The concept already previewed a full-width head-up display that will debut on the production Neue Klasse, but our source told us about another feature that will be even more important. “Braking, steering, energy regeneration, anti-lock brakes, and more will all be handled by a single ECU (electronic control unit) called the ‘Heart of Joy,'” he said. “It will enable a one-millisecond computing sequence, which is ten times faster than our current ECUs.” A similar ECU for the quad-motor M EV has also been referred to as the “Hand of God.”
Our source didn’t specify where BMW will get this advanced ECU, but Qualcomm recently revealed a new chip with the ability to run safety and infotainment systems simultaneously, which sounds a lot like the “Heart of Joy.” The Neue Klasse will sport “stronger acceleration and regeneration” along with faster response times than current BMW EVs.
The source familiar with the project even hinted at an 800-volt charging architecture.