BMW gives more info about its Gen6 electric drive

The BMW Group is presenting its next step in electric drive technology. At its Tech Days event in Landshut, the company provided some initial insights into developing and producing high-voltage batteries and electric drive systems using the sixth generation of BMW eDrive technology.

This technology will benefit every fully electric Neue Klasse vehicle. The first Neue Klasse model will go into series production later this year at BMW’s Plant Debrecen in Hungary. We give you an overview of the technology highlights.

Technology-open approach

“Electric mobility is the future and a key area of growth for the BMW Group,” explains Dr. Joachim Post, board member of BMW AG, Purchasing and Supplier Network. “We are leading the way with this drivetrain technology. At the same time, we are deliberately taking a technology-open approach, recognizing that mobility needs vary between different regions of the world.”

“We want to offer our customers the best drive concept for every need. It is possible to offer the best drive technology for every need and be at the forefront of electric mobility.”

Gen6 batteries: ‘slimmer, faster, further’

The BMW Group claims a technological quantum leap with the new sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology (Gen6 for short). Improvements on the product side include a 30% faster charging speed and a 30% increase in range, with specific models achieving even higher figures. The Gen6 high-voltage battery concept also benefits from the new 800V technology.

The Gen6 high-voltage battery concept is fundamentally new and will find applications in all vehicle segments, up to the high-performance models from BMW M GmbH. Its latest, even slimmer design allows the high-voltage battery to be integrated into various models, regardless of vehicle height.

The high-voltage battery becomes a structural component (“pack-to-open-body”), and the new cylindrical cells will be integrated directly into the high-voltage battery (“cell-to-pack”).

The new BMW cylindrical cell has a 20% greater energy density than its predecessor, the Gen5 prismatic battery cell. Charging in both directions will be possible: the BMW Group has confirmed bidirectional charging as a standard for Gen6.

BMW Energy Master

The BMW Energy Master combines all the elements enabling this technological step forward. This central control unit is positioned on the high-voltage battery and provides the interface for high- and low-voltage power supply and data from the high-voltage battery.

It also controls the power supply for the electric motor and vehicle electrical system and ensures the safe and intelligent operation of the high-voltage battery. The BMW Group has filed new patent applications for the vehicle’s electrical system, including its electronic fuses.

The Energy Master’s hardware and software were developed in-house at the BMW Group. This ensures that technological developments and updates for vehicles can be implemented independently and in real-time via Remote Software Upgrades, which is particularly beneficial for customers.

The Neue Klasse’s high-voltage batteries are assembled in five new production facilities that the BMW Group has located close to its vehicle plants as part of a ‘local for local’ approach.

For example, cutting-edge assembly locations for Gen6 high-voltage batteries are taking shape in Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Lower Bavaria), Debrecen (Hungary), Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico), and Woodruff, near Spartanburg (USA). This approach tries to safeguard production in unforeseen political and economic situations.

EESM and ASM motors combined

The BMW Group has retained the principle of an electrically excited synchronous motor (EESM) for its Gen6 power unit. This type of synchronous motor generates the magnetic field in the rotor by windings fed with direct current rather than permanent magnets.

This allows the strength of the rotor’s magnetic field to be optimally adjusted to the prevailing load conditions. This results in excellent efficiency levels at customer-relevant operating points and constant power output at high rotational speeds.

As with the Gen5 version, the synchronous motor will be positioned above the rear axle and feature a compact housing incorporating the electric drive unit, power electronics, and transmission.

Additionally, the Gen6 powertrain employs a second electric motor technology, the asynchronous motor (ASM). Instead of being generated by permanent magnets (PSM) or electrical excitation (EESM), the stator induces the stator’s magnetic field.

In this type of motor, the rotor takes the form of a metal cage. The asynchronous motor offers a more compact design and superior cost efficiency. The ASM motor variants will be fitted at the front axle of Neue Klasse cars with BMW xDrive.

Better efficiency

The results of intelligently incorporating new technologies into the electric powertrain while consistently enhancing existing systems make an interesting reading.

A future Neue Klasse model complete with EESM and ASM technology boasts the following improvements compared to a Gen5 xDrive model: energy losses have been reduced by 40%, costs by 20%, and weight by 10%.

By combining different types of electric motors, the BMW Group’s technology-open approach is, therefore, clearly evidenced within the field of electric mobility. In the future, customers can choose from models equipped with one, two, three, or four electric motors to suit their preferences and requirements.

The sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology is a significant factor in the Neue Klasse’s 20 percent overall vehicle efficiency gain. This figure is based on a comparison with the current generation of all-electric vehicles from the BMW Group. Series production of the Gen6 electric drive systems will commence at BMW Group Plant Steyr in the summer of 2025.