When announcing the new batteries that will be integrated into the future 3 Series, BMW has been quick to address the issue of autonomy. For the German manufacturer, striving for a range of 1,000 km makes no sense. It’s the same vision as Elon Musk, and we explain why it’s a good thing.
In early 2022, Elon Musk shocked many observers when he said that an electric car with a range of 1,000 km was useless. The German manufacturer BMW is following suit, just days after announcing the future platform for the 100% electric BMW 3 Series with a range of up to 800 km.
Indeed, as reported by the British media Trainersaid Thomas Albrecht, a BMW engineer, “with the new 6th generation batteries, we can add 30% more range compared to the current 5th generation, but we will not go beyond 1,000 km, even if we can. We don’t think such a high battery life is necessary“.
Fast charging more important than autonomy?
And the man is not wrong. Even if a large autonomy is necessary to make long journeys, it is above all the mesh of the fast charging network that must be developed, in parallel with the charging speed. The Kia EV6 proves it well. With a theoretical range of “only” 528 km, it is – on certain routes – faster than the Mercedes-Benz EQS with its combined WLTP range of 725 km. In question, the charging speed, which goes from 31 minutes on the Mercedes to 18 minutes on the Kia, goes from 10 to 80%.
This statement is less true on the highway, where the consumption of certain cars skyrockets, just like the Kia EV6. And as proven by YouTuber Bjørn Nyland’s various 1,000km highway tests, theoretical range is less important than actual highway consumption and fast charging capability. In this small game, the Chinese manufacturer Nio easily takes first place thanks to its battery replacement stations that allow you to leave with a full battery in five minutes.
5 to 10 minutes to charge the battery
So the future of the electric car will not necessarily consist of batteries with ever-increasing autonomy. But mainly due to increasingly faster charging speeds and limited consumption on the highway. This is what the Chinese manufacturers are planning in particular by integrating next year the famous battery with a range of 800 km and which can be charged from 10 to 80% in just 10 minutes. Provided you have a sufficiently powerful charging station at your disposal, which is not yet the case in Europe.
The Chinese giant CATL is planning batteries in the coming years that can be charged in just five minutes. This technology will make it possible to offer smaller, cheaper but also lighter batteries, which will reduce the consumption of the vehicle. Because for Elon Musk, it makes no sense to carry around a giant battery of which we would only use a small part of its capacity every day. And he’s right.
Elon Musk again claimed that 400 miles on a single charge is the current maximum for electric cars. If he claims to be able to make a vehicle with a range of almost 1000 km, for…
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