BMW Neue Klasse EVs will get bi-directional charging

BMW has announced that its upcoming Neue Klasse electric vehicles (EVs) scheduled for launch in 2025 will feature bi-directional charging technology. So far, the company has presented two concepts that preview its next-generation EVs, namely the Vision Neue Klasse and the very recent Vision Neue Klasse X.

With bi-directional charging, Neue Klase models will not only be able to recharge their batteries but also to power devices or supply electricity back to the power grid. Other carmakers also offer this technology with their EVs, although not all provide the same level of functionality as BMW promises.

In the technology’s initial stage, the German carmaker says customers will be able to use their vehicle’s high-voltage battery as a stationary energy storage device. Carbon-neutral electricity generated by a customer’s photovoltaic (solar) system can be temporarily stored in the battery.

This will require the installation of the BMW DC Wallbox Professional, and the energy stored can be used to power a home, making the customer independent from the external power grid for a time and reducing their energy costs.

The second stage of bi-directional charging will allow customers to make a portion of their battery’s capacity available externally. This energy capacity can be used for both charging from the grid and discharging electricity into it at appropriate times, allowing customers to generate revenue from the energy exchange. BMW is working with E.ON to enable this, with customers required to opt for dynamic electricity tariff in selected markets once the necessary regulatory measures have been adopted.

A more common use of bi-directional charging is a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function to power external electrical equipment, effectively making Neue Klasse models mobile power banks. Customers can use this to charge an e-bike, for example, or supply electricity to equipment while camping.

BMW says the implementation of bi-directional charging in Neue Klasse models helps to ensure greater energy supply security and make a significant contribution to the share of electricity consumption coming from renewable sources.

“For example, electric vehicle storage systems can selectively absorb peak wind and solar energy generation and release the electricity again during periods of low generation (night, lulls) in supply. This makes it possible to reduce the start-up of fossil power plants and their emissions during such periods. In this way, electric mobility is becoming an ever more integral part of the energy revolution. With bidirectional charging, CO2 emissions can be reduced both in the area of mobility and in power generation overall,” the company said in its release.