• With the Vision Neue Klasse X SUV concept, BMW has given a preview of the first electric model based on the Neue Klasse vehicle architecture.
  • Series production is scheduled to start at the plant in Debrecen, Hungary, in the second half of 2025.

BMW announced a new concept car, the Vision Neue Klasse X, that the automaker says will inform the direction of its future lineup of electric vehicles.

Vision Neue Klasse X

For years, the automaker has been planning for the next stage in its EV evolution. The third phase is called the Neue Klasse, the first vehicle of which should arrive in 2025.

The Vision Neue Klasse X is the SUV version of the company’s Vision Neue Klasse sedan that was released last fall. The X, though, is described as an “SAV,” Sport Activity Vehicle, which BMW says will eventually become a whole family of related vehicles.

According to Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG, said in a statement, “We are underlining that the Neue Klasse is much more than just a car or a specific concept,” “It is redefining the BMW brand — and, at the same time, will be more BMW than ever.”

The vehicle looks very BMW-type. The kidney grille is even more striking than usual, with the automaker turning its signature design into a “three-dimensional sculpture with vertically aligned and backlit corridors.” It lights up as the driver approaches the vehicle.

But the grille is just the icing on the cake. The powertrain, and most specifically the battery, is where BMW is putting forward its most interesting ideas about the future of EVs.

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Power and internal facilities

The battery cells are rounded, which BMW argues is 20% more energy-dense than the prismatic cells found in most EV batteries.

When combined with the vehicle’s 800-volt architecture, the battery enables charging speeds of up to 30% faster than typical rates, which BMW says will allow the EV to gain 300km (roughly 186 miles) in just 10 minutes.

BMW didn’t disclose the Vision Neue Klasse X’s total range figure but did note it would deliver about 30% more range than previous iterations.

The interior is packed with sustainable materials, such as a plant-based, mineral-based, and petroleum-free surface material called “Verdana,” as well as maritime plastics and recovered fishing nets.

The vehicle itself will be manufactured later this year at a factory that the company says is designed to run on fossil fuel-free energy.

Series production is scheduled to start at the plant in Debrecen, Hungary, in the second half of 2025.