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BMW’s Neue Klasse models, set for a 2025 release, are not just electric vehicles (EVs); they represent a significant step forward in automotive technology. Equipped with bidirectional charging, these vehicles can store electricity and even function as mobile power outlets. This feature enables them to both accept and supply electricity, positioning BMW at the forefront of sustainable automotive innovations.
Key Highlights:
- Launch in 2025: Neue Klasse models with bidirectional charging.
- Technology: Allows EVs to store and supply electricity.
- Benefits: Supports energy transition, offers “Vehicle to Home,” “Vehicle to Grid,” and “Vehicle to Load” functionalities.
- Partnership: BMW and E.ON to offer cost-optimized charging.
BMW’s Vision Neue Klasse sedan and Vision Neue Klasse X SAV showcase the future of the brand’s core vehicle lineup, emphasizing technological innovations for future viability. The introduction of bidirectional charging marks a new chapter, allowing the high-voltage battery of an EV to serve as an energy storage device. This capability is crucial for supporting the sustainable generation and use of renewable energy.
Frank Weber, a member of BMW AG’s Board of Management, highlights the company’s efforts to enhance their charging products and services. Starting in the summer, BMW, in collaboration with E.ON, will introduce cost-optimized charging. The Neue Klasse’s bidirectional charging integrates into BMW’s comprehensive charging ecosystem, BMW Connected Home Charging, enabling customers to manage energy flow efficiently and reduce costs by feeding electricity back into the grid.
Vehicle to Home technology will make users partially independent from the external power grid, using their vehicle’s battery as a stationary energy storage device. Vehicle to Grid allows customers to contribute their battery’s capacity to the energy market, facilitated by E.ON. Vehicle to Load function transforms the Neue Klasse into a mobile power bank for external electrical devices.
This innovative approach to charging ensures that electric vehicles can contribute more significantly to the share of electricity consumption from renewable sources. By leveraging the storage capacities of high-voltage batteries, it’s possible to better coordinate supply and demand for green electricity, reducing the reliance on fossil fuel power plants and overall CO2 emissions in both mobility and power generation sectors. BMW’s bidirectional charging is a pivotal development in accelerating the energy transition and enhancing the integration of electric mobility into the energy revolution.
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