Electromobility BMW Starts Electric Drive Series Production for the Neue Klasse in Steyr

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The BMW plant in Steyr (Austria) has started series production of the electric drive unit for the Neue Klasse. The e-motor for the sixth generation of BMW eDrive is the first fully electric drive manufactured at the Steyr site. From there, it will be delivered to the global production network to power the Neue Klasse.

Starting with the project launch in 2022, BMW plans to invest over one billion euros in expanding its development and production capabilities for electric drives at the Steyr site by 2030. Until now, the plant has been developing and manufacturing internal combustion engines for BMW and Mini brands—for more than 40 years. This provides ideal conditions for electric motor production, where the Gen6 electric motors are now being manufactured. At the same time, diesel and gasoline engines will continue to be produced at the site. "Our openness to technology is our strength—it gives us the flexibility needed to secure employment in the long term," explains Klaus von Moltke, head of BMW engine production and manager of the Steyr plant. Around 1,000 employees will work in the new e-motor assembly. Depending on how global demand develops, up to half of the entire workforce at the Steyr site could be involved in e-mobility by 2030.

Steyr: Ready for Electrical Engineering

Rotor, stator, gearbox, and inverter—all core components of the new electric drive will be produced in Steyr in the future. However, the e-motor housing will be cast in the aluminum foundry of the Landshut plant and further processed in Steyr. The inverter will be manufactured in a new in-house cleanroom environment. This marks the Austrian engine plant's entry into electrical engineering. The assembly of the e-drive components will take place on two new lines. Overall, the production concept of the Gen6 e-drive resembles a modular system. This allows for the manufacturing of various e-drive derivatives for the entire model range of the Neue Klasse. The modular concept leads to positive economies of scale and cost savings in development and production. Additionally, it enhances the scalability of production volumes.

Designed for 800 V

For the Gen6, BMW has further developed the e-motor: rotor, stator, and inverter have been comprehensively designed around the new 800-volt architecture of the Gen6 technology. The inverter now utilizes 800-volt technology as well as silicon carbide semiconductor technology to increase efficiency. The inverter is fully integrated into the e-motor housing. Among other functions, it is responsible for converting the direct current from the high-voltage battery into alternating current for use in the e-motor.

Overall, the intelligent use of new technologies in the e-drive and its further development significantly improve the performance values. Comparing the future BMW iX3 50 xDrive with a Gen5 xDrive model, the following improvements in the e-motor become evident: "Energy losses have been reduced by 40 percent, costs by 20 percent, and weight by 10 percent. All this makes a significant contribution to achieving up to a 20-percent increase in overall vehicle efficiency," explains Martin Kaufmann, head of global drive development at the automaker. The design of the drive, combined with the energy content of the high-voltage battery, enables a range of up to 800 km according to WLTP for the future BMW iX3 50 xDrive. (se)

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