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2023 Munich auto show: BMW Neue Klasse is near-production concept

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BMW’s Vision Neue Klasse full-electric concept that will be unveiled next month will showcase a near production-ready car, CEO Oliver Zipse said.

The production version will be on roads soon, Zipse added during an earnings call on Thursday.

Zipse described the Neue Klasse battery-electric platform as a “megaproject” within BMW. “It is about nothing less than the future of the BMW brand, the BMW Group and our portfolio,” he said.

Zipse did not give further details on which model the concept will preview. The concept will be revealed on Sept. 2 ahead of the IAA Mobility show in Munich that starts Sept. 4.

The car will be the third Vision concept BMW is creating to highlight its future technologies. It follows the sustainability-focused i Vision Circular shown at the 2021 Munich show and the digital-focused i Vision Dee shown at the CES in Las Vegas in January.

BMW has previously said the first cars off the platform will be a 3 Series-sized sedan and a midsize crossover.

BMW will begin output of the first Neue Klasse cars in 2025 at its new Debrecen, Hungary factory, followed by production at its Munich plant starting in 2026. Neue Klasse cars also will be built at BMW’s Shenyang, China factory starting in 2026, and at its plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, from 2027.

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