New BMW iX3 promises over 804 km range and 30% faster charging, will get 800V Neue Klasse Gen6 eDrive EV tech

BMW is working on the Neue Klasse Gen6 eDrive EV technology, which will debut in the iX3. The electric car's 800-volt system is expected to promise more than 804-kilometre range on a full charge. Also, it promises 30 per cent faster charging for the battery pack. Interestingly, besides BMW, the other car brands of the group, Mini and Rolls-Royce will also get the same system. However, it is not clear which models of these two latter brands will get the system.

While the BMW iX3 will get the Gen6 eDrive EV technology first, it will be rolled out to the entire lineup of the German luxury car brand at a later stage. Besides the regular electric cars, the M performance models will also get the same technology.

At the centre of the Gen6 eDrive EV technology of BMW is an 800-volt charging system. The battery pack is built with cylindrical cells rather than the prismatic cells. BMW claims the new cylindrical cells come with five times more energy density. The carmaker claims the new technology will enable the EV battery pack to be charged 30 per cent faster and offer an additional 30 per cent range compared to the current electric cars of the brand. Some models will get even higher figures. Also, all the Gen6 EVs of the brand will now come with bi-directional charging.

The cylindrical cells are packed directly into the battery pack, instead of first being put into modules. With this, the battery pack becomes a structural component in the Neue Klasse cars, which helps reduce weight and increase the strength of the vehicle. Also, this helps keep the battery pack's shape significantly slim.

BMW has also revealed that it will fit asynchronous motors to the front axle of all-wheel drive xDrive electric cars because they are more compact and cheaper to build than the permanent synchronous type.

Check out Upcoming EV Cars in India, Upcoming EV Bikes in India.