BMW Group announced this morning it plans to spend up to $1.7 billion on two facilities in the United States. The investments is intended to help BMW build six different electric vehicle (EV) models in the U.S. by 2030.
In a press release this morning the German automaker said they plan to spend $1 billion upgrading their existing Plant Spartanburg manufacturing facility in South Carolina.
Additionally, the company will spend $700 million on a brand new EV battery plant, also in South Carolina in nearby Woodruff.
With the two facilities BMW is hoping to build and launch at least six EVs in the US by 2030.
“For decades, Plant Spartanburg has been a cornerstone of the global success of the BMW Group. The home of the BMW X models that are so popular all over the world. Going forward, it will also be a major driver for our electrification strategy, and we will produce at least six fully electric BMW X models here by 2030,” said BMW Group Chairman of the Board of Management, Oliver Zipse.
According to BMW the new facility in Woodruff will be over 1 million square feet in size and have an annual production capacity of up to 30GWh.
The automaker will partner with Envision AESC, which will provide BMW with newly developed round lithium-ion battery cells.
These cells were specifically designed for BMW’s eDrive technology, and increases energy density by more than 30%, charging speed by up to 30%, and increases range by up to 30% as well.
BMW Group has already announced plans for four additional battery cell factories. These other factories will be built in Europe and China, with each having an annual capacity of up to 20 GWh.
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