Even though a lot has been written about the Neue Klasse, the electric-first platform is still a couple of years away. According to a well-known BMW insider, the Bavarians are said to be taking a page out of Tesla’s book as far as a model’s lineup is concerned by planning Short Range and Long Range models. Similarly, there could be rear- and all-wheel drive versions with single and dual motors, respectively.
BimmerPost forum member ynguldyn has heard through the grapevine the second-generation iX3 will be available in the following flavors: SR RWD, SR AWD, LR AWD, and an M Performance AWD. However, these are “very early hints” of how the electric crossover’s lineup will be structured, so take these details with the proverbial pinch of salt.
According to a recent rumor we’ve heard, the flagship X3 M with its inline-six S58 engine will not live to see another generation as it’ll be superseded by an iX3 M or something to that effect. The non-M SUV with combustion engines will stick to the CLAR platform, so the purely electric derivative will no longer use the same underpinnings as it’s the case today.
BMW will provide a first taste of next-generation electric vehicles riding on the Neue Klasse platform in January with a new concept car slated to debut at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. We already know a great deal about the batteries these future EVs will use, switching from prismatic to round cells. They’ll have 20% higher energy density, 30% better range, and 30% quicker charging. In addition, production costs will be cut in half and the amount of CO2 generated during the production process will go down by 60%.
But what about the cars themselves? We only know the Neue Klasse architecture will premiere in 2025 and the first two models will be in the 3 Series segment, so expect an i3 Sedan and an iX3. The upcoming Debrecen plant in Hungary will lead the way for the production of NE-based vehicles, with the factory in Munich to follow in 2026. By the end of the decade, the assembly facility in Spartanburg will build at least six SUVs on this modular hardware.
Source: ynguldyn / BimmerPost
