld. Ze zorgen er ook voor dat de auto zowel klinkt als er onmiskenbaar uitziet als een MINI," zegt Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Design. Dit kan voor het eerst worden ervaren in de nieuwe MINI Cooper Electric.

Het nieuwe MINI Sound DNA is gebaseerd op de essentiële merkwaarden en straalt een positieve, charismatische uitstraling uit. De MINI Experience Modes worden het podium voor volledig nieuw gecreëerde geluidswerelden. Analoge instrumenten, digitale technologie en kunstmatige intelligentie worden gecombineerd om geluiden te genereren die tegelijkertijd MINI definiëren, informatie overbrengen en emoties opwekken.

Vier rijgeluiden voor een individuele gebruikerservaring.

De MINI belevenismodi "Core", "Go Kart", "Timeless" en "Balance" zijn voorzien van individueel samengestelde rijgeluiden die akoestisch worden teruggekoppeld naar de bestuurder tijdens het accelereren. Deze geluiden zijn hoorbaar in het interieur van de toekomstige MINI modellen, emotionaliseren de rijervaring en geven ook een authentieke maar informatieve indruk van de rijsituatie.

De standaard geluidswereld voor de nieuwe MINI modellenfamilie zal het "Core" rijgeluid zijn. Het is de enige geluidsmodus die niet alleen binnen in de auto te horen is, maar ook erbuiten, als akoestische bescherming voor voetgangers. Als merkgeluid van MINI klinkt het uitnodigend, energiek en inspirerend. "Het nieuwe geluidsontwerp voor MINI is geïnspireerd op Nicolaus Copernicus, die de heliocentrische kijk op de wereld voorstelt waarin de planeten om de zon draaien," zegt Renzo Vitale, Creative Director Sound bij BMW Group. "We hebben ons voor het 'Core'-geluid laten inspireren door de ronde vorm van het centrale OLED-scherm. Het doet ons denken aan de zon die warmte uitstraalt. In analogie met de planeten, die elk op hun eigen manier het zonlicht reflecteren, hebben we verschillende geluidscomponenten ontworpen die variëren afhankelijk van de rijsituatie."

Het MINI "Go Kart" rijgeluid is gemaakt voor een bijzonder sportieve rijervaring. Het beschikt over sterk geprononceerde toonhoogte- en belastingscurves, die een passende geluidsachtergrond vormen voor wendbaar en dynamisch rijden.

Traditie en vooruitgang komen samen in het MINI "Timeless" rijgeluid. De motorgeluiden van conventioneel aangedreven modellen van de klassieke Mini tot de MINI John Cooper Works GP werden gesampled en gecombineerd met een futuristische interpretatie van het MINI "Core" rijgeluid om een akoestische reis door de tijd te creëren. Hoe intensiever de auto accelereert, hoe meer het geluid overgaat van het verleden met de verbrandingsmotor naar het puur elektrische heden.

Een vierde soundscape opent met het MINI "Balance" rijgeluid. Het is oorspronkelijk ontworpen voor de MINI Vision Urbanaut en is gebaseerd op de geluiden die je op verschillende momenten van de dag en nacht in een bos ervaart: van het kabbelen van een beekje tot het tjilpen van krekels en het ruisen van de wind in de boomtoppen. De resulterende geluidswerelden geven een gevoel van ontspanning en welzijn aan boord van de toekomstige MINI modellen.

Karakteristieke jingles en opvallende earcons.

De rijgeluiden voor de toekomstige MINI familie zijn toegewezen aan de eveneens nieuwe Experience Modes. Hun activering wordt aangekondigd met een karakteristieke jingle. Deze korte geluidssequentie brengt de inzittenden in de stemming voor de overgang naar een nieuwe voertuiginstelling.

De BMW Group

Met zijn vier merken BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce en BMW Motorrad is de BMW Group wereldwijd de grootste premium fabrikant van auto's en motorfietsen en biedt het bedrijf ook financiële en mobiliteitsdiensten van topklasse. Het productienetwerk van BMW Group bestaat uit meer dan 30 productielocaties wereldwijd; het bedrijf heeft een wereldwijd verkoopnetwerk in meer dan 140 landen.

In 2022 verkocht BMW Group wereldwijd bijna 2,4 miljoen auto's en meer dan 202.000 motorfietsen. De winst voor belastingen bedroeg in het boekjaar 2022 € 23,5 miljard op een omzet van € 142,6 miljard. Op 31 december 2022 had de BMW Group 149.475 medewerkers in dienst.

Het succes van de BMW Group is altijd gebaseerd geweest op langetermijndenken en verantwoord handelen. Het bedrijf heeft al in een vroeg stadium de koers voor de toekomst uitgezet en maakt duurzaamheid en efficiënt beheer van hulpbronnen consequent centraal in zijn strategische richting, van de toeleveringsketen via de productie tot het einde van de gebruiksfase van alle producten.

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Perscontact:

BMW Group Belux

Jeroen Lissens
GSM: +32 488 23 55 85
Tel.: +32 3 890 97 08
E-mail: jeroen.lissens@bmw.be

+++ Er werd een belangrijke stap gezet: voor het eerst leveren proefwagens in de praktijk waardevolle kennis op voor de toekomst. +++ De weg wordt vrijgemaakt voor potentiële massaproductie +++

//

München / Antwerpen. De BMW Group presenteert internationale mediavertegenwoordigers de eerste voertuigen van een proefvloot die dit jaar in gebruik zal worden genomen. Na vier jaar ontwikkelingswerk gaat het BMW iX5 waterstof voertuig- en ontwikkelingsproject zijn kritische volgende fase in.

De vloot van minder dan 100 auto’s zal dan internationaal worden ingezet voor demonstratie- en testdoeleinden voor verschillende doelgroepen. Deze actieve rijervaring zal daarom de eerste kans zijn voor mensen die niet betrokken zijn bij het ontwikkelingsproces om een directe indruk te krijgen van wat de BMW iX5 Hydrogen te bieden heeft.

"Waterstof is een veelzijdige energiebron die een sleutelrol speelt in het energietransitieproces en daarmee in de klimaatbescherming. Het is immers één van de meest efficiënte manieren om hernieuwbare energie op te slaan en te transporteren", aldus Oliver Zipse, voorzitter van het Board of Management van BMW AG.  "We moeten dit potentieel gebruiken om ook de transformatie van de mobiliteitssector te versnellen. Waterstof is het ontbrekende stukje in de puzzel als het gaat om emissievrije mobiliteit. Eén technologie alleen zal niet voldoende zijn om wereldwijd klimaatneutrale mobiliteit mogelijk te maken."

De BMW iX5 Hydrogen.

De BMW iX5 Hydrogen ontwikkeld op basis van de huidige BMW X5 werd voor het eerst onthuld als concept op de IAA show in 2019. De eerste prototypes werden vervolgens op de IAA Mobility 2021 beschikbaar gesteld voor bezoekers om als shuttle-auto in actie te ervaren.

Het waterstof-brandstofcelsysteem is een verder bewijs van de toonaangevende ontwikkelingsexpertise van BMW Group op het gebied van elektrische aandrijftechnologieën. De BMW Group zet systematisch vaart achter de ontwikkeling van waterstof-brandstofceltechnologie als extra optie voor lokaal emissievrije individuele mobiliteit in de toekomst.

BMW's technologische expertise.

De BMW Group produceert de uiterst efficiënte brandstofcelsystemen voor de proefvloot in zijn eigen competentiecentrum voor waterstof in München. Deze technologie is één van de kernelementen in de BMW iX5 Hydrogen en genereert een hoog continu vermogen van 125 kW/170 pk.

In de brandstofcel vindt een chemische reactie plaats tussen gasvormige waterstof uit de tanks en zuurstof uit de lucht. De constante toevoer van beide elementen naar het membraan van de brandstofcel is van cruciaal belang voor de efficiëntie van het aandrijfsysteem. Naast de technologische equivalenten van voorzieningen die in verbrandingsmotoren te vinden zijn, zoals laadluchtkoelers, luchtfilters, regeleenheden en sensoren, ontwikkelde de BMW Group ook speciale waterstofcomponenten voor zijn nieuwe brandstofcelsysteem. Daartoe behoren bijvoorbeeld de hogesnelheidscompressor met turbine en de hoogspanningskoelvloeistofpomp.

De BMW Group betrekt de afzonderlijke brandstofcellen van de Toyota Motor Corporation. De twee bedrijven hebben al vele jaren een partnerschap dat wordt gekenmerkt door vertrouwen en werken sinds 2013 samen aan brandstofcelaandrijfsystemen.

Brandstofcelsystemen worden in twee grote stappen vervaardigd, op basis van de afzonderlijke brandstofcellen. De cellen worden eerst geassembleerd tot een brandstofcelstapel. In de volgende stap worden alle andere componenten gemonteerd tot een compleet brandstofcelsysteem.

Het stapelen van de brandstofcellen is grotendeels een volledig geautomatiseerd proces. Nadat de afzonderlijke componenten op eventuele schade zijn gecontroleerd, wordt de stapel met een kracht van vijf ton machinaal samengeperst en in een behuizing geplaatst. De behuizing van de stack wordt vervaardigd in de lichtmetaalgieterij van BMW Group Plant Landshut met behulp van een zandgiettechniek.

Hiervoor wordt gesmolten aluminium gegoten in een mal van verdicht zand vermengd met hars in een proces dat speciaal voor deze kleine serie voertuigen is ontworpen.

De drukplaat, die waterstof en zuurstof aan de brandstofcelstapel levert, is gemaakt van gegoten kunststof onderdelen en gietstukken van een lichte legering, eveneens uit de fabriek in Landshut. De drukplaat vormt een gas- en waterdichte afdichting rond de schoorsteenbehuizing.

