I’m excited about BMW’s Neue Klasse vehicles, and you should be too

Summary

Neue Klasse EVs offer 30% more range, surpassing 500 miles for next-gen i3 and iX3 crossovers.
BMW’s switch to 800-volt charging promises 30% faster charging speeds, possibly up to 400 kW.
Neue Klasse integrates 4 computers, leading to 130x more software development for advanced technology.

There may not be anyone in the automotive space that needs a breath of fresh air more than BMW, and boy, are they getting it with the manufacturer’s fresh line of Neue Klasse vehicles.

The company released the Neue Klasse concept in 2023, and we actually covered it from its inception. Now, that same concept is about to be put into production and offers an entirely new look for the iconic German manufacturer. The new electric line will look to do more than provide a new look, though. Instead, it will look to further the EV marketplace with several impressive features. The Neue Klasse will bring a new 3-series and an X3-equivalent crossover to market.

Personally, I think this is one of the most exciting products BMW has brought to market in recent memory, and there are plenty of reasons why you should, too.

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Extended battery range

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BMW's new cylindrical battery core next to its older model.

BMW Group

BMW says that its next generation of i3 and iX3 crossovers will have up to 30 percent more range than previous models. In fact, the company touts an estimated range of over 500 miles.

How is BMW going to accomplish this, you might ask? By changing the type of battery cells they use to a cylindrical cell from a prismatic one. While that change most definitely makes a difference, BMW is integrating those new cells into the vehicle’s structure to offer a more rigid, complete weight distribution. The batteries will be cast in a hard exoskeleton, which BMW says will also aid in crash protection, and will also form a completely flat underbody to maximize aerodynamic potential.

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New 800-volt systems mean faster charging is on the way

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The new BMW Neue Klasse charging at home.

BMW Group

Arguably the most impressive improvement for BMW over the previous EV generation is the switch to 800-volt charging from just 400-volt. While no official numbers have been released up to this point, BMW has said that the new line will charge 30 percent faster than the previous generation. That means 267-kW charging is the expectation, but there are also reports of these cars charging as fast as 400 kW.

For those who are into the math side of things, that means that the new chargers could deliver 217 miles of range on just a 10-minute charge, while the average American spends around eight minutes at each of their fuel stops as it is, according to a study conducted by Geotab.

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A fresh design language was needed

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A 2025 BMW 3-series driving on a scenic road.

BMW Group

One of my best friends drives a 2019 BMW 3-series, and to be quite honest, the design language on what is one of the most popular sedans in the world hasn’t changed much since then. You could argue the interior has been upgraded, but in all reality, the infotainment display just got a bit larger… and that’s really it.

With the Neue Klasse, BMW itself says that they are trying to tie back into older design thought processes while maintaining an air of modernity. In fact, they call it “the design of a new age.” I always like to say that we can tell when BMW is getting serious about its design again when the grille portion starts to get smaller, and with the Neue Klasse sporting the age-old classic Kidney grille, I feel like they’re on their way to creating another stellar era of vehicles.

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The Neue Klasse has 20 times the computing power of current BMW models

Powered by four “superbrains,” the Neue Klasse looks to be a treat to drive

The new BMW Neue Klasse interior from between the front two seats.

BMW Group

Continuity is the name of the game for the new technology inside BMW’s Neue Klasse. Let me explain it this way: each time that BMW set out to build a new car up to this point, it required building in new software for their drivers to use on a daily basis. Now, in the Neue Klasse, BMW is looking to keep its technology consistent, thanks to four separate computers that each control different elements of the car.

With the new line this steeped in technology, there’s no debating that this is a massive leap forward.

According to a press release regarding the Neue Klasse software systems, BMW is now developing 130 times more software than it did just 10 years ago, and that shows in the deep implementation of that software in the Neue Klasse. The four computers I mentioned earlier take care of things like infotainment, automated driving, driving dynamics, with one final computer handling the duties of basic functions like climate control, vehicle access and comfort. With the new line this steeped in technology, there’s no debating that this is a massive leap forward.

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The BMW Neue Klasse interior with the panoramic i-Drive screen in view.

BMW Group

Forget traditional HUDs, BMW’s new i-Drive panoramic dashboard is a huge leap forward in driver information technology. It looks to blend augmented reality with an already robust infotainment experience. To cut through the strange terminology, the operating system I’m speaking about here has been dubbed “BMW Operating System X,” and it will integrate the panoramic display with the actual windshield itself to give the driver real-time information throughout the entire field of vision.

Why is this a big deal? It opens so many doors for the future. With augmented reality taking up a larger space in the consumer marketplace as it is, it’s only a matter of time before the technology makes its way to the mass automotive market, and BMW is looking to throw the first punch in that heavyweight match-up between manufacturers across the globe.