According to media reports, BMW plans to reduce the battery cost by using cylindrical batteries in order to increase its competitiveness with Tesla. It is understood that with the rise of raw material prices, BMW will switch to the next generation of low-cost batteries for its new electric vehicle platform from 2025. That is, use cylindrical batteries instead of prismatic batteries like Tesla on the "Neue Klasse" platform. According to people familiar with the matter, this change will reduce BMW's battery cost by 30%.
Although the battery cost will still be affected by the rise in the price of raw materials, BMW still needs to develop a battery pack that can provide higher endurance, otherwise it will be left behind by Mercedes Benz and Tesla.
1、 Choose existing partners to supply, but it is difficult to increase profits
People familiar with the matter said that the new cylindrical battery will be manufactured by BMW's existing partners, but the cooperation is still in the internal review stage, so they declined to be named.
▲ Tesla cylindrical 4680 battery
It is understood that at present, BMW buys batteries from Ningde times and Eve energy, Samsung SDI in South Korea and northvolt in Sweden, so the supplier of cylindrical batteries should be one or more of these four.
People familiar with the matter also said that the energy density of the new BMW battery will be at least double-digit low percentage higher than Tesla's round battery, but did not provide further details. This may help BMW build electric vehicles with longer range than Tesla.
However, the cost of batteries will still rise, and it is difficult for the profit margin of electric vehicles to rise in a short time.
Generally speaking, batteries generally account for four fifths of the total cost of battery packs. And with the improvement of battery technology and production efficiency, the total cost will be reduced. However, at present, the prices of lithium and nickel, the main raw materials of batteries, have risen sharply, which also affects the proportion of battery cost in the total cost.
Therefore, this also overturns the prediction of carmakers that electric vehicles will soon be similar to the profit margin of oil vehicles.
2、 BMW's endurance needs to be improved and is still expected to surpass Tesla
It is understood that BMW won the global luxury sales champion from Mercedes Benz last year and is still trying to catch up with its existing rivals in battery life.
▲ BMW I4
It is understood that Mercedes Benz's vision eqxx is a prototype vehicle close to mass production, and its battery pack will be used in other compact cars of Mercedes Benz as early as 2024. The vision eqxx can travel more than 1000 kilometers from Germany with one charge, surpassing Tesla. It is reported that the model 3 high-performance version has the highest endurance of Tesla, and the CLTC has a maximum endurance of 675 kilometers.
At present, the maximum range of BMW's edi625 km is that of BMW's edi625 km. BMW said that it would initially focus the Neue Klasse architecture on all electric vehicles of medium-sized and high-end models, such as future generations of 3-Series models. The platform will be put into operation at the carmaker's new plant in Hungary in 2025 and will only provide battery electric transmission system.
In addition, according to the 2021 lithium-ion battery price research of Bloomberg new energy finance, last year, automobile manufacturers paid an average of US $118 (about 796 yuan) for pure electric vehicle battery packs. According to people familiar with the matter, BMW's cost has been lower than this level. This will also help BMW build electric vehicles with longer range than Tesla.
Conclusion: BMW electric transformation meets pressure
BMW has also launched many new cars after announcing the electric transformation. However, for enterprises, the profit margin of electric vehicles is still lower than that of oil vehicles. If the cost of battery can be reduced or the profit margin can be improved, but at present, the price of battery raw materials is rising, and it is difficult to reduce the cost of battery for the time being.
In addition, it is not enough for BMW to only choose cylindrical batteries. It also needs to improve battery capacity and endurance. Otherwise, it will lose its attraction to consumers and lag behind its competitors.
Che Dongxi (official account: chedongxi) author | ditu editor | juice