BMW pushes various models of battery packs
According to "European Automotive News", in order to prevent batteries from hindering the diversity of designs, BMW is working hard on battery cells and will provide different sizes of battery packs for different models. It is reported that BMW will launch two new construction platforms and three battery packs and three electric motors.
BMW Group R&D director Klaus Froehlich said that the battery packs used in BMW's all-electric and hybrid sedans and coupes in the future will be different from SUV models. SUVs are usually taller than sedans and coupes, so SUVs can accommodate taller battery packs.
The ability to offer battery cells in a variety of sizes is also thanks to BMW's battery technology center, which opened near Munich last December. The main responsibility of the technical center is the design of battery cells and control software. Although BMW has invested as much as 200 million euros in the center, BMW said the group has no plans to produce its own battery packs.
It is understood that various models of lithium-ion battery products are part of the fifth phase of BMW's electrification strategy, and now BMW has made arrangements for battery diversification in advance. That phase will begin in 2021, when mass production of BMW's all-electric flagship, or the i9, will begin. Currently known as the iNext, the model will be produced at BMW's Dingolfing plant in Germany.
Last month, BMW also announced that another all-electric model could go into production around the same time. The model is based on the BMW iVisionDynamics concept car and will be called the i4 and will be produced at BMW's Munich plant. The production versions of the BMW i4 and iNext will be two of the 12 all-electric models BMW plans to launch by 2025.
The group's next electric model will be the MiniE, which will be launched in 2019. The electric version of the X3 SUV is scheduled to go on sale in 2020. Both models are in the fourth phase of BMW's electrification strategy, which also includes the longer-range i3 hatchback. The BMW Group said that the standard i3 in 2013 and the i8 plug-in hybrid coupe in 2014 marked the third stage of the group's electrification strategy.
new construction platform
From 2021, BMW will launch new models using two new vehicle construction platforms that will be compatible with internal combustion, plug-in hybrid and fully electric powertrains. In addition, in order to meet the demand for various hybrid powertrains, BMW is also changing its production methods. Last year, BMW said again that the group hopes that by 2025, electrified models will account for 15% to 25% of the group's total global sales. It is understood that the electrified models in BMW's eyes include all-electric and plug-in hybrid models, but not 48-volt mild hybrid models. It is understood that the two new BMW construction platforms are called the FAAR front-wheel drive platform and the CLAR rear-wheel drive platform, both of which are suitable for all-wheel drive models.
3 battery packs, 3 electric motors
Moreover, the new build platform can also accommodate battery packs of different capacities and ranges. The 30e battery pack will have a capacity of 60 kWh and a cruising range of 450 km according to the World Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) standard; the 40e battery pack will have a capacity of 90 kWh and a cruising range of 550 km; the 50e battery pack will have a range of 550 km. It has a capacity of 120 kWh and a cruising range of 700 kilometers.
Froehlich said that under the WLTP standard, BMW's next-generation plug-in hybrid models can also have a cruising range of 100 kilometers in pure electric mode, a significant increase from the previous less than 50 kilometers. On the electric motor side, BMW is also working on 3 different variants. Each variant of the electric motor (e-machine) will contain an electric motor, transmission and inverter. All three electric motors are independently developed by BMW and will be available in 2021, while BMW plans to manufacture the electric motors by the company itself.
BMW declined to provide performance figures for the electric motor, but gave the outside world how it works. One example would be a larger electric motor on the rear axle and a smaller one on the front axle, the two only interacting when all-wheel-drive mode is required.
At the same time, BMW also plans to launch a high-performance electric vehicle, which can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers in less than 3 seconds, and the cruising range can exceed 700 kilometers. Such high performance requires a BMW 50e battery pack and three electric motors, each outputting 200 kilowatts (about 268 horsepower).
