CATL to Supply Cylindrical Batteries for BMW's "Neue Klasse" EVs in China and Globally

2025-08-07 | Calvin

On December 5, CATL announced at the "2024 BMW China Sustainable Development Supplier Day" that starting in 2026, it will gradually supply cylindrical batteries for BMW's pure electric vehicles under the "Neue Klasse" architecture across global and Chinese markets.

Public market information reveals this order was formally signed in 2022. At that time, BMW prominently announced that CATL and Eve Energy had been selected as cylindrical battery suppliers for its "Neue Klasse" vehicles, awarding both partners battery cell production contracts worth over ten billion euros.

Specifically, CATL will provide BMW with new 46mm-diameter cylindrical batteries, to be manufactured at two battery plants in China and Europe, each with an annual production capacity of up to 20GWh for BMW.

Reportedly, BMW's sixth-generation cylindrical cells—designed specifically for the "Neue Klasse" electric/electronic architecture—come in two height variants (95mm and 120mm) and three capacity specifications (75 kWh, 90 kWh, and 105 kWh).

Performance-wise, compared to fifth-generation prismatic cells, the sixth-generation cylindrical cells feature higher nickel content and reduced cobalt in the cathode, along with increased silicon in the anode. This improves energy density by over 20%, extends range by 30%, and boosts charging speed by 30%.

In terms of materials, these cells will for the first time adopt lithium iron phosphate (LFP) as cathode material, both meeting market demand and reducing production costs.

Additionally, BMW's new battery system incorporates Cell-to-Pack (CTP) technology, enabling more cells within the same battery space for optimized packaging efficiency and seamless vehicle integration.

Notably, BMW plans to launch its first "Neue Klasse"-based EV in 2026 at its Shenyang production base, with models specifically tailored for the Chinese market.