BMW marks the start of Gen 6 battery production in Shenyang on October 15, 2026. Credit: BMW
- BMW said the Neue Klasse i3 50L traveled 1,213 km in a real-world road test without recharging.
- The 10 billion yuan battery project in Shenyang will initially supply the Neue Klasse iX3 and i3.
BMW announced on Thursday that its sixth-generation (Gen 6) high-voltage batteries had entered mass production in Shenyang, Liaoning province, while unveiling test results showing its long-wheelbase Neue Klasse i3 traveled 1,213 km without recharging.
The German luxury carmaker is rolling out its Neue Klasse electric vehicle platform in China, using local production and technology partnerships to support a new round of product launches.
The vehicle that completed the challenge was the Neue Klasse BMW i3 50L, the company said in an official statement today, describing it as an electric endurance champion.
The test covered expressways, national highways, rural roads and urban streets, with the vehicle reaching its destination with 1% charge remaining. It was equipped with a 113.4-kWh battery and recorded combined energy consumption of 8.8 kWh per 100 km.
The 1,213-km figure represents BMW’s result from a specific road test, rather than a certified range under a standardized testing cycle. BMW said it was the longest distance any of its battery electric vehicles had traveled on a single charge.
The Gen 6 battery project in Shenyang involves an investment of 10 billion yuan ($1.49 billion) and a planned floor area of 240,000 square meters, about 5 times the size of its existing battery production facilities.
BMW’s production complex in Shenyang, where the company is expanding local manufacturing to support its Neue Klasse rollout. Credit: BMW
Construction began in May 2023. The project combines large cylindrical cells with battery system integration, an 800-volt architecture and sixth-generation electric drive technology to support Neue Klasse models.
Following Debrecen, Hungary, and Ilbach-Straßkirchen, Germany, Shenyang has become the third location in the global Gen 6 battery network.
The Gen 6 batteries produced in Shenyang will initially power the Neue Klasse iX3 and i3. With battery production underway, all 3 core components of the sixth-generation electric drive system will be manufactured in China, BMW said.
BMW’s Gen 6 batteries will initially power the Neue Klasse iX3 and i3 in China. Credit: BMW
BMW previously began trial production of its Energy Master system at the Shenyang powertrain plant in late September. The system serves as the central control unit for Gen 6 batteries, with both its hardware and software developed in-house.
Shenyang has thus become BMW’s only production base outside Germany capable of manufacturing the system. It is also the company’s only site worldwide to combine casting, engine, high-voltage battery and Energy Master production at a single location.
Battery production lays the manufacturing groundwork for Neue Klasse deliveries in China. BMW opened pre-orders for the China-exclusive long-wheelbase Neue Klasse iX3 on August 21, with deliveries scheduled to begin in November.
The Neue Klasse i3 50L is a long-wheelbase sedan developed for the Chinese market. Regulatory filings show a wheelbase of 3,005 mm, an increase of 39 mm over the previous-generation China-built i3.
BMW is also adapting its vehicles to China through local software partnerships. The Neue Klasse i3’s driver assistance system was jointly developed with Momenta (HKEX: 6880), while its infotainment system incorporates AI voice features developed in collaboration with Alibaba and DeepSeek.
Pre-orders are open for the China-specific long-wheelbase Neue Klasse iX3, with prices starting at 269,900 yuan ($39,810).
($1 = 6.7253 yuan)
