City

BMW Group announces $1.7 billion investment to build electric cars in the Upstate

“‘Home of the X’ is also becoming the ‘Home of the Battery Electric Vehicle’,” said Oliver Zipse, BMW Group Chairman of the Board of Management.

October 19, 2022 • 
Danielle Johnson, Kyle Steadings
GVL_BMW_Investment_2022

BMW Plant Spartanburg’s Zentrum | Photo via BMW

Fred Rollison

BMW wants to produce at least six fully electric BMW X models by 2030, and it’s investing $1.7 billion in its Upstate operations to make it happen.

Here’s how the investment breaks down:

  • $1 billion will go towards prepping Plant Spartanburg for electric vehicle production.
  • $700 million will go towards building a new high-voltage battery assembly facility in Woodruff, creating 300+ jobs.

To help keep battery production local, BMW has partnered with Envision AESC — a manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles — which will build a new battery cell factory in SC + will supply Plant Spartanburg with battery cells. The partnership also helps strengthen BMW’s regional supply chains.

Production of the new hybrid-electric BMW XM will begin later this year. Read more about the investment.

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