BMW is doing this in preparation for electrification by 2025
In a world where the humble automobile is going green, production of high-performance, high-voltage batteries is more crucial than ever for a successful shift to electromobility. As such, the BMW Group is preparing its production sites for the Neue Klasse from 2025, in line with the “local for local” principle.
With BMW launching itself into a new era of purely electric driving with the Neue Klasse. Key success factors here are the range, charging time, durability and carbon footprint of the high-voltage batteries. To achieve all this, the brand is ramping up production of its batteries in China.
Moreover, the next generation of BMW batteries will enhance charging speed and increase travel distance by up to 30 percent. To be prepared for the profound change, the BMW Group is investing massively in its production sites and in the sixth generation of high-voltage batteries.
The BMW Group currently produces e-components and high-voltage batteries for the current range of electric models at the Dingolfing, Leipzig and Regensburg sites in Germany and also at the Shenyang site in China. This move is sure to very quickly boost the brand’s electrification goals worldwide.
New assembly sites for BMW’s sixth-generation high-voltage batteries will be established in Debrecen (Hungary), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and Woodruff near Spartanburg (USA), all of which follow the “local for local” principle. “The close connection between the battery production facility and the vehicle production plant is part of our strategy.” Explains Markus Fallbohmer, Head of BMW Group Production.
This approach also safeguards production in the event of unforeseen political and economic events. It also strengthens existing locations, preserves existing jobs and creates new ones. The short distances reduce the carbon footprint in vehicle production thus making the entire process more sustainable.
On top of that, to mark the 20th anniversary of the BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) joint venture in May 2023, Milan Nedeljkovic, Board Member for Production at BMW AG, announced the local production of the Neue Klasse. Models of the next vehicle generation will also be produced by BBA in Shenyang from 2026.
The high-voltage batteries required for this are also manufactured locally. The BMW Group has created an ecosystem for electromobility in China in preparation for the launch of the Neue Klasse and established the largest research and innovation network outside Germany with locations in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Nanjing.
The BMW Group also plans to build the next-generation high-voltage batteries for the models in the Neue Klasse range in Germany. This will be at the planned Irlbach-Strasskirchen site in Lower Bavaria. From here, the vehicle plants in Munich, Dingolfing and Regensburg are supplied with high-voltage batteries as well.
So what do you guys think? Will BMW achieve its goals by 2025? I think so.
