BMW announces the Superbrains computer system for its Neue Klasse models

BMW announced its new electronic system with four high-performance Superbrains computers that will power all upcoming vehicles on the Neue Klasse platform, regardless of the powertrain. BMW says the new system is more powerful and efficient, and will have a sense of continuity, meaning all vehicles running on the Superbrains system will receive updates and features from future platforms succeeding Neue Klasse.

The four-computer Superbrains system takes control of pretty much everything in the vehicle. We are talking infotainment, climate control, automated driving, driving dynamics, comfort and vehicle access. It's also 20x more powerful than BMW's current system, per the company's internal benchmarks.

BMW managed to decouple the software from the vehicle's development, so the engineers don't have to start from scratch and adapt everything for each individual model. This ensures timely updates, lower production costs and OTA updates for years to come, even for future vehicle generations.

BMW Superbrains computer system

Additionally, the Superbrains system saves quite a bit of wiring. It uses a zonal wiring harness architecture with 600 meters less wiring, saving 30% of the weight from wiring. The architecture divides the vehicle into four zones, each managed by zonal controllers that manage the data flow. This allows the wiring to be thinner, shorter and lighter.

Another interesting approach is the Smart eFuses, which replace up to 150 traditional fuses. They digitally control the energy distribution to components and enable intelligent power modes depending on the vehicle's state, like driving, parking, charging and upgrading. They can turn off unnecessary consumers, improving overall energy efficiency by 20%.

The system will debut with the first Neue Klasse model scheduled for mass production later this year at BMW's Hungarian plant in Debrecen.

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