Mexican Media Brands
BMW Investing €400 million in German EV Plant
BMW AG is investing about €400 million ($443 million) in its Dingolfing, Germany, manufacturing plant in preparation for production of the iNEXT electric vehicle.
#hybrid
Share
BMW AG is investing about €400 million ($443 million) in its Dingolfing, Germany, manufacturing plant in preparation for production of the iNEXT electric vehicle.
Source: BMW. Camouflaged iNEXT cold-weather testing.
The flagship SUV/crossover vehicle is due to launch in 2021. BMW began building prototypes of the EV this summer at a pilot manufacturing plant in Munich.
When retooling for the iNEXT is completed, Dingolfing will be capable of producing a mix of fully electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and models with stand-alone combustion engines—including 5, 7 and 8 Series cars—on a single assembly line. Last year the facility produced nearly 330,000 vehicles.
The body shop—including a 3-story annex where the powertrain and body are joined—already has been updated to accommodate the iNEXT . New production lines are currently being built for the vehicle’s complex floor assembly, which will house the battery.
In addition to EV-specific assembly steps—such as installation of the battery and corresponding cables—the iNEXT will require special processes for its autonomous driving functions. This includes cleaning systems and test stations for various sensors, BMW notes.
Another area of the factory will assemble the high-voltage battery and electric motor. Other components for the iNEXT will be sourced in part from another facility in Dingolfing and BMW’s plant in Niederviehbach.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Report: Old-Line Carmakers Set to Sweep Past Tesla in EV Race
Tesla Inc. will retain its position as the world’s largest maker of electric cars next year but plunge to seventh behind well-established vehicle manufacturers by 2021, predicts PA Consulting Group.
-
On Military Trucks, Euro Car Sales, Mazda Drops and More
Did you know Mack is making military dump trucks from commercial vehicles or that Ford tied with Daimler in Euro vehicle sales or the Mazda6 is soon to be a thing of the past or Alexa can be more readily integrated or about Honda’s new EV strategy? All that and more are found here.
-
On Ford Maverick, Toyota Tundra Hybrid, and GM's Factory Footprint
GM is transforming its approach to the auto market—and its factories. Ford builds a small truck for the urban market. Toyota builds a full-size pickup and uses a hybrid instead of a diesel. And Faurecia thinks that hydrogen is where the industry is going.