FRANKFURT, Germany -- BMW is teaming up with a pair of Chinese battery companies to extend the range of its electric vehicles due out in 2025, following American rival Tesla in adopting a more efficient cylindrical cell format.
The lithium-ion batteries' technology will increase energy density by more than 20% by using less cobalt and more nickel on the cathode side while using more silicon on the anode side, the German automaker said Friday. The cells will also let BMW's Neue Klasse models travel up to 30% farther and will cost up to 50% less to produce.
