Posted on 20 Oct 2022
BMW Group says it will pump $1.7 billion to build batteries and electric vehicles in the US, reinforcing its “local for local principle,” Kallanish reports.
The plan is to allocate $1 billion to prepare its Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina for the production of EVs and $700 million to build a new high-voltage battery assembly facility near Woodruff, also in South Carolina. The German carmaker said Wednesday it expects to build at least six BEV models in the US.
For that, BMW Group has teamed up with Envision AESC, which will build a 30 gigawatt-hour battery cell factory to supply Plant Spartanburg. The South Carolina facility will produce newly developed cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells designed for the sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology.
The new format is set to increase energy density by over 20%, and improve charging speed and range by 30% each. The cell’s CO2 footprint will also be reduced by 60% through the partial use of secondary lithium, cobalt and nickel, plus green power for production.
The company hasn’t confirmed speculation that it will invest around $1.38 billion to expand battery production capacity in China (see related story).
In September, BMW Group said its new “round cells” would be produced in six locations through partnerships. Four of these gigafactories will be built by CATL and EVE Energy, being two 20 GWh plant each – one in China and one in Europe.
Source:Kallanish
