In This ArticleBMW’s electric roadmap is often described as a “transition,” but that word undersells how deliberate the strategy actually is. Over the next several years, BMW will be running, by choice, two fundamentally different EV architectures in parallel: the existing CLAR platform and the all-new Neue Klasse platform, internally known as NCAR. Understanding the difference between the two is key to understanding why certain models are coming when they are — and why others simply cannot wait. It’s also worth noting that the Neue Klasse technology and design will be shared among these two architectures.
Before diving into product names and codenames, it’s worth starting with the architecture itself.
CLAR vs. Neue Klasse: Two EV Philosophies
CLAR was never designed as a pure electric platform. It is BMW’s modular, rear-wheel-drive-based architecture that has supported combustion engines, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen and EVs under the same umbrella. That flexibility is its strength — and its limitation. Packaging is constrained by hard points designed around engines and transmissions, which means battery placement, cabin proportions, and efficiency are somewhat compromised compared to a clean-sheet EV design. But what BMW is gaining is flexibility in their production, something that has paid off handsomely for the company so far.
Neue Klasse (NCAR) is the opposite. It is BMW’s first high-volume, fully electric-only architecture, designed from the ground up around sixth-generation battery technology, structural battery integration, centralized computing (Heart of Joy), and a completely new 800V electrical architecture. It is not an evolution of CLAR — it is a reset.
BMW has been clear that Neue Klasse will eventually underpin the core of the brand. But equally important is what BMW has not said: CLAR is not going away overnight. Or ever. Large vehicles, high-margin SUVs, and certain M derivatives will continue on CLAR well into the second half of the decade. And possibly beyond it.
That overlap explains the product mix we’re about to see.
A Necessary Disclaimer: What’s Confirmed, What’s Inferred
BMW has not officially confirmed the full EV lineup for either architecture. What we know today falls into three categories:
- Officially confirmed products, such as the NA0 i3, ZA0 M3 and the Neue Klasse iX3.
- Strongly corroborated products, supported by supplier information, sources, spy photos and independent product-forecast research firms.
- Logically inevitable products, based on BMW’s existing lineup, platform scalability, and market segmentation.
Everything below fits into one of those buckets. None of it contradicts BMW’s public strategy — and much of it is already visible if you understand how BMW plans generations, derivatives, and production footprints.
Neue Klasse (NCAR): The Electric Core of BMW
Neue Klasse begins where BMW volume begins: the 3 Series and X3 segments. These are the brand’s global backbone, and BMW has confirmed that Neue Klasse will anchor itself here before expanding outward.
The first production Neue Klasse SUV will be the iX3 (NA5), followed by a long-wheelbase variant (NA6) primarily aimed at China. A sportier iX4 (NA7) is expected to follow, aligning with BMW’s traditional SUV-coupe strategy.
On the sedan side, the NA0 i3 is the most important car BMW will launch this decade. It replaces the CLAR-based electric 3 Series approach with a dedicated EV sedan, followed closely by the NA1 i3 Touring, reinforcing BMW’s commitment to wagons — even in the EV era.
From there, the lineup expands logically. Coupe and convertible body styles re-emerge as NA2 i4 Coupe and NA3 i4 Convertible, signaling that Neue Klasse is not just about efficiency, but about emotional body styles BMW has historically defended.
At the compact end, the 1 Series is rumored to finally get an electric version, called the i1 (NB0). Electric X1 derivatives (NB5 and NB6 long-wheelbase) are also expected after this generation iX1 is retired. They will bring Neue Klasse technology downmarket, including a long-wheelbase X1 variant for China.
At the top of the range, we expect a successor of the popular BMW i7 electric limousine. The codename has been rumored for a while, ND0, and we don’t expect that to change. The second generation i7 will bring Neue Klasse tech into the luxury flagship segment, replacing today’s CLAR-based i7 with a platform that finally allows BMW to rethink proportions, cabin space, and battery integration without compromise.
BMW M Will Be Electrified Also
Neue Klasse is also where BMW M’s electric future begins in earnest. Fully electric M Performance and full M models — including ZA5 X3 M electric, ZA7 X4 M electric, and ZA2 M4 Electric — are expected to debut here, leveraging the platform’s centralized computing and torque-vectoring capabilities rather than retrofitting performance onto a flexible architecture.
CLAR EVs: Why BMW Still Needs the Old Platform
If Neue Klasse is BMW’s future, CLAR remains its present — especially for large SUVs. BMW has little incentive to rush full-size vehicles onto a brand-new platform when CLAR already supports profitable, well-understood products. That’s why the next generation of large electric SUVs will continue on CLAR.
These include the iX5 (G65), iX6 (G66), and iX7 (G67) — electric counterparts to BMW’s largest and most lucrative ICE models. These vehicles prioritize space, towing capability, and comfort over cutting-edge efficiency, making CLAR a perfectly acceptable compromise.
At the very top sits the ALPINA iX7 (G99), a product that almost defines why CLAR must exist alongside Neue Klasse. ALPINA customers expect refinement, power, and continuity — not early adoption of radical architectures.
BMW has already confirmed the iX5 publicly, and the rest follow naturally from BMW’s product cadence and SUV hierarchy.
Why This Split Actually Makes Sense
From the outside, running two EV architectures can look inefficient. In reality, it gives BMW strategic flexibility at a time when EV adoption rates, regulations, and regional demand remain uneven.
Neue Klasse is optimized for:
- High-volume segments
- Efficiency and charging performance
- Software-defined vehicle behavior
- Long-term scalability
CLAR remains ideal for:
- Large, premium SUVs
- Lower-risk EV conversions
- Markets where EV uptake is slower
- High-margin niche products
BMW is not hedging its bets — it’s sequencing them.
Neue Klasse could eventually replace CLAR entirely for EVs, even though that’ something that no one knows at this point. The political landscape across the globe seems to be shifting weekly, if not daily, but that’s the beauty of this split approach: BMW seems ready to quickly adapt. Until then, this dual-platform strategy allows BMW to keep selling cars people actually buy, while quietly building the foundation for what comes next.
Of course, there are likely other products in the pipeline, on both architectures, so hopefully we learn more about these in the future and bring a new update to this list.
