BMW’s Neue Klasse EVs need four 'superbrains'

BMW has developed a "digital nervous system for all drivetrain variants and vehicle segments", starting with the Neue Klasse series. Which in regular HumanSpeak means a very clever central car brain 20 times more powerful than the gubbins currently available today. If you didn’t think you were on the set of Fifth Element, you probably do now.

The basic premise is four high-performance computers it calls ‘superbrains’ will each power four key functions: infotainment, self-driving, vehicle dynamics and cabin comfort. Simple enough.

BMW seems especially proud of the wiring harnesses networking these brains, and if we’re permitted to get our nerd on, it should be proud of what it calls the 'zonal wiring harness architecture'. They’ve ‘radically simplified’ it, and split across the vehicle zones; front end, centre, rear and roof (er, hence the name).

By keeping the looms sectioned off, the physical wires can be shorter, thinner and lighter, saving 600 metres of the stuff overall and contributing to a not-so-shabby 30 per cent weight saving of harness-ness.

On top of that, engineers have switched out 150 traditional fuses for digital ‘smart e-fuses’ with the capacity to manage energy distribution. The German carmaker calculates a 20 per cent improvement in energy efficiency in using them, too. This is 2025, and that is a modern lightbulb moment.

As all future vehicles will be underpinned by updatable software, it won't surprise you that OTA upgrades, tight cybersecurity and AI deployment (where it’s customer relevant) are mentioned to drive the futuristic, computer-sciencey point home. Drive home all by itself, presumably.

According to BMW's stat sheet, 1,000 software modules, 20gb of software, 500 million lines of code, 75,000 virtual CPUs, 10,000 software developers and 200,000 software builds per day at peak complete the Software-Defined Vehicle Bingo Sheet. Bet you got all of those, right?