Plant Leipzig Remains Electrified, BMW’s E-Drive Production Expands

BMW commences its second battery module production line at Plant Leipzig, manufacturing modules for the Munich-made, fully electric BMW i4.

Further expanding its e-component assembly in the German state of Saxony, the plant’s first such assembly started in May 2021 and supplies the battery modules for the BMW iX.

The second battery module production line comes at an investment of around EUR 70 million (RM 320,064,270). 

It covers an area of nearly 4,250 square metres, and uses BMW i production areas that are now vacant after the BMW i3 was phased out on 30 June. 

Each battery module passes through 196 production stations in total, before it is completed for further processing.

Speaking of which, the production of high-voltage batteries can be broken down into two stages. Module production and high-voltage battery assembly.

Module production is a highly automated process in which the lithium-ion cells first undergo plasma cleaning, before being coated by a specially developed system to ensure optimal insulation. 

They are then combined to form larger units known as modules. After completion, the battery modules are installed in an aluminium housing, along with the connectors, control and cooling units. 

Size and shape of the housing and the number of battery modules used differ depending on the vehicle model. So, each high-voltage battery can be optimally adjusted to suit the car it will power.

Significantly, the BMW Group sources its battery cells from partners who produce them to the company’s exact specifications.

Elsewhere, to meet rising demand for e-drive component production capacity, the BMW Group draws on a worldwide production network. 

For high-voltage batteries and battery components for the full range of electrified BMW and MINI vehicles, they are made at the company’s own battery facilities.

Namely, in Dingolfing, Leipzig and Regensburg in Germany, Spartanburg in the U.S., Shenyang, China, and also a localised production in Thailand, at the Rayong plant.

BMW Group’s head of engine and e-drive production, Markus Fallböhmer, concluded, “The launch of Leipzig’s second battery module production line makes an important contribution to delivering the battery components needed to make a growing number of electrified vehicles. The gradual expansion of e-component production is taking the BMW Group ever closer to its goal for 2030, when fully electric models are expected to account for at least half of the BMW Group’s sales.”