BMW, Mercedes-Benz Have Just Made Major EV Announcements
Electric vehicle plans at BMW and Mercedes-Benz have changed more than once over the past two years due to waning consumer demand globally, but the two fierce German rivals still have a lot coming in the pipeline.
BMW this year will launch its new generation of EVs, known as Neue Klasse, starting with the production of an SUV based on the Vision Neue Klasse X concept. Expect some seriously advanced and impressive technology.
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At BMW’s Tech Days event in Landshut, the Bavarian automaker today unveiled an 800V electric drive concept for the Neue Klasse as part of the sixth generation of its eDrive system. This will result in 30-percent faster charging speeds and 30-percent increase in range, with certain models achieving even higher figures.
New, slimmer high-voltage batteries with 20-percent greater energy density will be integrated into a spread of different models, regardless of vehicle height. Not only that, but bidirectional charging will be included as standard, allowing owners to power or charge devices or another EV using the battery’s own power.
Said batteries will come from five different locations around the world, including one in the U.S. BMW also plans to secure a partner in North America for end-of-life battery recycling. The electric motors will be assembled at the Steyr assembly plant in Austria.
Ultimately, when compared to a previous-generation xDrive model, future Neue Klasse models will be 10 percent lighter, 20 percent cheaper to produce and able to achieve a 40-percent reduction in energy losses from the motors.
Meanwhile in Stuttgart…
Over at Mercedes-Benz, the company is readying its biggest ever product and tech launch campaign with dozens of new or refreshed models by the end of 2027, as announced on Thursday.
There will be a much closer connection between EVs and ICE-powered vehicles in terms of styling, with Mercedes-Benz looking to move away from the aero-focused jelly bean shape that many potential customers find off-putting. We’re glad to hear that, honestly.
It will all start this year with the next-generation CLA, which we’ve previously reported about. That car will offer both a fully electric variant and a more conventional one featuring a 48V electrified high-tech four-cylinder engine paired to an electrified dual-clutch transmission. It will simultaneously mark the introduction of the new, AI-enhanced Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS).
Also, by launching all-new electric GLC and C-Class models, Mercedes-Benz will close a gap in its electric core segment. An all-new fully electric E-Class will round out the picture. The first one will signal “a turning point in our midsize segment” as the “all-electric SUV our customers have been waiting for,” Chief Technology Officer Markus Schaefer said.
The pace of EV adoption will continue to be determined by market conditions, infrastructure and customer needs, Mercedes-Benz explained, although it still targets an EV share of more than 30 percent in 2027.
Mercedes-Benz entend bien adapter le rythme de lancement de ses nouveaux véhicules électriques en fonction des marchés et de l’infrastructure en place, mais anticipe quand même qu’ils représenteront plus de 30% de ses ventes en 2027.
