New BMW batteries pave the way for cheaper electric car and local production

BMW starts manufacturing a new generation of batteries for electric cars in the first quarter of 2023, still in the testing phase. THE Sheet had access to prototypes of the technology that promises to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of the Neue Klasse (New Class, in German), the brand’s new model family scheduled for 2025.

For large-scale use, the automaker foresees a decentralized production of batteries with opportunities for Latin America.

The sixth generation of batteries is an essential part of BMW’s strategy to meet ambitious targets to reduce pollutant emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. The goals include not only offering more efficient products, but also the decarbonization of production processes, including the supply chain.

“The reduction in the transport of components and a greater local production of the new batteries is part of this process. In fact, it is very difficult to find suppliers in North America, but the batteries could be manufactured in Mexico or Argentina”, he said to Sheet Juliane Kluge, Head of Cell Chemistry Innovation and Methods at BMW.

BMW has been working closely with suppliers since the research and development phase, but has yet to confirm the exact location of all battery factories. The official line given by Joaquim Post, member of the BMW board of directors responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network, only indicates that there will be two factories in China, two in Europe and “two capable of serving the free trade area between Canada, the United States and Mexico”.

Thus, a production of the new batteries further south would not be entirely ruled out, or even in Brazil, where BMW manufactures the 3 Series, X3 and X4 models. THE Sheet found that the difficulties in finding suppliers in North America and the possibility of exporting to Mercosur-Mexico reinforce the chances of partners located below the Tropic of Cancer.

“I still can’t say exactly. We don’t tell the supplier to produce there, but I can assure you that we are committed to being as local as possible”, diverted Juliane Kluge, with the same skill as the Argentine striker Lionel Messi.

The manufacture of batteries also depends on the interest of the consumer. However, demand can be significant even in countries with less infrastructure for this type of vehicle. That’s because BMW’s ‘green’ goal also predicts that by 2030 all-electric models will be responsible for half of the brand’s sales worldwide.

battery of the future

The main novelty of the sixth generation of batteries is the adoption of cylindrical cells instead of the current prismatic cells. “This makes it possible to fill spaces in a more optimized and flexible way, with different combinations of levels and dimensions, creating modules that adapt better to the body of the car”, explains Kluge.

Thus, the cylindrical cells promise a better integration between the battery module and the Neue Klasse bodywork. Currently, most EVs still start from the introduction of a long, heavy and inflexible battery module in a body not necessarily designed for this, which has implications for vehicle performance.

Each cell can be 95 mm or 120 mm high, always 46 mm in diameter. In addition to the layout, the cylinders are made of high-capacity alloy steel, which also improves energy production and conduction. In total, the sixth generation of BMW batteries promises a 30% increase in range, 30% faster charging and a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions.

According to the automaker, the new batteries were also developed in order to reduce their production cost by 50%. Part of the savings is due to a reduction in the use of cobalt and nickel in the cells. This is a significant step towards lowering the still high price of electric cars, as the battery module represents 40% of the total production cost of these models. Today, the most “affordable” electric car from BMW in Brazil is the i3, which starts at R$ 339,950.

The new system also monitors each cell and allows individual shutdowns in case of failure. This prevents cascading failures, which is when multiple cells or an entire section are affected by minor or even individual defects. While the risk is already low in current systems, this configuration further reduces the possibility of fire or other damage, as well as minimizing efficiency loss.

With the participation of research institutes, startups and suppliers, the development process of new batteries is part of a plan started in 2008.

Prototypes and safety tests were completed and the first factory was finished being assembled together with the supplier in 2022. The first pilot production should start by March 2023, in Parsdorf, Germany.

The reporter traveled at the invitation of BMW