De eindassemblage van de brandstofcelpakketten omvat een spanningstest en uitgebreide tests van de chemische reactie in de cellen. Ten slotte worden alle verschillende onderdelen in de assemblageruimte in elkaar gezet om het complete systeem te produceren.

Tijdens deze systeemassemblage worden nog meer onderdelen gemonteerd, zoals de compressor, de anode en kathode van het brandstofcelsysteem, de hoogspanningskoelvloeistofpomp en de kabelboom.

In combinatie met een sterk geïntegreerde aandrijving met BMW eDrive technologie van de vijfde generatie (de elektrische motor, transmissie en vermogenselektronica zijn samengebracht in een compacte behuizing) aan de achteras en een speciaal voor deze auto ontwikkelde vermogensaccu met lithium-ion technologie, kan de aandrijflijn een maximaal vermogen van 295 kW / 401 pk op de weg brengen. In de uitloop- en remfase doet de motor ook dienst als generator, die energie terugvoert naar een vermogensaccu.

Productie in proeffabriek München.

De BMW iX5 Hydrogen wordt gebouwd in de proeffabriek van de BMW Group in zijn onderzoeks- en innovatiecentrum (FIZ) in München. Dit is het raakvlak tussen ontwikkeling en productie, waar elk nieuw model van de merken van de onderneming voor het eerst wordt gemaakt. Ongeveer 900 mensen werken er in de carrosserieafdeling, de assemblage, de modelbouw, de constructie van conceptvoertuigen en de additieve productie.

Zij moeten ervoor zorgen dat zowel het product als het productieproces klaar is voor serieproductie. In het geval van de BMW iX5 Hydrogen hebben specialisten op het gebied van waterstoftechnologie, voertuigontwikkeling en de eerste assemblage van nieuwe modellen nauw samengewerkt om de geavanceerde technologie voor aandrijving en energieopslag te integreren.

Waterstof maakt snel tanken mogelijk.

De waterstof voor de brandstofcel wordt opgeslagen in twee tanks van 700 bar, gemaakt van met koolstofvezel versterkte kunststof (CFRP). Samen bevatten ze bijna zes kilogram waterstof, genoeg om de BMW iX5 Hydrogen een actieradius van 504 km (313 mijl) te geven in de WLTP-cyclus. Het vullen van de waterstoftanks duurt slechts drie tot vier minuten - zo kan de BMW iX5 Hydrogen ook over lange afstanden het rijplezier bieden waar BMW bekend om staat, met slechts enkele, korte stops onderweg.

Overzicht van de technische gegevens, prestaties, verbruik en actieradius van de BMW iX5 Hydrogen:

Maximaal vermogen van de totale aandrijving: 295 kW/401 pk

Continu elektrisch vermogen van het brandstofcelsysteem: 125 kW/170 pk

Maximaal vermogen van de batterij (lithium-ion technologie): 170 kW/231 pk

Maximaal vermogen van de sterk geïntegreerde elektrische aandrijving: 295 kW/401 pk

Inhoud van de waterstoftanks: 6 kg waterstof (gasvormig)

Acceleratie 0-100 km/u (62 mph) < 6 s

Topsnelheid: Meer dan 180 km/u (112 mph)

Waterstofverbruik in de WLTP-cyclus: 1,19 kg/100 km

Actieradius in de WLTP-cyclus: 504 km (313 mijl)

FCEV technologie draagt bij aan decarbonisatie.

De BMW Group is de eerste Duitse autofabrikant die zich heeft aangesloten bij de "Business Ambition for 1.5°C campagne" onder leiding van het Science Based Targets initiatief en streeft naar volledige klimaatneutraliteit in de gehele waardeketen.

De volgende stap in dit proces is het plan van de BMW Group om de CO2-uitstoot per voertuig over de volledige levenscyclus - d.w.z. toeleveringsketen, productie- en gebruiksfase - tegen 2030 met minstens 40% te verminderen ten opzichte van 2019.

De BMW Group verkocht in 2022 wereldwijd meer dan 215.000 volledig elektrische voertuigen, een stijging van bijna 108 procent ten opzichte van het voorgaande jaar. Volledig elektrische voertuigen waren vorig jaar goed voor iets minder dan 9 procent van het totale verkoopvolume, en dit aandeel zal in 2023 toenemen tot 15 procent.

Uiterlijk in 2030 wil de BMW Group een situatie bereiken waarin volledig elektrische voertuigen een aandeel van meer dan 50 procent van de totale verkoop opeisen.

De BMW Group ziet de FCEV-technologie nadrukkelijk als een potentiële aanvulling op de aandrijftechnologie van batterij-elektrische voertuigen.

Waterstof als onderdeel van wereldwijde activiteiten voor CO2-vrije mobiliteit.

Volgens een rapport van het Internationaal Energieagentschap (IEA) biedt waterstof een aanzienlijk potentieel als toekomstige energiebron in verband met wereldwijde activiteiten voor energietransitie. Dankzij zijn opslag- en transportmogelijkheden kan waterstof voor een groot aantal toepassingen worden gebruikt.

De meeste geïndustrialiseerde landen stellen daarom waterstofstrategieën vast en ondersteunen deze met routekaarten en concrete projecten. In de vervoerssector kan waterstof, naast batterij-elektrische mobiliteit, een andere technologische optie worden om op lange termijn duurzame individuele mobiliteit vorm te geven.

Dit zal echter afhangen van een concurrerende productie van voldoende hoeveelheden waterstof uit groene energie en de uitbreiding van de bijbehorende vulinfrastructuur, die in veel landen al intensief wordt nagestreefd.

De BMW Group verwelkomt en ondersteunt activiteiten ter bevordering van innovatie in Duitsland en Europa die bijdragen aan de opbouw van een waterstofeconomie en de productie van groene waterstof versnellen. Daartoe behoren met name de grootschalige waterstofprojecten die als belangrijke projecten van gemeenschappelijk Europees belang (IPCEI) zijn geclassificeerd.

De projecten die deel uitmaken van dit initiatief van de Europese Unie, dat in Duitsland wordt gesteund door het federale ministerie van Economische Zaken en het federale ministerie van Vervoer, bestrijken de hele waardeketen - van waterstofproductie tot vervoer en toepassingen in de industrie.

De BMW Group

Met zijn vier merken BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce en BMW Motorrad is de BMW Group 's werelds leidende fabrikant van premium auto's en motorfietsen en biedt ook eersteklas financiële en mobiliteitsdiensten. Het productienetwerk van de BMW Group omvat  meer dan 30 productievestigingen wereldwijd; het bedrijf heeft een wereldwijd verkoopnetwerk in meer dan 140 landen.

In 2022 verkocht de BMW Group wereldwijd meer dan 2,4 miljoen personenauto's en meer dan 202.000 motorfietsen. De winst vóór belastingen voor het fiscale jaar 2022 bedroeg 16,1 miljard euro bij een omzet van 111,2 miljard euro. Op 31 december 2021 had de BMW Group 118.909 mensen in dienst.

Het succes van de BMW Group is altijd gebaseerd geweest op langetermijndenken en verantwoordelijk handelen. Het bedrijf heeft al in een vroeg stadium de koers voor de toekomst uitgezet en stelt duurzaamheid en efficiënt grondstoffenbeheer consequent centraal in zijn strategische koers, van de toeleveringsketen via de productie tot het einde van de gebruiksfase van alle producten.

www.bmwgroup.com  

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup 

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupView 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

Voor vragen gelieve contact op te nemen met:

BMW Group Belux:

Jeroen Lissens, Head of Corporate Communications Belux
E-mail: jeroen.lissens@bmw.be 

Telefoon: +32 3 890 97 08

GSM: +32 488 23 55 85

BMW Group, Corporate Communications

Carolin Seidel, Perswoordvoerster Innovation en Technology

E-mail: Carolin.Seidel@bmwgroup.com

Telefoon: +49 151 601 90340

Munich. The BMW Group is commencing production of its BMW iX5 Hydrogen model. Manufacture of the small-series hydrogen-powered vehicle is taking place in the pilot plant at its Munich Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ). The first ever Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) featuring hydrogen fuel cell technology has already completed an intensive programme of testing under demanding conditions during the development phase and will now be used as a technology demonstrator for locally carbon-free mobility in selected regions from spring 2023.

“Hydrogen is a versatile energy source that has a key role to play as we progress towards climate neutrality,” says Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development. “We are certain that hydrogen is set to gain significantly in importance for individual mobility and therefore consider a mixture of battery and fuel cell electric drive systems to be a sensible approach in the long term. Fuel cells don’t require any critical raw materials such as cobalt, lithium or nickel either, so by investing in this type of drive system we are also strengthening the geopolitical resilience of the BMW Group. Our BMW iX5 Hydrogen test fleet will allow us to gain new and valuable insights, enabling us to present customers with an attractive product range once the hydrogen economy becomes a widespread reality.”

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is being built in the BMW Group’s pilot plant at its Research and Innovation Centre in Munich. This is the interface between development and production where every new model from one of the company’s brands is made for the first time. Around 900 people work there in the body shop, assembly, model engineering, concept vehicle construction and additive manufacturing. They each work on up to six vehicle projects simultaneously and are tasked with ensuring that both the product and the manufacturing process are ready for series production. In the case of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, specialists in hydrogen technology, vehicle development and initial assembly of new models have been working closely together to integrate the cutting-edge drive and energy storage technology.

“Production of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen and the BMW-developed fuel cell systems demonstrates our supreme flexibility and unrivalled know-how in the field of small-scale manufacture,” remarks Milan Nedeljković,  Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production. “It shows we already boast the necessary expertise for integrating hydrogen technology into the BMW iFACTORY production system as an additional type of drive.”

BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the USA supplies the base vehicles for the hydrogen model, which has been developed on the platform of the BMW X5. They are fitted with a new floor assembly in the pilot plant’s body shop that makes it possible to accommodate the two hydrogen tanks in the centre tunnel and under the rear seat unit. The model-specific 12V and 400V electrical systems, high-performance battery, electric motor and fuel cell are all integrated during the assembly stage, alongside standard production parts. Positioned in the rear axle area together with the high-performance battery, the electric motor is a product of the current, fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology also employed in battery electric and plug-in hybrid models from BMW. The fuel cell systems located under the bonnet of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen have been manufactured at BMW’s in-house competence centre for hydrogen in Garching to the north of Munich since August this year.

Numerous components are produced exclusively for the hydrogen-powered SAV, including some made at the Additive Manufacturing Campus – the BMW Group’s competence centre for 3D printing – which also forms part of the pilot plant. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen passes through all the customary stages of production, starting at the body shop then proceeding to the paint shop and assembly before ending with a final inspection of each individual vehicle. Following this, every vehicle undergoes a comprehensive operational check at the BMW Group’s test centre in Aschheim.

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen combines all the benefits of a locally emission-free drive system with outstanding everyday usability and long-distance capabilities. This makes its hydrogen fuel cell technology an attractive complementary alternative to the battery electric drive system. This is especially true for customers for whom short refuelling stops and long ranges are a must, as well as for regions still lacking an adequate charging infrastructure.

++ Zoals beloofd: volledig elektrische modellen uit alle Duitse fabrieken +++ Korte afstanden in de logistiek: hoogspanningsbatterij voor BMW iX1* komt ook uit Regensburg +++ Meer dan 3.300 werknemers werken in de productie van elektrische componenten van BMW Group +++ Tegen 2024 zal een op de drie BMW's van Beierse fabrieken elektrisch zijn +++ Bijgaand het volledige Engelstalige persbericht.

//

CO2 EMISSIONS & CONSUMPTION.

Indien u vragen heeft, kunt u contact opnemen met:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Bernhard Ederer, BMW Group Innovation Communications

Email: Bernhard.Ederer@bmwgroup.com , Tel.: +49 (0) 176 601 28556

Sandra Schillmöller, Communications Purchasing, Supplier Network, Sustainability

Email: Sandra.Schillmoeller@bmwgroup.com , Telephone: +49-89-382-12225

Munich. On 31 August, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG Oliver Zipse and Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development, will come together to inaugurate fuel cell system production at the company’s competence centre for hydrogen in Munich. The reason for this occasion is the small series of BMW iX5 Hydrogen cars that will be entering service around the world from the end of this year for test and demonstration purposes. The combination of fuel cell and high-performance battery is set to enrich the company’s portfolio by adding a unique form of drive system for the premium segment. The BMW Group is playing a visionary and pioneering role in this technology with the aim of achieving a more diversified transition to zero-emission mobility.

“As a versatile energy source, hydrogen has a key role to play on the road to climate neutrality. And it will also gain substantially in importance as far as personal mobility is concerned. We think hydrogen-powered vehicles are ideally placed technologically to fit alongside battery-electric vehicles and complete the electric mobility picture,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, in Munich on Wednesday. “By commencing small-scale production of fuel cells today, we are demonstrating the technical maturity of this type of drive system and underscoring its potential for the future.”

“Our many years of research and development work have enabled us to get the very most out of hydrogen technology,” added Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development. “We have managed to more than double the fuel cell’s continuous output in the second-generation fuel cell in the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, while weight and size have both decreased drastically.”

Thanks to these advances, the BMW Group leads the way in the development of hydrogen technology and considers it to hold great promise for its next generation of vehicles.

Technological expertise and high standards of efficiency in the drive system
The BMW Group will now be manufacturing highly efficient fuel cell systems at its in-house competence centre for hydrogen. This technology is one of the core elements in the BMW iX5 Hydrogen and generates a high continuous output of 125 kW/170 hp. It teams up with an electric motor featuring fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology and a high-performance battery purpose developed for this vehicle to enable its powertrain to deliver 275 kW/374 hp. The development team incorporated the powerful drive system – comprising two hydrogen tanks, the fuel cell and the electric motor – into the existing BMW X5 platform for the small production run. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen already successfully demonstrated its excellent everyday usability, even at very low temperatures, during the final round of winter testing in Sweden at the start of this year.

The impressive testing results of this new small-scale series of cars are rooted in the BMW Group’s extensive experience with the use of hydrogen as a drive technology. Hydrogen-powered combustion engines had already been in use prior to the arrival of the fuel cell system. Efficiency considerations prompted the BMW Group to continue development work in this area from 2015 with the BMW 5 Series GT Hydrogen Cell based on fuel cell technology. Fuel cell technology has since been steadily refined by harnessing the company’s vast know-how in the field of conventional drive technologies and applying the exacting standards of all-round efficiency it expects of all its vehicles.

Production of fuel cell systems in Munich
A chemical reaction takes place in the fuel cell between hydrogen from the tanks and oxygen from the air. Maintaining a steady supply of both elements to the fuel cell’s membrane is of crucial importance for the drive system’s efficiency. In addition to the technological equivalents of features found on combustion engines, such as charge air coolers, air filters, control units and sensors, the BMW Group also developed special hydrogen components for its new fuel cell system. These include the high-speed compressor with turbine and high-voltage coolant pump, for instance.

The BMW Group sources the individual fuel cells required for manufacturing the BMW iX5 Hydrogen from the Toyota Motor Corporation. The two companies have enjoyed a partnership characterised by trust for many years and have been collaborating on fuel cell drive systems since 2013. Fuel cell systems are manufactured in two main steps. The individual fuel cells are first assembled into a fuel cell stack. The next step involves fitting all the other components to produce a complete fuel cell system.

Stacking of the fuel cells is a fully automated process. Once the individual components have been inspected for any damage, the stack is compressed by machine with a force of five tonnes and placed in a housing. The stack housing is manufactured in the light metal foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut using a sand casting technique. For this, molten aluminium is poured into a mould made from compacted sand mixed with resin in a process specially designed for this small-series vehicle. The pressure plate, which delivers hydrogen and oxygen to the fuel cell stack, is made from cast plastic parts and light-alloy castings, also from the Landshut plant. The pressure plate forms a gas-tight and water-tight seal around the stack housing.

Final assembly of the fuel cell stacks includes a voltage test along with extensive testing of the chemical reaction within the cells. Finally, all the different components are fitted together in the assembly area to produce the complete system. During this system assembly stage, further components are fitted, such as the compressor, the anode and cathode, the high-voltage coolant pump and the wiring harness.

De BMW Group

Met zijn vier merken BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce en BMW Motorrad is de BMW Group 's werelds leidende fabrikant van premium auto's en motorfietsen en biedt ook eersteklas financiële en mobiliteitsdiensten. Het productienetwerk van de BMW Group omvat 31 productie- en assemblagefabrieken in 15 landen; de onderneming heeft een wereldwijd verkoopnetwerk in meer dan 140 landen.

In 2021 verkocht de BMW Group wereldwijd meer dan 2,5 miljoen personenauto's en meer dan 194.000 motorfietsen. De winst vóór belastingen voor het fiscale jaar 2020 bedroeg 5.222 miljard euro bij een omzet van 98.990 miljard euro. Op 31 december 2020 had de BMW Group 120.726 mensen in dienst.

De onderneming heeft al in een vroeg stadium de koers voor de toekomst uitgezet en stelt duurzaamheid en efficiënt grondstoffenbeheer consequent centraal in haar strategische koers, van de toeleveringsketen via de productie tot het einde van de gebruiksfase van alle producten.

www.bmwgroup.com 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupView

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/        

Perscontact:

BMW Group Belux

Jeroen Lissens
GSM: +32 488 23 55 85
Tel.: +32 3 890 97 08
E-mail: jeroen.lissens@bmw.be

+++ Waterstof-brandstofcel-aandrijving zorgt voor duurzaam rijplezier als nieuw element van het BMW i merk. +++ Wereldwijd unieke combinatie van high-performance brandstofcel en geoptimaliseerde powerbatterij onderstreept de toonaangevende expertise van BMW Group op het gebied van aandrijfsystemen. +++ Kleine series voor demonstratie- en testdoeleinden worden in 2022 gelanceerd. +++

//

Munich. The BMW Group is systematically pushing forward with development of hydrogen fuel cell technology as an additional option for sustainable individual mobility. Two years after unveiling the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT concept car, the company will present the BMW iX5 Hydrogen at the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich. Currently still in series development, the Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) with hydrogen fuel cell drive train will be one of several vehicles visitors can experience as they are driven along the Blue Lane connecting the main exhibition grounds with other exhibition venues in the city centre.

A small series of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, developed on the basis of the BMW X5, will be used for demonstration and testing purposes from the end of next year. Its hydrogen fuel cell system is further proof of the BMW Group’s leading development expertise in the field of electric drive technologies. “With its high-performance fuel cell and optimised power battery, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen’s drive system is unique in the world,” said Juergen Guldner, head of BMW Group Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology and Vehicle Projects. “With this, we are forging new paths for sustainable driving pleasure.”

With the right conditions, hydrogen fuel cell technology has the potential to become a further pillar in the BMW Group’s drive train portfolio for local CO2-free mobility. The BMW i brand, which is entirely geared towards locally emission-free mobility, could in the future also offer vehicles with hydrogen fuel cell drive trains, in addition to battery-electric models such as the BMW i3, BMW iX3, BMW iX and BMW i4. Provided the hydrogen is produced using renewable energy and the necessary infrastructure is available, this technology can complement the BMW Group’s electrified drive train portfolio – and, in particular, meet the needs of customers who do not have their own access to electric charging infrastructure, frequently drive long distances or desire a high degree of flexibility.

