From X house to EV house
Like competitor Mercedes, BMW is investing heavily to prepare its American factory for EVs. In addition to the existing one in Spartanburg, there will also be a new facility for the production of battery cells.
In total, BMW pumps about 1.7 billion (dollars, but that is more or less the same as euros these days) into the facilities in and around Spartanburg, South Carolina. The existing factory will receive the largest capital injection, of 1 billion, to enable the large-scale production of electric models. By 2030, at least six different, fully electric BMW models must be produced here. BMW puts it this way: “The ‘home of the X’ will also be the ‘home of the EV’”. The manufacturer is referring to the current production range of BMW Spartanburg, where the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 roll off the production line.
The remaining 700 million will go to a town about 20 minutes’ drive from Spartanburg: Woodruff. The roughly 4,500 inhabitants there will still be busy, because a new factory will be built that will provide Spartanburg with sufficient battery cells. BMW does not do this all by itself, but is collaborating with Envision AESC, a company that specializes in the development and production of batteries for the automotive industry.
Mercedes also sees a major role for its US production facilities when it comes to EVs. In Tuscaloosa County, this other German luxury brand not only builds the GLE and GLS, but also the EQE SUV and EQS SUV.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl