Half the Spending, Double the Power: BMW’s New Batteries
“When asked about how BMW Group would bridge the gap with its rivals, including the highly-discussed Tesla, Milan Nedeljkovic, the production boss of the German automaker, replied: ‘Tesla needs to close the gap with us. In fact, we don’t see a gap to Tesla.'”
Nedeljkovic’s reported assertion highlights the trust that German auto producer puts in its latest cylindrical-style battery cells. As proof of such, the initial models released came from the corporation’s cell generation facility which is located roughly 12 miles away from Munich, Germany.
For the BMW Group, including both BMW and Mini-branded vehicles, less than 100,000 electric cars were sold in the 3rd quarter. This is still encouraging as 80 percent more EVs were bought this quarter compared to the same one from last year. Tesla had an even bigger success with a 27 percent growth in global deliveries when compared to the 3rd quarter of the prior season.
As opposed to its predecessor of prismatic lithium-ion battery cells, BMW’s Gen 6 cylindrical batteries have the capability to decrease production costs by up to 50 percent, while still delivering around 30 percent greater range on a correspondingly sized bundle due to a superior energy density. This will result in becoming roughly 500 miles of usage with one full charge. Moreover, DC rapid charging is possible at 270 kW.
GERMAN cars producer’s cylindrical cells, boasting a diameter of 46 millimeters, will come in two heights: 95 mm and 120 mm. This makes them slightly larger than the Tesla Simply 4680-type cells that have a width of 46 millimeters and a height of 80 millimeters.
“At last week’s media event at the automaker’s cell manufacturing complex, Nedeljkovic spoke about the new battery design that is suitable for their products and how it contributes to their cars’ driving performance,” said Nedeljkovic. “This design embodies our idea of how we can achieve the best results.”
In spite of this, BMW’s fresh cells are still not totally primed for implementation. Currently, prototypes of the cell are being constructed within their own plant, with plans of these delivery-intended cells to be assembled in up to 6 global battery producing hubs from BMW’s suppliers CATL and Eve Energy no sooner than 2025. This is likewise when the primary production EVs using the Neue Klasse system will begin to be revealed.
In this way, BMW is aiming to dodge the comparatively higher instability that’s related with producing battery cells on a large scale. Rather, they will strive to get the perfect concoction and production process in their internal facilities before giving out the details to their suppliers, who will commence cell manufacturing in Europe, China, and North America.
If you aspire to craft something incredibly delicious, then an excellent recipe is essential, as the formula will determine its flavor, commented Nedeljkovic. We generate the recipe, comprised of the chemistry and physics of a cell. We shift the elements and gauge how each single cell component affects performance.
Except for the traditional lithium-ion construction, BMW is now exploring other types of chemistry for its sixth generation battery cells which can bring down the cost even more.
Source: Automotive News Europe
