BMW Group is introducing a new type of electrical steel from Austrian manufacturer Voestalpine into the e-motors of its upcoming Neue Klasse electric vehicle lineup, the companies announced on Wednesday. The partnership, based in Upper Austria, will see Voestalpine’s steel product manufactured in Linz and sent to BMW’s Steyr plant for further processing and integration into electric motors.
Steyr, BMW’s largest engine facility, is responsible for producing the sixth-generation e-drives designed for the Neue Klasse models. These motors, developed for an 800-volt platform, are expected to improve performance and efficiency over the current generation, reducing energy losses by up to 40% and weighing approximately 10% less, according to BMW.
“The new material developed by Voestalpine combines ultra-thin electrical steel with state-of-the-art coating technology,” BMW Austria said in its official statement. The steel is initially produced as a thin slit strip in Linz, which is then coated and processed into electrical steel before being sent to Steyr. There, the material is formed into laminated stacks and assembled into e-motors.
Electrical steel is engineered with magnetic properties that help convert electrical energy into mechanical motion with minimal energy loss. The improved material is designed to enhance magnetic flux density, reduce heat generation, and lower overall motor weight, contributing to extended driving range in EVs.
“Using specially alloyed and thin electrical steel in combination with innovative coating systems reduces energy losses during motor operation. This results in less heat generation and thus higher motor efficiency,” BMW said. The motors are then shipped from Steyr to BMW’s Debrecen plant in Hungary for vehicle assembly, with Munich to follow as another production location for the Neue Klasse models.
The collaboration builds on a long-standing relationship between the two companies. “Voestalpine’s electrical steel strip and our new e-motor from Steyr are excellent examples of this,” said Klaus von Moltke, Managing Director of BMW Group Plant Steyr. Hubert Zajicek, Member of the Management Board of voestalpine AG and Head of the Steel Division, added, “Delivering our premium electrical steel to Steyr for BMW’s ‘Neue Klasse’ motors demonstrates our shared commitment to innovation and marks an important step towards the future of electromobility.”