BMW switches to a new platform: all its models will be built on a new base

The true skeleton of a car is the platform. It is the base on which all the structural components of the vehicle and the equipment it uses are installed. From the engine and drivetrain down to the smallest final details. For this reason, every so often, manufacturers renew this element to adapt it to technological advances. And now is the moment for BMW to move forward, which is why it has presented a new platform.

This is called Neue Klasse and will replace the two current platforms. Today, the compact and small cars of BMW use the UKL platform. This is also used across the MINI range. For the rest of the vehicles, SUVs and saloons, the German manufacturer uses the CLAR platform. Although both have undergone modifications to accommodate electric cars, the trend in the sector is that these platforms are based on a combustion engine.

One platform for all models

The Neue Klasse platform is designed for electric mobility, although it has the option of using an internal combustion engine. In other words, exactly the opposite concept to the current platforms. In addition to its versatility in engines, prioritising electric ones, this modular platform will allow the vehicle to be configured with front-wheel, rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, so it will be valid for any model in the brand.

BMW has also wanted it to be the most sustainable platform of all those it has prepared so far. This means that the environmental impact of this base is much lower than that of any other. Efforts have been made so that from the manufacturing process through to the moment it has to be scrapped, its impact on the environment is much more limited.

This platform will cause the models to change considerably, with shorter overhangs, a longer wheelbase and an enlarged interior space. The development of combustion engines may also change, and it is possible that we will soon see models in which the combustion engine is used to generate electricity rather than for propulsion.

The expectations of BMW are optimistic regarding the transition to electric mobility, although they remain slightly below those of other manufacturers. For the manufacturer, in 2023 90% of the brand’s models will have a fully electric version. In 2025 the models based on the new platform will begin to arrive, and by 2030, 50% of BMW’s models and all MINI models will be electric.

The reduction in the use of combustion engines is a fact, but their total elimination appears to be further away than expected. For now, these steps forward pave the way towards full electrification.

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