BMW has previously announced plans to shift to cylindrical battery cells for its next generation of electric vehicles (EVs), having recently secured CATL as a supplier. It looks like the German automaker will also be relying on China’s EVE Energy Co Ltd as another cylindrical battery supplier.
According to a report by Reuters, citing sources familiar with the automaker’s plans, BMW has signed an agreement with EVE for a supply of large cylindrical batteries for its EVs in Europe. The sources explained the cells will be similar in size to Tesla’s 4680 battery cells, which measure 46 millimeters in diameter and 80 millimeters in length.
As we have previously reported, the first EVs to feature the new cylindrical batteries are scheduled to be released in 2025.
BMW has also previously confirmed the new batteries would first appear in their midsize premium segment, hinting that the first vehicle to feature the new cells should be the new fully electric BMW 3-series.
The German automaker currently uses prismatic cells, and expects with the shift to the new format to drop the costs associated with their battery packs by around 30%.
BMW believes that the expected 30 per cent price drop is taking rising raw material costs into the calculation. Currently, lithium and nickel are both experiencing spikes due to various factors.
