BMW decided to combine two battery-related updates into a single announcement. First, it states that the automaker will assist Solid Power in creating all-solid-state batteries (ASSB). BMW will manufacture them in Parsdorf, close to Munich, once they are prepared for production. The second concerns the cylindrical cells used in the Neue Klasse architecture.
We anticipated that since BMW and Ford were involved in Solid Power many years ago, their electric vehicles would feature the startup’s technology.
The German automaker’s unexpected plan to manufacture its cells at the Cell Manufacturing Competence Center is surprising (CMCC). It will initially be an experimental line, but when the technology is ready for mass production, BMW will prefer to produce its batteries.
To do this, the automaker and Solid Power agreed to a Joint Development Partnership (JDP), which expands the contracts the two parties already had. Although Reuters predicted it in December 2022, the official confirmation only just arrived.
BMW will thus actively contribute to the development of Solid Power’s ASSB. We bet that BMW’s innovations will only be used in its cars from now on. Otherwise, Ford and potential Solid Power customers might also possess them.
Full-scale automotive cell in 2023
According to the battery startup, “full-scale automotive cells will be delivered to BMW Group for testing purposes in 2023.” This probably refers to A-samples, which the company claimed were getting more realistic in October 2022. If everything goes as planned, BMW will have them ready for its initial demonstration vehicle before 2025.
The second unveiling signifies a significant shift in BMW’s business strategy. Since it began selling battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, the company has used prismatic cells in these vehicles. It will take a very different approach for the Neue Klasse vehicles by using cylindrical cells, just like Tesla.
The diameter of these cells would be 46 millimeters if that weren’t similar enough. The latest Tesla cells are referred to as 4680 for this reason.
Solid Power ASSB in 2025
BMW announced that its cells would have two different heights in September 2022. We wrongly predicted that one would be 80 mm in diameter, just like Tesla’s cells. The cylindrical batteries will have heights of 95 mm and 120 mm, corresponding to 4695 and 46120 cell designations. We question the benefit of having them that way because they are both taller than Tesla’s format.
According to BMW, these cells will “significantly improve the range of the highest-range model by up to 30% (WLTP).” However, whether this is entirely due to increased energy density or other benefits, the company realized with the new battery template is still being determined.
When the initial vehicle based on the new platform is launched, we’ll find out why. This is expected to happen in 2025. The demonstration vehicle with Solid Power ASSBs could arrive sooner.
