AUTOCAR published new plans of the German company BMW. The list includes a state-of-the-art BMW i3 electric sedan, to be built on the basis of the next-generation BMW 3 Series, as well as the next BMW iX3 SUV. Both electric cars should be ready and go on sale by 2025.

However, what is more interesting in this news is not the electric cars themselves, but the future place of their production — BMW’s new iFactory in Hungary. It currently exists only in outline, but the plans for it are huge.

BMW will build a new factory: more powerful batteries and a new BMW i3 are expected
BMW will build a new factory: more powerful batteries and a new BMW i3 are expected

This plant should become not only a place for the production of ready-made electric cars, but also a factory for the production of the latest batteries. BMW claims to use cylindrical elements that will have a diameter of 46 mm and a height of 95 mm (for sedans/station wagons) or 120 mm (for SUVs). It will be possible to collect batteries with a total capacity of 75 to 150 kWh from such elements, which will significantly increase the battery life of future electric cars. In addition, support for power technology with a voltage of 800 V is expected, thanks to which there is an opportunity to speed up the charging process by 30%.

So it seems that the new plant will indeed become a “bridge” for BMW to switch to electric cars of the next level in terms of quality. And this should happen in 2025.