BMW Group has officially opened its new high-voltage battery assembly plant in Woodruff, South Carolina, marking another milestone in the company’s expansion of electric vehicle production in the United States. The facility will manufacture their sixth generation (aptly named Gen6) high voltage battery packs for electric vehicles assembled at BMW’s Spartanburg plant, including the forthcoming BMW iX5.
Located approximately 24 kilometres from the Spartanburg manufacturing facility, the Woodruff plant is the fourth BMW site to begin series production of Gen6 battery packs. It joins existing operations in Hungary, Germany and China, with a fifth facility in Mexico scheduled to follow in 2027.
The new factory employs more than 300 people and incorporates approximately 250 robots across its production processes. Artificial intelligence is used to support manufacturing monitoring and quality control, while digital twins and virtual reality have also been incorporated into factory planning and employee training.
BMW’s Gen6 battery technology introduces cylindrical battery cells and a revised cell-to-pack construction approach. Its main attractors are improved energy density, efficiency and charging performance, with the company stating the new cells have a carbon footprint approximately 28 per cent lower per wH than the previous generation cells used in the BMW iX.
It is interesting to see an American centric focus on manufacturing, and this Woodruff facility forms part of BMW’s wider strategy to establish regional battery production close to its vehicle manufacturing operations, helping strengthen supply chains while not dropping the transition towards electric mobility.
