The company's leaders put all their chips behind a new car they called the "Neue Klasse," or "new class." Now, BMW is at another crossroads, and is turning again to a "Neue Klasse" to drive a new strategic direction. Neue Klasse vehicles will be powered by 48-millimeter-diameter cylindrical batteries in different lengths. The Neue Klasse is targeting a 50% reduction in battery pack costs and 25% more range per kilowatt-hour, a measure of efficiency, executives said. Neue Klasse vehicles will have four "super brains," to control propulsion, driver assistance systems, infotainment and other functions, Weber said.

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Persons: trailblazer Tesla, Adrian van Hooydonk, that’s, Frank Weber, Tesla, Oliver Zipse, Evangelos Simoudis, Weber, Mercedes, Stephan Durach, Durach, Joe White, Mark Potter Organizations: Neue, Reuters, BMW, REUTERS, Rights, trailblazer, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Benz, Neue Klasse, Munich, Klasse, chipmaker Qualcomm, Thomson Locations: Munich, Germany, Detroit, Hungary, Silicon