The award recognizes the technologies developed around the battery Gen6, which incorporates the new cells cylindrical BMW cathode high content of nickel. As one of the fundamental components of the New Class, this technology is designed to improve aspects such as autonomy, the load speed and the efficiency of electric vehicles.
BMW Group was also the only car manufacturer outside of China to receive one of the awards technological delivered during the congress. For the company, this award also represents the continuity of his work in the development of electrical propulsion systems.
"We are very proud of the international prize that has received our high-voltage battery Gen6. This award confirms our long-term strategy of combining technological innovation with the highest quality, security, and a genuine relevance to the customer," said Jochen Goller, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands and Sales.
A new generation of electric technology
The high-voltage battery Gen6 form part of the sixth generation of the technology BMW eDrive, which is one of the technological foundations of the New Class, and which shall be progressively different electric vehicles of the BMW Group.
During the development of this new generation, the BMW Group filed patent applications for more than 500 innovations, such as part of a process that ranges from the development of the cells to the production of the battery and its integration into the vehicle.
One of the main features of the Gen6 is its architecture of 800 volts, which allows you to work with systems of high-load power, and supports charging two-way. Cells cylindrical integrate directly into the battery without the use of intermediate modules, with a design so-called cell-to-pack. This allows you to make more efficient use of the available space and increase the energy density at the level of the battery.
The system was also designed to be compatible with charging infrastructures of 400 and 800 volts, which gives you flexibility to use different network load.
Security and intelligent power management
Security was one of the central aspects during the development of the battery Gen6. The new cells cylindrical feature a steel housing and safety mechanisms built in, while the battery incorporates a system of isolation of several stages and a thermal management and energy integral.
Another important element is the Energy Master, a system developed in-house by BMW both in hardware and software. Integrated in the high-voltage battery, is in charge of controlling the flow of energy and supply it to both the electric motors as the power system of the vehicle.
In addition, it works as an interface to the data of the battery and allows you to manage various functions related to energy. According to BMW, this integration seeks to optimize the operation of the system and contribute to an efficient and safe operation.
Thomas Engelhardt, director of Development for Storage and Charging of the High Voltage of the BMW Group, stressed that the Gen6 represents a technological advancement in different characteristics relevant to the user, among them the autonomy, load speed and security.
Innovation throughout the supply chain
The strategy behind the battery Gen6 is not limited to a single piece of technology. The BMW Group has developed unique capabilities that cover different stages of the value chain, from the chemistry and the development of the cell until the manufacturing of the battery and its integration with the architecture of the vehicle.
This view allows you to work together on aspects such as autonomy, load, efficiency, sustainability and driving dynamics. The concept was also developed with an architecture that technologically flexible, which allows you to integrate different technologies of cells in the future.
The recognition received during the WNEVC 2026 is in addition to the awards that the BMW Group has obtained earlier in this congress. According to the company, this is the sixth occasion that you receive a recognition technology in the framework of the WNEVC and the fifth year in a row that gets one of these awards.
With the battery Gen6, BMW Group continues to develop the technology that will accompany the expansion of its electric range, and that will play a central role in the New Class, where the architecture of the vehicle and its electrical propulsion systems are designed as an integrated whole.
Source: BMW Group