Bidirectional Charging to Benefit Neue Klasse Electric Models
Next year, BMW will finally unveil its highly anticipated Neue Klasse platform, specifically designed for electric vehicles. It will first be introduced through an SUV, as showcased by the Vision Neue Klasse X concept revealed today. This new architecture will come with a useful capability that other car manufacturers have already adopted for quite some time. While BMW may be late to the game, their upcoming lineup of EVs proudly displaying the iconic white and blue emblem will feature bidirectional charging.
This indicates that the upcoming iX3 SUV (expected in 2025) and i3 sedan (projected for 2026) will serve as power sources to recharge various items such as household electronics, electric bikes, camping equipment, among others. While many premium car manufacturers often add extra fees for various features, bidirectional charging will be a standard feature on Neue Klasse-derived vehicles. This means that functions like Vehicle to Home, Vehicle to Grid, and Vehicle to Load will be available at no additional cost.
Past and Current electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) utilize batteries with prismatic cells, however, the upcoming generation of batteries will make a transition to round cells. The projected improvement is significant, with BMW predicting a 30% increase in both charging speed and range, as well as a 20% rise in energy density. These state-of-the-art sixth-generation batteries are expected to provide power not just for cars, but also for everyday household appliances such as toasters and various other devices.
BMW plans to implement two-way charging in three phases, beginning with Vehicle to Home for personal use. This will be followed by Vehicle to Grid, enabling drivers to return stored energy to the grid in countries where it is permitted by law. The third phase, Vehicle to Load, will enable the powering of external electrical devices. Surprisingly, the high-end German carmaker has not mentioned anything about Vehicle to Vehicle capabilities for supplying energy to another Neue Klasse EV.
Following the successful introduction of the iX3 and i3, BMW has announced plans to bring at least four additional models with similar foundations to the market by 2028. By the conclusion of the decade, the renowned German brand anticipates that electric vehicles will account for over fifty percent of its worldwide annual sales. Furthermore, in the early 2030s, both Mini and Rolls-Royce will fully transition to electric power.
Source: BMW
