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BMW May Use Large Cylindrical Cells From EVE Instead of Prismatic Ones – Cost Is King

Electric cars already have some concepts that are regarded as guidelines. Prismatic cells, for example: they are considered the ideal format because they are more compact, can increase energy density, and are easier to cool down. Cylindrical cells have only one advantage: price. After using prismatic cells for ages, BMW may be preparing to shift to cylindrical cells with EVE Energy, a Chinese battery maker. And that is not the only surprising bit.
BMW will use cells such as these, which EVE Energy makes for StoreDot 19 photos
Photo: StoreDot
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Reuters discovered that BMW wants a larger cylindrical cell. When we mention it will be bigger than the 2170 units used by most electric vehicles, what comes to mind is the 4680 battery that Tesla is still developing. According to Reuters’ sources, the EVE battery will be similar in size. That suggests it may be slightly different in diameter (46 millimeters) and length (80 mm).

EVE would have signed a supply contract with BMW to deliver these cylindrical cells to vehicles built over the Neue Klasse platform. This new modular architecture will underpin models from the 3 Series up to the 7 Series, as the CLAR platform does nowadays. According to Reuters, the first one to be manufactured with it will be the 3 Series in 2025.

These large prismatic cells will probably come from EVE’s plant in Debrecen, Hungary. Curiously, that is the same location where CATL announced it would build a 100-GWh battery factory. That will turn Hungary into an important EV center in Europe, despite Viktor Orbán’s controversial approach to Russia. BMW’s factory for the Neue Klasse vehicles will also be in Debrecen.

Reuters approached EVE Energy and BMW to confirm the information, and the Chinese battery maker did not respond. The German carmaker said it would have news about cells in early September. That looks very much like a veiled confirmation of the deal. However, there may be more behind this news.

EVE Energy is the main manufacturing partner for StoreDot, an Israeli battery startup that is promising Extreme Fast Charge (XFC) cells for quite some time. The startup recently said it could produce its cells in any format – prismatic or cylindrical – but it only talked about one automaker interested in its tech: VinFast. Among the images StoreDot disclosed, there were cylindrical 4680 cells. It can be just a coincidence, but what if BMW wants XFC batteries from EVE Energy? They will be ready for manufacturing around 2025 – another coincidence.

It will be interesting to listen to the excuse BMW will use for giving up on prismatic cells. Not long ago, the company used to make fun of front-wheel drive cars. Although that never happened with cylindrical cells, it will represent another significant change, of course, for the German company.
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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
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Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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