BMW two weeks ago announced a next-generation range of electric vehicles known as the Neue Klasse (German for “New Class”), the first of which is due in 2025.
The platform of the Neue Klasse vehicles has been designed from the onset for electric powertrains, specifically BMW's next generation of electric motors and batteries which are a step above the technology being introduced with the 2022 iX and i4.
But the platform won't be limited to EVs, Automotive News (subscription required) reported on Monday.
2022 BMW i4
According to the publication, the platform will also be used for vehicles fitted with internal-combustion engines. It will reportedly be used for all future BMWs, replacing the current UKL platform designed for front-wheel-drive models and the CLAR platform designed for rear-wheel-drive models.
BMW has no plans to phase out internal-combustion engines anytime soon. The automaker predicts that even by 2030 half its vehicles sold globally will have a gasoline or diesel engine, though most of these are likely to be electrified in some form.
The internal-combustion engines used in future BMWs are also likely to be smaller, as electrification takes a leading role. As a result, the traditional long hood of a BMW may disappear. The automaker has said that its Neue Klasse EVs will take on a more aerodynamic design and that proportions will differ from the past to maximize interior space. It's likely this will also extend to future BMWs with internal-combustion engines.
