AUTONEWS

BMW Neue Klasse: the brand's models with bidirectional charging technology arrive in 2025

BMW Neue Klasse models scheduled for launch in 2025 will be able to store electricity and function as a power outlet. They are equipped with technology for bidirectional charging, that is, the ability to accept and supply electricity.

With the latest design studies, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse sedan and the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X SAV, the BMW Group shows what the next generation of vehicles from the BMW brand will look like. They represent the range of technological innovations with which the company demonstrates its future viability.

With the world premiere of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X, BMW announces another innovation that is expected to enter production: bidirectional charging capability. This technology makes it possible to use the high-voltage battery of an all-electric vehicle as an energy storage device and return the stored electricity to both the household supply and the electrical grid at a later stage.

This makes it even easier for BMW customers to actively contribute to the energy transition and promotes the sustainable generation and use of renewable energy. Functions such as ‘Vehicle to Home’, ‘Vehicle to Grid’ and ‘Vehicle to Load’ will therefore be available to BMW customers for the first time. This move also highlights the continued expansion of the BMW Group's charging offering.

“We are constantly improving our range of charging products and services to maximize customer benefits,” says Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management at BMW AG responsible for Development. “We will soon offer cost-optimized charging together with our partner E.ON in several markets. And with Neue Klasse, we're taking the next step: bidirectional charging. Vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid, all fully integrated into our comprehensive charging ecosystem – BMW Connected Home Charging. Using the vehicle, the My BMW app, the BMW backend - plus a BMW DC Wallbox Professional and its photovoltaic system, customers will be able to control the energy flow in such a way that home charging is possible off-grid at certain times. And, of course, they will also be able to reduce their charging costs by feeding the electricity stored in their BMW back into the electrical grid.”

Vehicle to Home: Electricity for your home...In the early stage of the technology, bi-directional charging will allow customers to essentially use their vehicle's high-voltage battery as a stationary energy storage device. In this case, the carbon-neutral electricity generated by the customer's photovoltaic system is temporarily stored in the vehicle's battery with the help of the BMW DC Wallbox Professional and is then fed back to power other consumers in the home, making the customer independent of the electrical grid. outdoors for a while and reducing your energy costs.

Vehicle to Grid: Powering the Grid...The second stage of bi-directional charging will allow customers to make a portion of their battery capacity available externally. This energy capacity can be used both to charge from the grid and to discharge electricity to it at appropriate times. Access to the energy market is provided by BMW's cooperation partner E.ON. To do this, customers will need E.ON's dynamic electricity tariff, which will manage the charging process together with BMW's backend to enable revenue generation from energy exchange.

This function will only be available in different markets when the necessary regulatory measures are adopted.

Vehicle to Charge: The car as a power bank...The Vehicle to Load function allows the energy stored in the vehicle to be used to power external electrical equipment. This means the Neue Klasse can function as a form of mobile power bank to charge an electric bike, for example, or provide power for electrical equipment while camping.

Regardless of the type of bidirectional charging used, the customer's desire for mobility always comes first. This is ensured by the intuitive and easy operation in the My BMW app, which can be used to control the entire BMW Connected Home Charging ecosystem.

Accelerating the energy transition...Bidirectional charging not only ensures greater security of supply. By accepting and delivering electricity, electric vehicles can make a significant contribution to the share of electricity consumption that comes from renewable sources. Using the storage capacities provided by high-voltage batteries allows supply and demand in the area of green electricity to be better coordinated. For example, electric vehicle storage systems can selectively absorb peaks in wind and solar power generation and release electricity again during periods of low generation (nighttime, lulls) in supply. This makes it possible to reduce the start-up of fossil energy plants and their emissions during these periods. In this way, electric mobility is becoming an increasingly integral part of the energy revolution. With bidirectional charging, CO2 emissions can be reduced both in the area of mobility and in energy generation in general.