Model-specific design elements 3D-printed for locally emission-free Sports Activity Vehicle.
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is a modern luxury Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) that combines ground-breaking drive technology with the powerful proportions, convenience and versatility of a BMW X model. Individual exterior and interior design elements highlight the car’s ties to the BMW i brand, as well as its specific drive technology. The inner edging of the BMW kidney grille, the inserts in the 22- inch aerodynamic wheels and the attachments in the outer portion of the rear apron are all in BMW i Blue. The entry sills and cover trim for the instrument panel also sport a “hydrogen fuel cell” badge.

The mesh inserts covering the cooling air openings at the front of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, as well as the rear apron and its diffuser element, also have their own unique design. The ornamental grilles covering the BMW kidney grille, the lower and two outer air inlets and the body elements for the lower rear end trim all come from the BMW Group’s Additive Manufacturing Campus, which uses 3D printing to produce prototype and standard parts. Additive manufacturing enables fast and highly flexible production of components – some of which have geometric shapes that cannot be realised with conventional production methods.

Systematic sustainability: Aerodynamic wheels and tyres made of natural rubber.
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen’s aerodynamic wheels come with sustainably produced tyres made of natural rubber and rayon. The raw materials for this are extracted in compliance with the standards of the independent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) organisation. The BMW Group is the first automotive manufacturer worldwide to use Pirelli tyres made exclusively from certified natural rubber and the wood-based material rayon in its production vehicles.

Hallmark BMW driving dynamics, strong long-distance capabilities.
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen combines fuel cell technology with a fifth-generation BMW eDrive. The drive system uses hydrogen as fuel by converting it into electricity in a fuel cell – delivering an electrical output of up to 125 kW/170 hp, with water vapour as the only emission. This drive power also enables it to maintain consistently high speeds over longer distances. The electric motor was developed from the fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology also used in the BMW iX. In coasting overrun and braking phases, it serves as a generator, feeding energy into a power battery. The energy stored in this power battery is also utilised for particularly sporty driving manoeuvres – delivering a system output of 275 kW/374 hp and guaranteeing the brand's signature driving experience.

The hydrogen needed to supply the fuel cell is stored in two 700-bar tanks made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), which together hold almost six kilograms of hydrogen. “Filling up the hydrogen tanks only takes three to four minutes – so there are no limits on using the BMW iX5 Hydrogen for long distances, with just a few, short stops in-between,” explains Guldner.

Hydrogen as part of global activities for CO2-free mobility.
According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), hydrogen offers considerable potential as a future energy source in connection with global energy transition activities. Thanks to its storage and transport capabilities, hydrogen can be used for a wide variety of applications. Most industrialised countries are therefore adopting hydrogen strategies and backing them up with roadmaps and concrete projects. In the transport sector, hydrogen can become a further technology option, alongside battery-electric mobility, for shaping sustainable individual mobility in the long term. However, this will depend on competitive production of sufficient quantities of hydrogen from green power, as well as expansion of the corresponding filling infrastructure, which is already being intensively pursued in many countries.

The BMW Group welcomes and supports activities to promote innovation in Germany and Europe that will help build a hydrogen economy and accelerate production of green hydrogen. These specifically include the large-scale hydrogen projects classified as Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI). The projects that comprise this European Union initiative, supported in Germany by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Transport, span the entire value chain – from hydrogen production to transport to applications in industry.

+++ Waterstof als brandstof voor duurzame mobiliteit: BMW Group zet systematisch onderzoek en ontwikkeling voort +++ Eerste prototypes worden getest op Europese wegen +++ Productie van kleine serie op basis van BMW X5 start in 2022 +++

//

Munich. The BMW Group is beginning to test near-standard vehicles with a hydrogen fuel cell drive train in everyday conditions on European roads. Prototypes of the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT will examine how effectively the CO₂-free drive train, model-specific chassis technology and vehicle electronics systems work together under real-life conditions. The BMW i Hydrogen NEXT is a pure electric vehicle that uses hydrogen as fuel by converting it into electricity in a fuel cell. The recently launched testing programme will pave the way for the BMW Group to present a small-series model with this sustainable drive technology, developed on the basis of the BMW X5, in late 2022. Extensive field testing of these vehicles will provide practical experience in the use of this sustainable drive technology.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology has the long-term potential to supplement internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrid systems and battery-electric vehicles within the BMW Group’s flexible drive train strategy. It could become an attractive alternative to battery-electric drive trains – especially for customers who do not have their own access to electric charging infrastructure or who frequently drive long distances. “Hydrogen fuel cell technology can be an attractive option for sustainable drive trains – especially in larger vehicle classes,” according to Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development. “That is why road testing of near-standard vehicles with a hydrogen fuel cell drive train is an important milestone in our research and development efforts.”

Like the fuel tank of a conventional combustion-engine model, the hydrogen tank of the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT can also be filled within three to four minutes with a fuel that ensures a range of several hundred kilometres in all weather conditions.

Field testing focused on efficiency, safety, convenience, reliability – and driving pleasure.

A central element of the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT road tests now underway is fine-tuning the software that controls all driving and operating functions. The fuel cell system, hydrogen tanks, performance buffer battery and central vehicle control unit have all previously been tested individually and together in hundreds of test runs conducted on test benches. This functional testing is now being followed with field testing on the roads. The intensive programme, which is conducted under everyday conditions, with thousands of kilometres driven in real traffic situations, helps development engineers validate the efficiency, safety, convenience and reliability of all components. At the same time, the test series is designed to ensure the characteristic driving pleasure of BMW models – even with locally emission-free mobility using pioneering hydrogen fuel cell technology.

The BMW i Hydrogen NEXT uses fuel cells from the product development cooperation with the Toyota Motor Corporation. The individual cells come from Toyota, while the fuel cell stack and complete drive system are original BMW Group developments. The cooperation established in 2013 seeks to optimise the everyday practicality and scalability of hydrogen fuel cell technology for use in each company’s respective production vehicles through the intensive exchange of experience.

Typical BMW driving dynamics delivered by electric drive train with system output of 275 kW/374 hp.

The complete drive system in the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT combines hydrogen fuel cell technology with fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology – which can already be experienced in the BMW iX3 and soon the BMW iX and BMW i4, as well. Energy is generated in the fuel cell as the result of a chemical reaction between the hydrogen carried by the vehicle and oxygen from the air. This delivers an electrical output of 125 kW/170 hp. An electric converter located below the fuel cell adjusts its voltage to that of the electric motor, which powers the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT.

Energy stored in a performance buffer battery is also used for dynamic acceleration manoeuvres and short bursts of speed for overtaking. As a result, the system delivers an output of 275 kW/374 hp that corresponds exactly to that of the most powerful six-cylinder in-line petrol engine currently used in BMW models – thereby guaranteeing the driving dynamics the brand is known for.

The energy stored in the performance buffer battery is generated in a particularly efficient way during driving by recovering energy from coasting overrun and braking phases. The hydrogen needed to supply the fuel cell is stored in two 700-bar tanks made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), which together hold six kilograms of hydrogen. Its precisely controlled reaction with oxygen in the fuel cell generates electricity, while water vapour is the only emission produced by the drive train.

E-drive train production for the fully-electric models BMW iX and BMW i4 begins
26.05.2021 10:00

+++ 22-inch banden met gecertificeerd duurzaam natuurrubber en rayon, een op hout gebaseerd materiaal dat wordt gebruikt om de banden te versterken +++ Plantages gecertificeerd volgens de normen van de onafhankelijke organisatie Forest Stewardship Council TM (FSC TM) +++ Wendt: "We helpen de biodiversiteit en de bossen in stand te houden om de klimaatverandering tegen te gaan" +++

Munich. The BMW Group is stepping up its activities in the field of sustainability, becoming the first automotive manufacturer worldwide to equip its cars with tyres using certified sustainable natural rubber and rayon, a wood-based material used to strengthen the tyres. The company will source 22-inch tyres in the first instance exclusively from Pirelli and, from August of this year, will use them in the BMW X5 xDrive45e Plug-in-Hybrid (fuel consumption combined: 1.7-1.2 l/100km (WLTP), 2.1-1.6 l/100 km (NEDC); power consumption combined: 27.7-24.3 kWh/100 km (WLTP), 25.2-23.5 kWh/100 km (NEDC); CO2 emissions combined: 39-27 g/km (WLTP), 47-37 g/km (NEDC)). Certification of the rubber plantations and the complex supply chain for natural rubber and rayon takes place in accordance with the strict standards of the independent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

“As a premium manufacturer, we aspire to lead the way in sustainability and take responsibility,” said Dr Andreas Wendt, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network. “We have been committed to improving cultivation of natural rubber and increasing transparency in the supplier network since 2015. The use of tyres made of certified natural rubber is a pioneering achievement for our industry. In this way, we are helping preserve biodiversity and forests to counteract climate change.”

Natural rubber is the basic material for many products we use in our daily lives, such as boots and mattresses. About six million small farmers worldwide are responsible for over 80% of the world’s natural rubber cultivation. In the so-called rubber belt across the tropical regions, they run farms of between one and two hectares in size under a wide variety of different conditions. Agreeing uniform social and environmental growing conditions with these millions of small individual farms is therefore a major challenge.

By far the largest share of natural rubber grown worldwide goes into tyre production. Natural rubber’s high elasticity and sturdiness currently make it irreplaceable for tyre production.

Small label, big impact

As an independent organisation, FSC has developed an internationally recognised and demanding certification standard in recent years that is used worldwide for environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the forests. The organisation, whose well-known logo is already established in the wood and paper industry, also applies this standard to products made of natural rubber.

