BMW to provide Neue Klasse EVs in China from 2026

This yr marks the twentieth anniversary of BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA), which is a three way partnership between BMW and Brilliance Auto in China. To mark the event, it was introduced that native manufacturing of BMW’s Neue Klasse will start at BBA’s Shenyang plant from 2026, following the market launch of those next-generation electrical automobiles (EVs) in 2025.

Moreover, BBA will make investments 10 billion yuan (round RM6.4 billion) for a brand new high-voltage battery meeting plant, additionally in Shenyang, to make sure a gradual provide for car manufacturing. The power shall be answerable for assembling the sixth era of BMW’s high-voltage batteries which are key to the Neue Klasse.

For a quick recap, the Neue Klasse was first introduced in March 2021 and factors to an EV-only platform for the model’s next-generation EVs set to reach in 2025. That is a part of the carmaker’s grand plan the place it says, “greater than half the automobiles the BMW Group sells worldwide must be totally electrical earlier than 2030.”

The upcoming Shenyang battery meeting plant shall be a part of a worldwide battery manufacturing community that may also see comparable amenities be arrange in Debrecen (Hungary), San Luis Potosí (Mexico), Woodruff close to Spartanburg (the US) in addition to a brand new location in Germany within the subsequent few years. BMW says this “native for native” method helps bolster the growing electrification of its product line-up in particular person areas worldwide, whereas additionally enabling CO2 financial savings from logistics.

That is additionally true of its provider community, and in China, BBA already has round 430 native suppliers. The three way partnership was first present in Might 2003, however BMW already had a presence within the Chinese language market since 1994. Over the previous 20 years, BBA’s Shenyang plant has elevated its manufacturing capability from 30,000 to 830,000 models and at the moment produces seven fashions ranges with all-electric, plug-in hybrid and inside combustion powertrains.

Forward of the rollout of the Neue Klasse, BMW says it has arrange a whole electromobility ecosystem in China that spans analysis and growth, the provision chain and manufacturing of batteries and EVs. With amenities in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Nanjing, the German carmaker has constructed the largest analysis and innovation community exterior of Germany.

The R&D facility particularly turns this yr and was expanded to extend the event and validation capability for battery electrical automobiles (BEVs) in China. Now with 19 check benches for low- and high-voltage testing, pedestrian security testing, improved digital analyses and charging capability exams at excessive temperatures, these expanded testing capacities may also help shorten growth cycles.