BMW to present Vision Neue Klasse in Beijing

BMW's Vision Neue Klasse, with the two German words meaning "new class", will have its China premiere at the Beijing auto show later this month, said the German carmaker.

The sedan, one of the carmaker's latest concepts, is billed as a revolutionary model, which, together with the Vision Neue Klasse X concept, represents a new era for the company.

Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW Group, said the Neue Klasse vehicles are "not a new chapter in the history of mobility" but instead "a whole new book".

As the carmaker's new-generation of EVs, they excel in such aspects as batteries, digitalization and circular use of raw materials.

Zipse said batteries used in Neue Klasse vehicles will extend their driving range by up to 30 percent but cut their charging time by 30 percent compared with current ones.

The first mass-produced Neue Klasse model will come out in 2025, a year the carmaker expects global sales of electric vehicles to start to surge.

In China, the carmaker's largest market, production will start in 2026 at its joint venture's plant in Shenyang, Liaoning province.

The joint venture, BMW Brilliance, has invested 10 billion yuan ($1.38 billion) on a battery project in Shenyang for the Neue Klasse vehicles.

Last year, BMW sold around 100,000 electric vehicles in China, up 138 percent year-on-year. The carmaker expects around half of its total global sales by 2030 to be electric vehicles.