BMW's Leipzig Plant To Start Battery Module Production In 2021

The BMW Group is further expanding its Germany- based production capacities for electric drives. From 2021, the Leipzig plant will also produce battery modules for the high-voltage batteries of the BMW Group's electrified vehicles. By 2022, the company is investing more than 100 million euros in the site to prepare for the steadily increasing sales of electrified vehicles, strengthening its role as a pioneer in e-mobility.

Michael Nikolaides, Head of Planning and Production Engines and E-Drives, said, “We are consistently ramping up the production of e-drives to meet our ambitious electric mobility targets. Just recently, we opened our Competence Center for E-drive Production in Dingolfing and doubled the production capacity for high-voltage batteries at BMW Brilliance Automotive in China by opening another battery center. Now we are also stepping up our battery production output in Germany,”
The large-series production of battery modules at the Leipzig site is scheduled to start as early as in mid-2021.

By 2022, the company is investing more than 100 million euros in the site to prepare for the steadily increasing sales of electrified vehicles

The production process for high-voltage batteries consists of two main steps: First, the battery cells are tested and then assembled into larger units, the battery modules, in a highly automated process. The BMW Group procures the battery cells from partners who produce them according to the BMW Group's precise specifications. The BMW Group uses different battery cells, depending on which one provides the best characteristics for the relevant vehicle concept.

The BMW Group uses different battery cells, depending on which one provides the best characteristics for the relevant vehicle concept

The battery modules are then mounted into an aluminum casing along with the vehicle connectors, control units and cooling units. The size and shape of the aluminum casing as well as the number of battery modules used vary depending on the vehicle variant. The result is a high-voltage battery ideally adapted to the vehicle.

As early as 2021, one in four BMW Group vehicles sold in Europe is expected to be fitted with an electric drive. By 2025, it'll be one in three, and one in two by 2030. In 2023, the BMW Group will have 25 electrified models on the road, half of which will be fitted with an all-electric drive.