BMW has broken ground on a new high-voltage battery assembly plant located in Woodruff, South Carolina, marking an important step in the car manufacturer’s plan to produce electric vehicles on U.S. soil.
The facility in South Carolina, known simply as ‘Plant Woodruff’, will produce the sixth-generation batteries that will power all-electric BMW X models produced at its major manufacturing plant in nearby Spartanburg, South Carolina. The new site will generate more than 300 jobs.
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The battery cells used in the packs produced in Woodruff will be manufactured and supplied by AESC from its 30 GWh battery cell factory in Florence, South Carolina, which is also under construction. This site will produce round lithium-ion battery cells, a new format that’s said to increase energy density by more than 20% while also improving charging speeds and range by up to 30%. BMW notes that CO2 emissions from cell production will be reduced by up to 60% through the partial use of secondary lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Renewable energy will also be used for production.
“We’re making the BMW Group electric. Our new battery assembly plant in Woodruff will soon play an important role in our electric future here in the USA,” member of the board of management of BMW AG responsible for Human Resources and Real Estate, Ilka Horstmeier said. “Through the Woodruff plant, we expand our footprint in the state of South Carolina. At the same time, we are taking our associates with us in this transformation. Our new Technical Training Center at the Spartanburg plant will prepare our 11,000 associates for the future. In this way, we are taking responsibility as a reliable employer and offer future-proof jobs at the same time.”
BMW’s Spartanburg plant will build at least six fully electric vehicles. The carmaker has confirmed that Plant Woodruff will use 100% green electricity and that it will even use special concrete in its construction that injects captured CO2 during the mixing process.
