BMW Group strikes one step nearer to enabling US EV manufacturing whereas concurrently serving to promote the state of South Carolina as a brand new hub for battery and car manufacturing. The Plant Woodruff facility, introduced final fall, is formally beneath building and can ultimately complement new and current factories operated by BMW and AESC in The Palmetto State.
BMW Group is a nicely established German automaker identified for combining sport and luxurious in its autos, but it surely hasn’t been till lately {that a} new vary of all-electric fashions has emerged. Because the lineup of BEVs grows by way of BMW’s vow to ultimately go all-electric, we’re nonetheless seeing these fashions constructed abroad and shipped to the US.
In consequence, just one electrified BMW qualifies for federal tax credit within the US beneath revised phrases established within the Inflation Discount Act signed final summer time – the 2024 X5 plug-in hybrid. To as soon as once more ship compliant autos, BMW Group chair Oliver Zipse introduced a brand new $1.7 billion funding into US operations final October. These plans embody $1 billion allotted to changing the automaker’s current plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to allow BEV manufacturing.
Moreover, BMW Group dedicated one other $700 million towards erecting a brand new high-voltage EV battery facility in Woodruff, South Carolina, the place the automaker plans to provide its sixth-generation batteries to EVs in its pipeline at Spartanburg about 20 miles up the highway.
At this time, BMW shared it has damaged floor on its newest facility in South Carolina as its rising US EV hub.
BMW and AESC to offer batteries to South Carolina EVs
In accordance with BMW Group, building of the brand new high-voltage battery plant is formally underway, paving the best way for over 300 new jobs in South Carolina with room for development because it presently sits atop 315 acres. When full, the ability will likely be over a million sq. toes in measurement, full with its personal know-how constructing, fireplace division, and power heart.
Moreover, Woodruff will likely be operated with out fossil fuels and can, as an alternative, make the most of 100% inexperienced electrical energy and will likely be constructed to be “photo voltaic prepared.”
The 300 new EV associates will likely be skilled close by at BMW’s Technical Coaching Heart (TTC), which opened on the Spartanburg facility this previous October. The automaker states the TTC will quickly turn out to be its epicenter for the EV coaching of all staff in each North and South America. BMW’s member of the board of administration, accountable for human assets and actual property, Ilka Horstmeier, spoke:
We’re making the BMW Group electrical. Our new battery meeting plant in Woodruff will quickly play an essential position in our electrical future right here within the USA. By way of the Woodruff plant, we broaden our footprint within the state of South Carolina. On the similar time, we’re taking our associates with us on this transformation. Our new Technical Coaching Heart on the Spartanburg plant will put together our 11,000 associates for the longer term. On this approach, we’re taking duty as a dependable employer and provide future-proof jobs on the similar time.
The Woodruff facility will match right into a “native for native” enterprise technique BMW is implementing within the US, which incorporates newly developed spherical lithium-ion battery cells that will likely be produced by accomplice AESC. The battery producer broke floor of its personal at a brand new website in Florence, South Carolina, on June 7.
When each battery services are full, AESC will ship cells produced in Florence to Woodruff, South Carolina, the place BMW will use them to fabricate its sixth-generation modules that will likely be used to energy future all-electric X fashions in-built Spartanburg.
At present, BMW solely builds three EVs in Spartanburg, all of that are plug-ins: the X3 xDrive30e, X5 xDrive50e, and the XM. Nevertheless, BMW states a minimum of six fully-electric fashions will likely be produced in Spartanburg, South Carolina, by 2030. BMW’s president and CEO of producing, Dr. Robert Engelhorn, additionally spoke:
At this time’s groundbreaking is the beginning of a brand new period at Plant Spartanburg as we put together to provide absolutely electrical BMW X fashions for the world. The highway to the longer term begins right here in Woodruff as we construct on our legacy of manufacturing high-quality autos proper right here within the U.S. Plant Woodruff will likely be state-of-the-art by way of sustainability, flexibility, and digitalization.