The new 22-inch P ZERO ∗ tyre has now become the world's first tyre to receive the coveted FSC label. To earn this certification, Pirelli adapted its US plant in Rome, Georgia, to produce tyres using FSC-certified natural rubber and rayon. From there, the tyres are delivered to BMW Group Plant Spartanburg, around 370 km away, and mounted on the BMW X5 Plug-in Hybrid. The star ∗ in the name indicates that the new tyre meets the BMW Group’s strict performance requirements, including particularly low rolling resistance and noise level.

Giovanni Tronchetti Provera, Pirelli’s Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Future Mobility, said: “Before even reaching the road, sustainable mobility begins with raw materials. With the world’s first FSC-certified tyre, Pirelli once again demonstrates its commitment to pursuing increasingly challenging goals in terms of sustainability, a testament to the constant work on innovative materials and increasingly cutting-edge production processes. We continue to invest in sustainable growth for our planet, aware that this is also essential for the future of our businesses.”

Jeremy Harrison, Chief Markets Officer, FSC International, added: “The new FSC-certified Pirelli Tyre is a significant milestone in the drive to deliver economic, social, and environmental benefits across the natural rubber value chain. This is a major step forward in the journey towards a more sustainable natural rubber value chain, thereby helping to mitigate deforestation and support the fight against climate change.”

Long-standing commitment to greater transparency and sustainability in the natural rubber supplier network

The use of the first tyres containing certified sustainable natural rubber and rayon at the BMW Group is the result of the company’s extensive commitment in this area. In 2019, the BMW Group joined forces with well-known tyre manufacturers, NGOs, rubber producers and consumers to create the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR). Small farmers are also represented in this initiative. The GPSNR is committed to improving social and environmental conditions for cultivation of natural rubber and pushing for more sustainability. It also implements measures to stop deforestation and make supply chains more transparent. The GPSNR currently has almost 100 members, who are responsible for about 50 percent of the global natural rubber market.

Through its activities in the GPSNR and close cooperation with its suppliers, the BMW Group is constantly working to further improve sustainability in the natural rubber supply chain. The BMW Group is stepping up these activities and plans to steadily expand its sourcing of tyres made from sustainably grown natural rubber.

The BMW Group has been working with the FSC organisation for many years (Licence code FSC-N002012). The company decided to use FSC-certified wood in the BMW i3, which was first launched onto the market in 2013. The BMW iX for release later this year will also feature FSC-certified wood. In 2017, the BMW Group and FSC advocated for further development of FSC standards for cultivation of natural rubber in Thailand.

Sustainability an integral part of all purchasing activities

Independently of these measures, the BMW Group has contractually obligated all its direct suppliers to respect human rights, comply with expanded environmental and social standards and to introduce management systems to promote occupational safety and protect the environment since 2014. This also includes protecting forests and biodiversity. These requirements must also be contractually passed on to subcontractors. BMW Group Purchasing does not rely on contractual obligations alone for this but is also implementing a large number of additional measures in a transparent process. A risk filter is used to evaluate potential supplier locations worldwide even before the call for bids. The next step is to require possible suppliers to outline their sustainability activities in a detailed questionnaire. External partners also work with internal appraisers to review selected locations. Throughout the contract period, external partners work with internal appraisers to verify compliance with sustainability requirements through questionnaires and audits. In this way, BMW Group Purchasing is able to monitor thousands of locations every year.

Sustainable mobility with the BMW X5 xDrive45e

The BMW Group has completed full lifecycle CO₂ certification for the BMW X5 xDrive45e – from raw material procurement, through the supply chain, production and use phase, all the way to recycling. If charged during the use phase with the average European electricity mix, this gives it an advantage of around 40 percent over the BMW X5 xDrive40i. If charged with green power, the advantage is around 70 percent. The electric range amounts to 77-88 kilometres (WLTP).

CO2 EMISSIONS & CONSUMPTION.

+++ Focus op de ontwikkeling van de volgende generatie Li-ion-cellen voor de Neue Klasse +++ Technologische sprong voorwaarts: Verdere ontwikkeling van celformaten, -chemie en -modules +++  Solid-state batterij geschikt voor auto‘s tegen het einde van het decennium - demonstratievoertuig ruim voor 2025 +++ duidelijke claim: De groenste elektrische auto is een BMW +++ Bijgaand het volledige, Engelstalige persbericht

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Munich. The BMW Group is accelerating its development for the battery technology of the future, thereby supporting the ramp-up of a European cell and battery value chain. In this context, Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, today received a grant decision from the Federal Minister of Economics and Energy, Peter Altmaier, as well as from the Bavarian Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, Hubert Aiwanger, in support of the BMW Group's battery projects within the framework of the battery IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Intertest).

For the BMW Group, it is clear that high-performance and sustainable energy storage systems are the key success factor for the individual mobility of the future. The development of highly innovative and sustainable battery cells is therefore one key element of a high-performance European cell and battery value chain.

This aspiration is reflected in the Neue Klasse, which the BMW Group first presented at its annual conference in March. This new generation of vehicles, which will be launched by the middle of this decade, will be uncompromisingly electric, digital, circular – and clearly focused on all-electric drivetrains.

For the Neue Klasse, the BMW Group is developing the next generation of its battery technology – combined with a clear aspiration: "With the Neue Klasse, we will make a big leap in technology in electric drive," said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, in Munich on Monday. "We want to significantly increase the energy density of the cells and reduce the costs of material use and production at the same time. We will also significantly reduce the use of primary material to ensure a truly 'green' battery."

With the Neue Klasse, the BMW Group aims at the level of state-of-the-art internal combustion engines in terms of range and manufacturing costs. For example, electric mobility "engineered by BMW" is intended to appeal to and convince new groups of buyers worldwide. For this sixth generation of BMW e-drive technology, the company evaluates correspondingly different cell formats, cell chemistry and also cell modules in the current development phase. A key goal is to create truly green, low-carbon and recyclable batteries.

Solid-state battery for serial use – demonstrator vehicle well before 2025

However, the BMW Group is already planning further into the future beyond this next generation: By the end of the decade, the energy density of battery cells is expected to increase by at least a mid-double-digit percentage range – from an already high level today.

Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development: "The greenest electric car in the world will be a BMW – sustainable from the initial idea to recycling after its use phase. We are developing the battery cell of the future: it will be powerful, safe, cost-effective, and recyclable - from material selection to recyclability after the use in the vehicle. All of this will be created in a European value chain." Weber continues: "We are doing intensive research on solid-state battery technology. By the end of the decade, we will be implementing an automotive-compatible solid-state battery for series production. We plan to show a first demonstrator vehicle featuring this technology well before 2025."

The BMW Group has had extensive in-house expertise in the complete value chain of electric drive for years and has optimized its battery cell technology from generation to generation. Cell chemistry has also been consistently further developed: for example, the proportion of cobalt in cathode material in the transition from Gen3 from the BMW i3 to Gen5, which was introduced in 2020 with the BMW iX3, was significantly reduced from 33 percent to 10 percent – at the same time, the nickel content rose to around 80 percent. In order to minimize the consumption of primary resources, up to 50 percent recycled nickel is already used in the high-voltage battery pack of the new BMW iX.

Electric offensive in full swing

Thanks to intelligent vehicle architectures and a highly flexible production network, the BMW Group will have around a dozen all-electric models on the road as early as 2023. In addition to the BMW i3, MINI Cooper SE and BMW iX3, which are already on the market, two key innovation drivers, the BMW i4 and the BMW iX will be put on the road this year– the BMW i4 even three months earlier than originally planned.

In the coming years, all-electric versions of the high-volume BMW 5 Series and the BMW X1 will follow. In addition, there will be an all-electric BMW 7 Series as well as the successor to the MINI Countryman and other models. As early as 2023, the BMW Group will have at least one all-electric model on the road in around 90 percent of its current market segments.

By 2025, the BMW Group will increase sales of all-electric models by an average of significantly more than 50 percent per year – more than ten times more than in 2020. In total, the company will have delivered around two million all-electric vehicles to customers by the end of 2025.

Based on current market expectations, the BMW Group is planning that by 2030 at least 50 percent of its global sales will consist of all-electric vehicles. In total, the company will bring about ten million all-electric vehicles onto the road over the approximately next ten years. This also means that the BMW Group is strategically on target of achieving the EU's ambitious CO2 reduction targets in 2025 and 2030.

The BMW Group commitment to IPCEI.

Within the framework of the two battery IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest), the BMW Group is developing highly innovative, sustainable, function-optimized and cost-effective battery cells as a key element of a European cell and battery value chain.

The Federal Ministry of Economics and the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, support the project within the framework of the European funding process IPCEI.

Federal Minister Altmaier: "With the joint European projects, we have successfully built up the battery value chain in Germany and Europe and secured sustainable jobs. We support BMW in two concrete projects in the field of battery technology. Both projects are central to the further expansion of electromobility in Germany."

Bavaria's Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger: "The development of battery cells is an ideal fit for Bavaria's automotive industry and tech-industry as a whole. Bavaria is supporting this IPCEI project from BMW with co-financing in order to secure added value in a central high-tech field with great future potential. Because electromobility is becoming increasingly important, we have to produce the battery cells needed here in Germany, preferably in Bavaria. Our aim must be to participate economically in this climate-friendly technology and to make Europe more independent of suppliers from third countries."

Following the development of a next generation of lithium-ion cells as well as an innovative battery module and battery system concept in the first IPCEI, the focus of BMW's work in the second IPCEI is on the development of the next generation of lithium-ion cells, the development and optimization of process technologies as well as the construction of a prototype production plant for innovative battery modules and systems.

The BMW Group is also focusing on the recycling and the recyclability of battery materials, with the main aim of achieving a fully cyclable battery. 

