Munich / Dingolfing. The BMW Group boosts the growth of e-mobility with its production and sets new standards for the transformation of the sector. Today, at its largest European production site in Dingolfing, the company has opened a Competence Center for E-Drive production. Having produced components for electric powertrains in Dingolfing since 2013, the BMW Group is now significantly expanding its capacity. Bavarian Minister Markus Söder and BMW AG Chairman Oliver Zipse symbolically launched production of the new, highly integrated BMW e-drive propulsion system, which combines electric motor, transmission and electronics in a central housing. The new generation of e-drive from BMW will be used for the first time in the new BMW iX3, which will go into production in China at the end of the summer.
At the competence center in Dingolfing, the BMW Group will produce electric powertrain components such as battery modules, high-voltage batteries and electric motors on eight production lines. In the coming years, the company will equip four additional lines, which will significantly increase the plant’s production capacity.
BMW AG Chairman Oliver Zipse said at the inauguration: “We continue to advance electromobility and set standards for the transformation of our industry.” By 2022, in Dingolfing alone, we will be able to produce electric drives for more than half a million electric vehicles per year. We will also produce a mix of electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and models with an internal combustion engine on a single line, depending on demand, so that we can offer our customers ‘the choice’. This shows how we have paved the way to make change in our industry a true success story.”
In the coming years, the production area of the Competence Center for the Production of Electric Drives will expand to ten times its original size: from 8,000 square meters in 2015 to 80,000. The number of employees will also increase. In the first half of 2020 alone, the workforce increased from 600 to 1,000. Up to 2,000 employees will work in the production of electric drives at the Dingolfing site in the medium term.
Own production of high voltage batteries and electric motors
“Our unique expertise in the production of high-voltage batteries and electric motors ensures that our technology is always at the forefront and we can ramp up production rapidly, systematically in line with demand,” explained Michael Nikolaides, head of planning and production. Engines and electric drives work. By 2021, a quarter of BMW Group vehicles sold in Europe are expected to have an electric drivetrain; a third in 2025 and half in 2030. By 2023, the BMW Group will offer its customers no less than 25 electric models, about half with a pure electric powertrain.
The BMW Group has extensive experience in the entire value chain. Both the new highly integrated electric drive and the new high-voltage batteries were developed in-house in close collaboration between the development and production departments. The company combines its expertise in large-scale standardized production of electric drivetrains in the Electric Drivetrain Manufacturing Competence Center, thus ensuring efficient production that can quickly adapt to the demand for fully or partially electric drivetrains. “The experience of our flexible production system for internal combustion engines has been incorporated into the design of our electronic drive production. As a result, EV production is also able to respond quickly to demand for BEVs and PHEVs. In this way, we are realizing ‘options’ for our customers,” Nikolaides explained.
The competence center has also standardized the technology used in the production of battery modules for new fifth-generation high-voltage batteries, refining the process to adapt to the growing range of electrified models and enabling different variants to be produced on the same line. In this way, the company is not only preparing the ground for production technology, but it is also securing key jobs and skills.
The Dingolfing place is transformed for electromobility
“The Dingolfing plant of the BMW Group plant is a perfect example of how the automotive industry is changing for electromobility. Here we have everything under one roof: battery production, electric motors and electric vehicles,” explained Christoph Schröder, Head of BMW Group Plant Dingolfing BMW iNEXT in 2021, Plant Dingolfing will be able to produce fully electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and combustion engine models on a single line “This is how we are to introduce the ‘option’ into car production,” Schröder added. These highly flexible structures will also benefit the next generation of the BMW 7 Series, which will be produced at this location and launched as a petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and – for the first time – a full electric version.
Dingolfing has many years of experience in the construction of electric vehicle components. Series-produced high-voltage batteries for the BMW i3 have been coming from this line since 2013. This plant has also produced electric motors since 2015. The majority of high-voltage batteries and electric motors for all BMW Group electric vehicles come from the Competence Center for E-Drive Production. The existing facilities of a large spare parts warehouse belonging to the BMW Group’s aftermarket logistics have been adapted and used for this purpose in recent years.
“At the same time, we have driven the long-term transfer of skills in the plant by providing employees with targeted training for new projects and by extending the development to electromobility as a future business area,” said Stefan Schmidt, Chairman of the Dingolfing Works Council. “Further training and competence are the keys to a successful transformation.”
International e-drive production network with a focus on Germany
The BMW Group has a very flexible production network for electric powertrains. The high-voltage batteries needed for electric vehicles come from the company’s three battery factories in Dingolfing, Spartanburg (USA) and Shenyang (China). The BMW Group has also located battery production in Thailand, where it collaborates with the Dräxlmaier Group. The BMW Group factories Dingolfing and Landshut produce electric motors. The Battery Cell Competence Center in Munich covers the entire battery value chain, from research and development to cell assembly and design, up to the possibility of mass production.
Fifth generation BMW eDrive technology
On the same day as the official inauguration, the Competence Center also began production of the fifth-generation electric powertrain. This highly integrated electronic unit combines electric motor, transmission and electronics in one housing. Even substances considered rare earths are no longer necessary. The powertrain is compatible with all vehicle models and will be available with various power levels for different models. The system’s highly integrated design significantly increases power density.
The fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology features new, more powerful high-voltage batteries. Thanks to their scalable modular design, they can be used flexibly in the respective vehicle architecture and at the respective production sites. The Hæfnismístóðinn is currently preparing for increased production of these new high-voltage batteries.
Long-term sustainable material sourcing
Sustainability and security of delivery are important factors in the expansion of e-mobility. The BMW Group obtains the cells necessary for the production of high-voltage batteries from leading suppliers who manufacture the cells according to the exact specifications of the BMW Group.
For the BMW Group’s purchasing experts, the ethical and responsible processing and processing of raw materials starts at the very beginning of the value chain: They are very interested in the supply chain from battery cells, all the way to the mines themselves. Compliance with environmental standards and respect for human rights have the highest priority.
For the new fifth-generation high-voltage batteries, the company has restructured its supply chains and from 2002 will directly source cobalt and lithium for battery cells. This ensures maximum transparency regarding the origin of these two important battery raw materials. The supply agreements also ensure security of supply until 2025 and beyond. In the future, cobalt will be obtained directly from mines in Australia and Morocco, while lithium will come from Australia and other countries.
For more information:
Marco DiGregorio
Corporate communications manager
Phone +39 0251610088
Email: marco.di-gregorio@bmw.it
Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com And http://bmw.lulop.com
BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of premium cars and motorcycles and also offers premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly plants in 15 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
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