Automakers know that making their EVs compatible with Tesla’s Supercharger network is a great way to lure in more buyers suffering from range anxiety. Plenty of major players have announced plans to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS), including the BMW Group. From early 2025, BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce owners will be able to plug their electric cars into designated Tesla Supercharger stations in the United States and Canada.
Our sources close to Munich have told us the Neue Klasse family of next-generation electric cars will also be NACS-compatible. As of early 2024, there are more than 6,000 Supercharger stations with about 55,000 connectors worldwide, primarily in three regions: North America (over 2,300), Asia Pacific (over 2,400), and Europe (over 1,100).
Automakers such as Audi, Ford, Fisker, Genesis, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Lexus, Lucid, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Polestar/Volvo, Porsche, Rivian, Toyota, and Volkswagen have also announced their intentions to adopt the NACS charge port. Speaking of other brands, BMW has joined forces with GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis to create the new IONNA charging network that will support both NACS and CCS (Combined Charging System). At least 30,000 chargers are planned across the US and Canada, with the first to become operational in the US later this year.
Neue Klasse owners will be able to transfer the energy stored inside the battery to an external device considering BMW has confirmed these future EVs will support bidirectional charging. The German automaker is engineering three battery capacities (75 kWh, 90 kWh, 105 kWh), with all using the sixth-generation cells switching shape from the currently used prismatic to cylindrical.
Compared to fifth-gen batteries, the new technology will improve range and charging speed by as much as 30% while energy density is projected to go up by 20%. With the recently introduced Vision Neue Klasse X, BMW hinted that the electric crossover has 373 miles (600 kilometers) of range on a single charge. The 800-volt system enables the concept to gain 186 miles (300 kilometers) of range in only 10 minutes spent at a charging station.
BMW will have at least six Neue Klasse-based models on sale by 2028, starting with the iX3 crossover next year and the i3 sedan in 2026. These will reportedly be followed by an i3 Touring and an iX4, with all four models believed to get full-fat M versions.