Through the research and validation of future technologies such as solid-state batteries (so-called "All-Solid-State-Battery", ASSB), the company not only strengthens its own competence, but also the industrial location Germany. The BMW Group sees ASSB technology as a game changer in the automotive field.

Following the holistic approach of a closed innovation and development cycle, BMW will develop innovative products from the areas of battery cell as well as battery modules and systems with a focus on improved functionality and a significantly improved cost structure. The recycling and the usability of the batteries after their automotive use are also taken into account.

The BMW Group is more involved in the research, development and industrialization of battery value chains in Germany than any other vehicle manufacturer. The research results achieved by the BMW Group and the partners involved in the IPCEI project strengthen the development of an integrated European battery value chain. In addition, various concepts for solid-state batteries are being researched together with European R&D partners and the most promising prototype is being implemented. In doing so, the company is paving the way for successful battery cell development and production in Europe. 

Op de jaarlijkse conferentie van BMW Group in München werd vandaag de nieuwe BMW i4 onthuld. De BMW i4 is een volledig elektrische vierdeurs Gran Coupé en zal in de loop van 2021 op de markt komen.

//

Een blik op de allereerste volledig elektrische BMW i4.

Op de jaarlijkse conferentie van BMW Group in München werd vandaag de nieuwe BMW i4 onthuld. De BMW i4 is een volledig elektrische vierdeurs Gran Coupé en zal in de loop van 2021 op de markt komen.

München. Tijdens de jaarlijkse conferentie van BMW Group vandaag werd de nieuwe BMW i4 onthuld. "Met zijn sportieve looks, de beste rijdynamiek in zijn klasse en zijn emissievrij rijplezier is de BMW i4 een echte BMW. Hij laat het hart van het merk BMW nu volledig elektrisch kloppen", aldus Pieter Nota, lid van de Raad van Bestuur van BMW AG verantwoordelijk voor Customer, Brands, Sales.

De BMW i4 is een volledig elektrische vierdeurs Gran Coupé en zal in de loop van 2021 op de markt komen, inclusief een BMW M Performance model. Zijn verfijnde balans van typische BMW sportiviteit, comfort en duurzame prestaties zijn uniek in zijn segment.

De BMW i4 modellenlijn zal beschikbaar zijn in verschillende versies met een actieradius tot 590 km (WLTP) en tot 300 mijl (EPA). Met een vermogen tot 390 kW / 530 PK accelereert de BMW i4 van nul naar 100 km/u in ongeveer 4 seconden.

De eerste foto's, schetsen, beeldmateriaal en video's zijn te vinden in de bijlage van deze media-informatie.

Volledige details over de BMW i4 zullen in de komende weken bekend worden gemaakt.

Over BMW Group

Met zijn vier merken BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce en BMW Motorrad is de BMW Group 's werelds leidende fabrikant van premium auto's en motorfietsen en biedt ook eersteklas financiële en mobiliteitsdiensten. Het productienetwerk van de BMW Group omvat 31 productie- en assemblagefabrieken in 15 landen; de onderneming heeft een wereldwijd verkoopnetwerk in meer dan 140 landen.

In 2020 verkocht de BMW Group wereldwijd meer dan 2,3 miljoen personenauto's en meer dan 169.000 motorfietsen. De winst vóór belastingen voor het fiscale jaar 2020 bedroeg 5.222 miljard euro bij een omzet van 98.990 miljard euro. Op 31 december 2020 had de BMW Group 120.726 mensen in dienst.

De onderneming heeft al in een vroeg stadium de koers voor de toekomst uitgezet en stelt duurzaamheid en efficiënt grondstoffenbeheer consequent centraal in haar strategische koers, van de toeleveringsketen via de productie tot het einde van de gebruiksfase van alle producten.

www.bmwgroup.com

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Perscontact:

BMW Group Belux
Jeroen Lissens
GSM: +32 488 23 55 85
Tel.: +32 3 890 97 08
E-mail: jeroen.lissens@bmw.be

Een ordervolume van 2 miljard euro vanaf 2024 +++ Duurzame productie met 100% wind- en waterkracht +++ Oliver Zipse: "Om een effectieve bijdrage te leveren aan de bescherming van het klimaat wil de BMW Group de algehele milieubalans van zijn producten verbeteren".

BMW Group heeft een langetermijncontract gesloten met het Zweedse Northvolt voor de levering van batterijcellen ter waarde van 2 miljard euro, die vanaf 2024 in Europa zullen worden geproduceerd in de Northvolt gigafactory, die in aanbouw is in Skellefteå, in het noorden van Zweden. Een doorslaggevend aspect voor BMWGroup: Northvolt zal 100% van de energie die nodig is voor de productie van de batterijcellen regionaal in Noord-Zweden halen, en dit uitsluitend uit wind- en waterkrachtenergie.

Munich. The BMW Group is driving the expansion of electromobility and has signed a long-term supply contract worth 2 billion euros for battery cells with the Swedish company Northvolt. The battery cells will be produced in Europe at the Northvolt gigafactory currently under construction in Skellefteå in northern Sweden (series plant Northvolt Ett) from 2024.

A decisive aspect for the BMW Group: Northvolt will obtain 100 percent of the energy needed to produce the battery cells regionally in northern Sweden and exclusively from wind and hydroelectric power. Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said: “To make an effective contribution to climate protection, we aim to improve our products’ overall environmental balance – from resources to recycling. This applies in particular to energy-intensive production of high-voltage batteries for electric vehicles. That is why we now have a contractual agreement with our cell manufacturers that they will only use green power to produce our fifth-generation battery cells.”

Andreas Wendt, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network, added: “Northvolt is the third battery cell supplier we have partnered with, alongside our existing partners, CATL and Samsung SDI. Signing this contract is another step towards meeting our growing need for battery cells in the long term. We are systematically driving electrification of our vehicle fleet. By 2023, we aim to have 25 electrified models on the roads – more than half of them fully-electric.” The BMW Group will also source cells manufactured in Europe from the Chinese manufacturer CATL – from the plant currently under construction in Erfurt, Germany. Every cell generation at the BMW Group is awarded in global competition to the leading manufacturer from both a technology and a business perspective. Wendt: “This ensures we always have access to the best possible cell technology.”

Sustainability plays key role in expanding electromobility

The BMW Group and Northvolt will commonly source the cobalt and lithium needed as key raw materials for cell production from mines that fulfil the high sustainability standards of both companies. This ensures full transparency of the origin of raw materials at any time. Compliance with environmental standards, respect for human rights and reducing the carbon footprint are top priority. “Sustainability is an important aspect of our corporate strategy and plays a key role in expanding electromobility,” emphasised Wendt. The BMW Group will also no longer use rare earths in its fifth-generation electric drive trains from 2021 on.

The BMW Group and Northvolt are pursuing their goal of a sustainable value chain for battery cells in Europe through a joint technology consortium. Recyclable cell design is a consistent focus throughout the development of battery cells. Faced with rapidly growing demand for battery cells, recycling of battery components at the end of their lifecycle and extensive reuse of raw materials will be key to closing the materials loop in the best way possible.

Production of battery cells: an important and effective lever for reducing CO₂ – accounting for up to 40% of carbon emissions

As e-mobility gains more and more traction, the focus of CO₂ reduction shifts to upstream added value – and, especially, the energy-intensive production of high-voltage batteries, because up to 40 percent of a fully-electric vehicle’s emissions come from battery cell production alone. This is a major and very effective lever for reducing CO₂ – so that is precisely where the BMW Group is focusing its efforts. As a leader in sustainability, the company has therefore reached a contractual agreement with CATL, Samsung SDI and Northvolt that they will only use green power to produce fifth-generation battery cells for the BMW Group. “As volumes increase, the use of green power will save around ten million tonnes of CO₂ over the next decade. For comparison, that is roughly the amount of CO₂ a city of over a million inhabitants, like Munich, emits per year,” according to Zipse.

Northvolt potential recognised early

The BMW Group recognised Northvolt's potential and expertise early: In mid-2018, the BMW Group entered a cooperation to develop battery cells with the company formed in 2016. This was underpinned by the BMW Group's financial participation in the firm. Both sides benefit from the partnership: The BMW Group contributes the battery expertise it has acquired over more than 15 years, while Northvolt has enabled itself for mass production with its gigafactory in northern Sweden.

Extensive in-house expertise throughout entire battery cell value chain

The BMW Group operates its Battery Cell Competence Centre in Munich. The aim of the competence centre is to advance battery cell technology and introduce it into production processes. The production of battery cell prototypes makes it possible to analyse and fully understand cell value creation processes. The BMW Group produces batteries in-house at its plants in Dingolfing (Germany), Spartanburg (USA) and at the BBA plant in Shenyang (China). The BMW Group has also localised battery production in Thailand, where it is working with the Dräxlmaier Group.

BMW Group as e-mobility pioneer – 25 electrified models by 2023

The BMW Group will have 25 electrified models in its line-up by 2023. The basis for this is provided by flexible vehicle architectures for fully-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and models with combustion engines that allow the company to respond quickly to changing conditions. More than half of the 25 models will be fully electric. The BMW Group will double its sales of electrified vehicles between 2019 and 2021, and the company expects to see a steep growth curve up to 2025: Global sales of our electrified vehicles should increase by an average of over 30 percent every year. In Europe, the company is also pursuing an ambitious growth logic: By 2021, electrified vehicles should make up a quarter of our new vehicle fleet, a third in 2025 and half of our sales in 2030.

