The automotive industry is undergoing a change unlike anything else we’ve seen in the past. The only event that was even close to what we’re seeing right now was back in the early 1900s, when horses and carriages were replaced by motor cars. This change will affect everyone, including BMW, and the way the company moves forward will play an important role into whether it will survive or not.
The Germans announced that they will be introducing a whole new electric platform for EVs in 2025, under the revived nickname Neue Klasse. It’s a throwback to the original platform launched in the 1960s that basically brought the brand back to life. Even so, don’t expect the new models to have retro-inspired designs, as it happens in the backyard of other car makers. Instead, speaking to Autocar, BMW’s design chief, Domagoj Dukec, said that the company has no plans to look back but only into the future.
“We must be bold and meaningful,” he said. “You can do bold through many tricks. Everybody knows how to make a car attractive, but if it’s not meaningful, it’s empty.” That’s a direct reference to the way cars are made and how they are using resources.
The BMW i Vision Circular is a hint as to what the Bavarian company wants to offer moving forward. It will completely stop using certain materials, like chrome and try to cut down on others by as much as possible, like leather. Overall, the main goal of everyone should be to make sure they do everything they can to curb emissions.
“As designers, it’s about rethinking and reducing. It’s how we treat materials – not using chrome, creating materials to use less leather. For us, electrification alone isn’t the sustainable path it is for others. They think they make electric cars and there, work done. But the problem is bigger,” he said. If that goal will be achieved, the cars will definitely be meaningful as well. As for the design, there will be some drastic changes in the works but we’ll just have to wait and see what they are once they come out.
