Although they don’t fail very often, electric car batteries are very expensive to replace when they do. This is one of the reasons why some people avoid EVs, but BMW wants to reassure consumers who are thinking about the company’s upcoming Neue Klasse EVs.
The iX3 crossover, the bigger iX5 and iX7, and an all-electric version of the 3 Series sedan will be the first in the German automaker’s newest line of battery-powered vehicles later this year.
To put it briefly, BMW wants its high-voltage batteries to be flawless. The Bavarian business is utilising AI-supported quality checks throughout the production process to achieve that. Additionally, each cylindrical cell that suppliers send is examined before being placed in what BMW refers to as a cell cluster. The cells are linked to coolants during the cell clustering process, and the connections are then laser-cleaneded and welded. A monitoring system continuously maintains order during this period.
The next step is foaming, which guarantees that every component is safeguarded as a mechanical whole. There are no separate modules in the Neue Klasse since the high-voltage battery cells are integrated right into the pack, which also serves as the body’s structural element.
Each battery pack, including the central control unit, goes through a thorough end-of-line inspection at the conclusion of the manufacturing process to ensure that everything is in compliance with specifications.
Markus Fallböhmer, Director of Battery Production at BMW AG, stated, “We are pursuing a consistent zero-defect approach for production of our high-voltage batteries.” “We accomplish this by integrating highly intelligent, AI-supported quality checks into the production process.”
BMW has teamed up with a number of battery vendors to supply cylindrical cells to the automaker’s own battery assembly facilities for its future Neue Klasse EVs. BMW will have at least five battery facilities across three continents—including one in the US and another in Mexico—once everything is operational.
However, in order to perfect all of the techniques that would be used in the large plants, the corporation has been operating pilot factories since 2023. BMW is constructing its battery facilities as close to its vehicle manufacturers as feasible in order to make things easier, less expensive, and more resilient to political changes. In this manner, the cells enter, are put together into full packs, and then cross the street to be placed into a completed electric vehicle.
BMW’s new EVs promise greater range, power, and charging speeds than ever before thanks to their 800-volt design and the newest and best inverter technology.
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