- BMW began local production of in-house Gen6 batteries in Shenyang using large cylindrical 4695 and 46120 cells, signaling deeper China localization and response to domestic price and share pressures.
- Gen6 uses ninth-generation high-nickel ternary chemistry, with localized value chain and suppliers including CATL and EVE Energy; iX3 pre-orders start at RMB 269,900 (about $40,266) and deliveries begin in November.
- Targets premium EV rivals in China but faces execution risks from steep sales declines, scaling new cell format, supplier integration, and meeting delivery timing to arrest market-share losses.
On Oct. 15, BMW’s Gen6 power batteries, developed in-house across the entire technology stack, officially entered production at the automaker’s Shenyang plant.
The batteries will power BMW’s Neue Klasse models, representing a significant development in the company’s adjustment of its electrification strategy and its efforts to deepen local production in China.
Unlike the prismatic cells used in the previous generation, the Gen6 batteries adopt large cylindrical cells based on a ninth-generation high-nickel ternary chemistry.
They will be available in two formats, 4695 and 46120, designed respectively for sedans and SUVs.
The production launch also makes BMW the first foreign luxury automaker in China to bring large cylindrical battery cells into mass production.
BMW’s Shenyang powertrain plant is the group’s only facility outside Germany capable of manufacturing its energy management and control systems.
Key stages of the Gen6 battery value chain—including technology development, component supply, cell manufacturing, battery-pack production and energy management and control systems—will all be localized in China.
BMW Chairman Milan Nedeljković said the company had invested more than RMB 120 billion ($17.898 billion) in Shenyang since 2010, producing more than 7 million vehicles locally over that period.
The first locally produced Neue Klasse model, the iX3, opened for pre-orders in August this year, with a starting price of RMB 269,900 ($40,266).
Nationwide customer deliveries for this model are scheduled to begin in November.
Earlier, the Neue Klasse iX3 50L covered 1,030.2 km in an internal road test without recharging, exceeding its official CLTC-rated range by approximately 12%.
At the event, BMW also announced the results of a no-recharging endurance challenge completed by the Neue Klasse i3 50L. The sedan traveled 1,213 km, achieving 118% of its rated range.
On the supply-chain side, BMW’s large cylindrical battery cells are supplied at scale by Chinese manufacturers, including CATL and EVE Energy.
The vehicle’s infotainment system incorporates an AI large language model from Alibaba.
Its intelligent driving system is being jointly developed with Momenta, with a focus on Chinese road conditions.
BMW’s push to bring new batteries and vehicles to market comes amid mounting sales pressure in China.
In the third quarter of 2026, BMW delivered 114,355 vehicles in China, down 24.8% year on year. Deliveries for the first nine months totaled 376,128 units, a year-on-year decline of 21.8%.
During his recent first visit to China as BMW Group chairman, Nedeljković said the company aims to have more than 95% of the vehicles it sells in China produced locally by 2030.
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