BMW to make its batteries 50 percent cheaper and faster to charge in next-generation EVs

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German automaker BMW has stated during its 2023 annual conference that it’s aiming for a 50 percent cost reduction between its current-gen batteries and the next sixth-generation product. 

BMW’s chief financial officer Dr Nicolas Peter said during the conference that BMW is aiming not just for cheaper batteries, but better charging speeds, too. 

“Cost reductions on Gen six for the batteries should be about 50 percent compared to Gen five. That is what we are hoping for. 

“That is not all, however. On top of that, with Gen six we are planning to make sure charging times are significantly reduced,” Dr Peter continued.

All BMW EVs from the end of 2025 are set to gain these batteries, including the potential electric version of the X5 and a new sedan. 

While this battery cost improvement won’t necessarily mean the total cost of BMW EVs will go down, what’s likely is that the price gap between ICE models and EVs becomes closer.  

We could therefore see the upcoming BMW 5 Series in a higher-spec ICE specification priced not so differently from its i5 electric version, for example.  

When will we see this new battery generation roll out?

BMW has said that we will first see the sixth-generation battery enter production around the end of 2025 with the introduction of the new Neue Klasse electric models. 

It’s unlikely that Australia will see this technology in person until sometime during 2026.

Neue Klasse explained 

BMW debuted its new EV platform, Neue Klasse, during 2022 with the reveal of the I Vision Dee concept – the likely electric successor to the 3 Series. 

Although the I Vision Dee looks quite a bit smaller than the current 3 Series sedan, it’s likely that the future 3-Series will carry over some of the technologies from the concept. 

BMW has said that it intends to release six models into the market within the first 24 months of Neue Klasse production starting. These could include electric versions of the X3, X5 and X7 SUVs, just to name a few. 

The current fifth-generation battery: where to from here?

The current fifth-generation battery from BMW finds its home in a variety of current electric models, including the iX and the i4 M50 Gran Coupe. 

The battery is also set to underpin the upcoming electric 5 Series – the i5 – before the next generation of batteries enters the market in late 2025 with Neue Klasse. 

Fifth-generation batteries are currently scalable and can offer power from anywhere between 90kW to more than 300kW. 

At the time of the fifth-generation release, BMW stated that the batteries had 20 percent greater energy density than before, so we look forward to seeing how the new sixth-generation batteries push the boundaries further.