As an e-mobility pioneer, the BMW Group is already a leading provider of electrified vehicles. By the end of 2019, the company already had more than half a million fully-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles on the roads. By the end of 2021, the BMW Group will offer five fully-electric production vehicles. In addition to the BMW i3, production of the fully-electric MINI also got underway at Plant Oxford in 2019. This will be followed later in 2020 by the fully-electric BMW iX3, produced in Shenyang, China and, then, in 2021, by the BMW iNEXT, built in Dingolfing, and the BMW i4 from Plant Munich.

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2019, the BMW Group sold over 2.5 million passenger vehicles and more than 175,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2019 was € 7.118 billion on revenues amounting to € 104.210 billion. As of 31 December 2019, the BMW Group had a workforce of 126,016 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

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CO2 EMISSIONS & CONSUMPTION.

• Volledig elektrische mobiliteit beleeft haar première in een BMW X-model – de nieuwe BMW iX3 (gecombineerd brandstofverbruik in NEDC-testcyclus: 0,0 l/100 km; gecombineerd elektriciteitsverbruik: 17,8 – 17,5 kWh/100 km; gecombineerde CO2-emissie: 0 g/km; gecombineerd brandstofverbruik in de WLTP-testcyclus: 0,0 l/100 km; gecombineerd elektriciteitsverbruik: 19,5 – 18,5 kWh/100 km; gecombineerde CO2-emissie: 0 g/km). Lokaal emissievrij rijplezier vult de sportieve capaciteiten aan waarvoor BMW bekendstaat, naast het comfort, de veelzijdige functionaliteit en de royale ruimte van de succesvolle BMW X3. Nieuwste fase in de lopende lancering van de elektrificatiestrategie van de BMW Group; technologische expertise afkomstig van de ontwikkeling van BMW i wagens voor het eerst gebruikt in een zuiver elektrisch aangedreven model van het kernmerk BMW.
• De nieuwe BMW iX3 wordt het eerste model van het merk dat ook voor export zal worden geproduceerd in de productievestiging van Shenyang in China. De marktlancering zal later in 2020 in China van start gaan.
• De strategische "Power of Choice"-aanpak omvat een brede waaier van klantenvereisten en wettelijke voorschriften over de hele wereld: de BMW X3 is het eerste model dat verkrijgbaar is met een benzine- of dieselmotor, een plug-in-hybrideaandrijving of een volledig elektrisch aandrijfsysteem.
• De nieuwe BMW iX3 baant de weg voor de BMW eDrive-technologie van de vijfde generatie. Grote vooruitgang op het vlak van vermogensdichtheid, rijbereik, gewicht, vereiste installatieruimte en flexibiliteit. De vermogensdichtheid van het elektrische aandrijfsysteem steeg met 30 procent ten opzichte van de bestaande volledig elektrische wagens van de BMW Group; de gravimetrische energiedichtheid van de hoogspanningsaccu steeg met 20 procent op celniveau. De nieuwste versies van de elektromotor, vermogenselektronica, laadtechnologie en hoogspanningsaccu (allemaal intern ontwikkeld) zullen vanaf 2021 ook worden gebruikt in de BMW iNEXT en BMW i4.
• De efficiëntie steeg aanzienlijk in vergelijking met de BMW i3 dankzij de sterk geïntegreerde aandrijftechnologie. Elektromotor, vermogenselektronica en transmissie voor het eerst ondergebracht in een centrale behuizing. De vijfde generatie van de BMW eDrive-hoogspanningsaccu met de nieuwste accuceltechnologie en een bruto-energie-inhoud van 80 kWh maakt een rijbereik tot 460 kilometer mogelijk in de wettelijk voorgeschreven WLTP-testcyclus (tot 520 kilometer in de NEDC-testcyclus). De BMW Group controleert de naleving van de milieu- en sociale normen als onderdeel van zijn aankoopproces voor lithium en kobalt voor accucellen.
• Nieuw ontworpen BMW eDrive-elektromotor van de vijfde generatie levert een maximumvermogen van 210 kW/286 pk en een maximumkoppel van 400 Nm. Acceleratie van 0 tot 100 km/u in 6,8 seconden (ter vergelijking – BMW X3 30i: 6,4 seconden), topsnelheid (elektronisch begrensd): 180 km/u. Het ontwerpprincipe van een stroomgedreven synchrone motor maakt een geoptimaliseerde vermogensontwikkeling mogelijk en stelt ingenieurs in staat het gebruik van zeldzame aarden te vermijden.
• De ruimte voor de verschillende graden van recuperatie maakt het mogelijk om te kiezen tussen een uitgesproken one-pedal-feeling met een uitgebreide recuperatie van rem- en coastingenergie in rijpositie B en een adaptieve recuperatie met inbegrip van de coastingfunctie in rijpositie D. Het recuperatieniveau kan in drie fasen worden aangepast. Adaptieve recuperatie verhoogt het rijcomfort en de efficiëntie door Brake Energy Regeneration en de coastingfunctie aan te passen aan de rijsituatie.
• De vermogensoverdracht naar de achterwielen zorgt voor een klassieke BMW rijervaring. De ongeëvenaarde combinatie van een laag stroomverbruik en een hoog laadvermogen maakt lange ritten met hoge gemiddelde snelheden mogelijk. De adaptieve ophanging (standaard) optimaliseert de sportieve respons en het comfort.
• BMW IconicSounds Electric. Nieuw ontwikkelde soundscape voor elektrisch aangedreven BMW modellen maakt zijn debuut in de BMW iX3 en voegt extra emotionele diepgang toe aan de rijervaring. Krachtige rijgeluiden verkrijgbaar in wagens met de uitrustingslijn "Impressive". Onmiskenbare compositie bij het starten en uitschakelen van het elektrische aandrijfsysteem, ontwikkeld in samenwerking met Hans Zimmer.
• Oplaadproducten en -diensten op maat: de BMW Charging Card biedt een eenvoudige en handige toegang tot momenteel meer dan 450.000 openbare oplaadpunten wereldwijd. Nieuwe Flexible Fast Charger (die het gebruik van verschillende stopcontacten mogelijk maakt) en Wallboxes met hoog vermogen zijn nu als optie verkrijgbaar. Individuele pakketten bieden de optimale laadoplossing voor elke behoefte van de klant.
• Nieuwe digitale diensten van BMW Connected Charging in de wagen en via de app bevorderen gebruiksvriendelijke elektrische mobiliteit en verbeteren de navigatieplanning, inclusief aanbevelingen voor laadstops. Het navigatiesysteem houdt rekening met pauzes tijdens de rit om de hoogspanningsaccu op te laden (met gedetailleerde informatie over individuele laadpunten) bij de routeplanning en de berekening van de aankomsttijden.
• Dankzij het geoptimaliseerde energieopslagconcept kan de wagen nu tot 150 kW opladen aan gelijkstroomsnellaadstations. Het opladen van 0 tot 80 procent van de capaciteit van de hoogspanningsaccu duurt 34 minuten, terwijl 10 minuten laden een rijbereik van 100 kilometer (WLTP) toevoegt. BMW iX3-klanten genieten bijzonder gunstige tarieven bij IONITY-snellaadstations met een verbruiksafhankelijke component van bv. € 0,29 per kWh (voor Duitsland)
• Kenmerkende proporties van een BMW X-model worden gecombineerd met modelspecifieke designkenmerken. Innovatieve BMW aerodynamische velgen: standaard 19" lichtmetalen velgen met nieuw, weerstandsverlagend design.
• Hoogwaardige interieursfeer met modelspecifieke accenten. Gebruiksvriendelijk, veelzijdig interieur met hoog comfortniveau voor vijf personen tijdens dagelijkse ritten en langere afstanden. Het laadvolume kan worden uitgebreid van 510 tot maar liefst 1.560 liter.
• Ruime standaardversie ("Inspiring") omvat metaallak, LED-koplampen, automatische airconditioning met drie zones en voorverwarming en preconditionering, automatische bediening van de achterklep, panoramisch doorschijnend schuifdak, Driving Assistant Pack Professional en sfeerverlichting. De optionele uitrustingslijn "Impressive" omvat ook 20" lichtmetalen velgen, akoestisch glas, sportzetels, lederen bekleding Vernasca, BMW Head-Up Display, Parking Assistant Pack Plus en Harman Kardon Surround Sound.
• Standaard BMW Live Cockpit Professional met BMW Maps navigatiesysteem via de cloud en BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. Smartphone-integratie met Apple CarPlay, Remote Software Upgrade en digitale diensten van BMW Connected Charging zijn eveneens standaard.
• Uitstekende milieuprestaties dankzij engagement voor duurzaamheid doorheen de waardeketen. De CO2-impact van de BMW iX3 over zijn hele levenscyclus is aanzienlijk kleiner dan die van een BMW X3 xDrive20d; de impact daalt met 30 procent bij het gebruik van elektriciteit uit de Europese energiemix voor het opladen en met ongeveer 60 procent bij gebruik van uitsluitend groene energie.
• De startprijs van de BMW iX3 in België is € 69.950 (BTWi).

Munich. The character of the Concept i4 is not only a product of its design, but also of its visionary sound profile. Hans Zimmer composed the sound of the BMW Concept i4 together with BMW sound designer Renzo Vitale under the brand name BMW IconicSounds Electric. BMW IconicSounds Electric will imbue BMW’s electric models with extra emotional depth by connecting the driver with the vehicle’s character on another level through individual tones and sounds.

“Renzo and I were inspired to bring together the past and future of BMW with the sound for the BMW Concept i4,” explains Zimmer. “We hope the sound we created is classic yet surprising and has a feeling of lightness that is fitting for the BMW brand.” The aural repertoire of the BMW Concept i4 stretches from the driving sounds in the Experience Mode “Core” to the more intense tones of “Sport”. Acoustic accompaniments to a door opening and when starting the car are likewise part of its soundscape.

Sound by Hans Zimmer is the starting signal for electric driving pleasure.

