An expanded nickel share increases energy density, while reduction in the cobalt component means that less rare earth material is required. The increase in range is 83% compared to the predecessor model.

BMW Changes Battery Anode’s Ni, Co, and Mn Ratio to Increase Range

April 3, 2019

An expanded nickel share increases energy density, while reduction in the cobalt component means that less rare earth material is required. The increase in range is 83% compared to the predecessor model.

Murray Slovick

At Auto Shanghai 2019, BMW presented the new edition of its X1 xDrive25Le plug-in hybrid sports activity vehicle (SAV). Developed exclusively for the Chinese market, it has an extended wheelbase and now achieves an electrically powered range of up to 110 km (68.35 miles). Its combined fuel consumption is now some 72% lower than before.

The 83% increase in range versus its predecessor, and the reduction in fuel consumption to 1.3 liters per 100 km, were made possible by advances in the area of battery cell technology. The new BMW X1 xDrive25Le features a lithium-ion high-voltage battery, with battery cells produced exclusively based on specifications defined by the BMW Group.

In the new battery cells, the ratio of nickel, cobalt, and manganese in the anode material is 8:1:1. The expanded nickel share increases energy density, while the reduced cobalt component means translates into less rare earth material that’s required.

Despite the fact that the design is still compact, the weight of the battery, which is positioned at a very low point in the vehicle floor, only increases by 2.5 kg. Like the vehicle as a whole, the high-voltage battery is manufactured at the company’s Shenyang, China site.

As one of its four future-oriented ACES areas of action (Autonomous, Connected, Electrified and Services/Shared), electro-mobility is one of the key elements of the BMW Group’s strategy dubbed NUMBER ONE > NEXT. During the remainder of 2019, the range of BMW models with electrified drive will be expanded to include the plug-in hybrid models of the:

• New BMW 7 Series (combined fuel consumption: 2.6 – 2.1 l/100 km; combined power consumption: 16.3 – 15.1 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 59 – 48 g/km)

• New 330e Sedan (combined fuel consumption: 1.7 l/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 39 g/km)

• New BMW X5 xDrive45e (combined fuel consumption: 2.1 l/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 49 g/km)

• New BMW X3 xDrive30e (combined fuel consumption: 2.4 l/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 56 g/km).

In addition, improvements in battery-cell technology provides a boost in terms of range and efficiency for the BMW 530e (combined fuel consumption: 1.7 l/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 38 g/km) and the BMW 225xe Active Tourer.

The new BMW X1 xDrive25Le is produced at BMW Brilliance Automotive’s Tiexi plant in Shenyang, China. BMW reports it sold more than 140,000 plug-in hybrid and electrically powered vehicles worldwide—an increase of 38.4% as compared to the prior year.