BMW Begins Neue Klasse EV Gen6 e-Motor Production

On August 1, 2025, BMW Group Plant Steyr in Austria officially began series production of the Gen6 electric motor (e‑motor) designed for the upcoming Neue Klasse electric vehicle architecture.

Strategic Milestone for Electrification

• Steyr becomes the first BMW facility to manufacture full electric drivetrains—marking the plant’s move beyond its decades-long tradition of internal combustion engine production.
• The motor is built around BMW’s 6th‑generation eDrive system and is designated for deployment across the Neue Klasse model lineup.

Tech & Production Details

• Core components—rotor, stator, transmission, and inverter—are all produced at Steyr. Inverters are manufactured in a newly established clean-room environment.
• The motor leverages 800‑volt architecture and incorporates silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors, boosting efficiency and reducing thermal losses.
• Compared to BMW’s 5th‑generation xDrive systems, this Gen6 e‑motor achieves approximately:
  • 40% lower energy loss
  • 20% reduced weight
  • 20% lower production cost
    These improvements collectively contribute to around a 20% increase in overall vehicle efficiency, enabling up to 800 km WLTP range on models like the Neue Klasse iX3 xDrive 50.

Investment & Workforce Transformation

• Since the initiative began in 2022, BMW has committed over €1 billion into expanding e‑drive development and production at Steyr through 2030.
• Approximately 1,000 employees are now dedicated to Gen6 e‑motor production, and by 2030, up to 50% of Steyr’s workforce could be involved in e‑mobility operations.

Steyr’s modular production enables a flexible drivetrain platform capable of serving different Neue Klasse variants, improving cost synergies.