Hans Zimmer and Renzo Vitale presented the new start/stop sound in Zimmer’s Santa Monica studio back in November 2019. The ready-to-drive sound for all-electric BMW models and BMW plug-in hybrids will be introduced as a standard feature worldwide from July 2020. “The ability to design the sound in our vehicles makes it possible for us to spark positive emotions,” says Vitale. “The new start/stop sound is intended to instil a sense of excitement at the prospect of electric driving when the customer gets into their vehicle and begins the journey.”

BMW IconicSounds Electric.

The silence of electric drive systems is often cited as a major benefit of electric mobility. As the choice of electrified models increases, however, it also means some drivers are missing out on the emotional appeal of sound. Jens Thiemer, Senior Vice President Customer and Brand BMW: “Sound has always played an important role in the emotionalisation of our vehicles. Now we are taking the joy of sheer driving pleasure to a new level and are particularly pleased to be working with Hans Zimmer to create the new sound world of electric mobility at BMW. This collaboration will result in our forward-looking sound offering for electrified vehicles: BMW IconicSounds Electric.”

The BMW Concept i4 drive sound is the second developed for electric BMW vehicles with Hans Zimmer, following the presentation of the electric sound for the BMW Vision M NEXT at the #NEXTGen event in Munich in June 2019. “We have an extraordinary opportunity to turn electric driving in a BMW into a very special experience with the help of great sounds,” Zimmer commented in 2019. “I am relishing the challenge of co-designing the composition for future electric BMWs

Munich. The BMW Group is consistently driving its electrification strategy forward and presents new plug-in hybrid models for an especially popular and dynamically growing vehicle category. In the new BMW X1 xDrive25e and the new BMW X2 xDrive25e, the intelligently controlled interaction between a fuel combustion engine and an electric motor as well as locally emissions-free travel can be experienced in the Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) and Sports Activity Coupe (SAC) premium segment starting in 2020. A highly efficient electric drive and a latest-generation lithium-ion battery enable an electrically powered range of up to 57 kilometres* in the two new plug-in hybrid models. With an average fuel consumption of 2.1 to 1.9 litres per 100 kilometres* and CO2 emissions between 48 and 43 grams per kilometre* for the BMW X1 xDrive25e and 2.1 to 1.9 litres per 100 kilometres* and between 47 and 43 grams per kilometre* for the BMW X2 xDrive25e, both models set a benchmark within their competitive fields. Combined power consumption of the BMW X1 xDrive25e is 14.3 to 13.8 kWh per 100 kilometres*, the corresponding values of the BMW X2 xDrive25e are 14.2 to 13.7 kWh per 100 kilometres*. The hybrid specific all-wheel drive with its fast and precise distribution of power between the front and rear wheels delivers a high level of driving pleasure and thrilling agility.

The two plug-in models are an extension to the wide range of BMW models in the premium compact segment of SAV and SAC vehicles. In addition to numerous variants featuring extremely efficient petrol and diesel engines, models with electrified drive will be on offer for the first time. Thus, the portfolio will include in addition to economical entry models with a 3-cylinder combustion engine also the new plug-in hybrid models and the BMW X2 M35i (combined fuel consumption: 7.1 – 6.8 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 163 – 154 g/km*), the extremely athletic top model with a maximum output of 225 kW/306 hp. With the extension of its range in the premium compact segment the BMW Group’s model offensive is gaining further momentum in the area of plug-in hybrid models. The current selection comprises the MINI Cooper SE Countryman (combined fuel consumption: 2.1 – 1.9 l/100 km; combined power consumption: 13.9 – 13.5 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 47 – 43 g/km*), the BMW 225xe Active Tourer (combined fuel consumption: 1.9 l/100 km; combined power consumption: 13.5 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 42 g/km*), BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series models and plug-in hybrid luxury sedans of the BMW 7 Series. In future, four BMW X models with plug-in hybrid drive will also be available. As a pioneer in electric mobility BMW intends to have more than one million vehicles with electrified drive on the road by the end of 2021. By 2021, 25 percent of the vehicles sold by the BMW Group in Europe will feature an electric drive. By 2025 this figure is scheduled to reach 33 percent and 50 percent by 2030. The BMW Group plans to extend their portfolio by additional 25 electrified vehicles by 2023.

The plug-in hybrid system of the new BMW X1 xDrive 25e and the new BMW X2 xDrive25e consists of a 1.5 litre 3-cylinder petrol engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology and an electric drive specially developed for this model. It is taken from the eDrive technology modular system of the BMW Group. The petrol engine mobilises a peak output of 92 kW/125 hp and a maximum torque of 220 Newton metres. It transfers its power to a 6-speed Steptronic transmission and drives the front wheels. The electric motor generates an output of 70 kW/95 hp and delivers 165 Nm of torque to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission. This makes for a hybrid specific all-wheel drive, which gives both models a unique level of agility in their competitive fields delivering hallmark SAV and SAC driving pleasure. The highly responsive power delivery of the electric motor, which delivers its full torque spontaneously from standstill, enables the driver to react extremely quickly to changing driving conditions. In addition, the position of the electric motor above the rear axle contributes to the harmoniously balanced axle load distribution of the new BMW X1 xDrive25e and the new BMW X2 xDrive25e. In conjunction with the intelligently controlled interaction between the two power units, it provides maximum driving stability, ride comfort and dynamic response.

Together the combustion engine and electric motor produce a system output of 162 kW/220 hp. The maximum system torque of both drive units is 385 Nm. The new BMW X1 xDrive25e accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds. The new BMW X2 xDrive25e does the 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 6.8 seconds. In addition, the electric boost provided by the drive system ensures additional safety reserves and intense sporty flair when overtaking on country roads, for example. The top speed of the new BMW X1 xDrive25e is 193 km/h. Maximum speed of the new BMW X2 xDrive25e is 195 km/h.

With the very latest high-voltage battery cell technology, the new BMW X1 xDrive25e and the new BMW X2 xDrive25e possess generous reserves of electrical energy enabling the driver to conduct the main share of everyday travel locally emissions-free with the electric motor alone. The latest-generation lithium-ion battery has a gross energy content of 10 kWh. This allows for an electrically powered range of between 54 and 57 kilometres* in the BMW X1 xDrive25e (between 55 and 57 kilometres* in the new BMW X2 xDrive25e). The high-voltage battery can be charged at conventional household sockets using the standard-equipment charging cable. An empty battery can be fully charged in around five hours in this way. It only takes 3.8 hours for the battery to reach 80 percent of its total capacity. Using a BMW i Wallbox, the relevant charging operation from 0 to 100 percent takes less than 3.2 hours. 80 percent of total capacity is already reached after 2.4 hours. The charging socket is located under a separate flap on the front left side wall of the car.

The driver can use the eDrive button on the centre console to influence the drive system’s operating mode. In the AUTO eDRIVE standard setting, the intelligent drive system ensures optimum interaction between the two power units in all driving situations. Navigation data is also used to manage the plug-in hybrid system to increase both efficiency as well as driving pleasure. When navigation guidance is activated, the anticipatory energy management can also take into account the route profile for controlling the drive system. The MAX eDrive mode can be activated for maximum use of the electric drive. In this mode, the new BMW X1 xDrive25e and the new BMW X2 xDrive25e reach a top speed of 135 km/h. In addition there is also the SAVE BATTERY mode. It enables the driver to maintain the charging state of the high-voltage battery while driving or to increase it by means of recuperation. In this way battery capacity can be saved for later use when driving in purely electric mode in the city for example. The driving experience switch can be used independent of the drive mode. In the new BMW X1 xDrive25e and the new BMW X2 xDrive25e, the driver can use this to activate the COMFORT, SPORT and ECO PRO modes in order to influence the drive and suspension functions as well as to operate the electrically powered comfort systems.

Due to a long electric range and low CO2 emissions, the new BMW X1 xDrive25e and the new BMW X2 xDrive25e (depending on equipment) meet the criteria which have been stipulated for the classification as an electric vehicle in Germany and the associated preferential treatment in public road traffic. In addition, it also qualifies for reduced company car taxation in Germany. Only half the gross list price is used as a basis when calculating the monetary benefit from private use of the company car.

The new BMW X1 xDrive25e and the new BMW X2 xDrive25e feature acoustic pedestrian protection as standard. When driving electrically at speeds of up to 30 km/h, an unmistakable sound designed specifically for electrified BMW models is generated to alert other road users to the approaching car without impairing the acoustic comfort of the vehicle occupants. In addition, the standard equipment of the two compact BMW X models with plug-in hybrid drive also includes 17-inch light alloy wheels, 2-zone automatic air conditioning as well as auxiliary air conditioning. The interior can be pre-conditioned remotely via BMW Connected using a smartphone. As an alternative to the basic version, the new BMW X1 xDrive25e is available as a Sport Line, xLine and M Sport model. For the new BMW X2 xDrive25e customers can choose from the following models: Advantage, Advantage Plus, M Sport and M Sport X. In addition to the respective equipment packages, virtually all options of the conventionally powered BMW X1 or BMW X2 are available for the plug-in hybrid models.

The positioning of the high-voltage battery underneath the rear seats not only leads to a very low centre of gravity, which optimises the agility of the BMW X1 xDrive25 and the new BMW X2 xDrive25e, but also to a slightly reduced transport capacity compared to the conventionally powered compact model variants. The luggage compartment volume is fully available in primary use. In the new BMW X1 xDrive25e luggage compartment capacity is 450 litres. With a standard split of 40: 20: 40, the folding backrests enable this to be increased to 1,470 litres. A trailer tow hitch with detachable ballhead is optionally available for the new BMW X1 xDrive25e. The maximum trailer load is 750 kilograms.