
Munich/Parsdorf. A tiny piece of the future began
rolling off the production line in Parsdorf today: 95 millimetres
tall, cylinder-shaped, with a diameter of 46 millimetres. These are
the new battery cell samples – like those that will be used in the
models of the Neue Klasse from 2025 onwards – being produced at the
new Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre (CMCC) in Parsdorf. The BMW
Group is thus positioning itself to ramp up electromobility
efficiently and showcasing its leading role in battery cell technology.
“With the Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre, we are strengthening
Germany’s capacity for innovation,” explained Milan Nedeljković,
member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for
Production. “In this way, we are making an important contribution to
the quantum leap in technology in the Neue Klasse.”
“Production of battery cell samples in Parsdorf marks the next
logical step in our battery cell strategy,” said Frank Weber, member
of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Development.
“The Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre is the perfect complement to
our existing Battery Cell Competence Centre in the north of Munich.
Development takes place there, then we scale the best product towards
a series process in Parsdorf. Thanks to cross-divisional
collaboration, we are able to link product and process in a unique way.”
The CMCC in Parsdorf will enable the BMW Group to span the whole cell
value creation process. With this know-how, the company is setting
benchmarks for production, quality, performance, costs and
environmental standards, which it is implementing in close cooperation
with its partners for standard production of battery cells. At its
battery cell competence centres in Munich and Parsdorf, the BMW Group
is systematically pursuing future milestones, such as the ramp-up of
the sixth generation of BMW electric drive trains and development of
all-solid-state batteries (ASSB). About 80 employees work at the
15,000-square-metre Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre, which has
benefited from a total investment of around 170 million euros. The
German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Bavarian Ministry
of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy are supporting
the project within the framework of the European funding process IPCEI
(Important Projects of Common European Interest).
Recycling at the CMCC: Keeping materials in the loop
Raw materials are among the significant cost factors for cell
production. Efficient and responsible use of raw and carrier material
is therefore necessary and makes sense from both an environmental and
economic perspective. At the new CMCC, experience will be gained from
all processes and the lessons learned analysed to further optimise the
use of resources. Residual materials from the production process will
be collected at the CMCC, sorted and fed back into the cell production
cycle. In addition to working on the cell manufacturing process, BMW
Group experts are also focusing on reusing materials and components
from the whole battery after its initial use in the vehicle.
At the Battery Cell Competence Centre (BCCC) in Munich, the first
battery cells made from 100% recycled and/or secondary (battery-grade)
cathode material have been manufactured and tested using
state-of-the-art characterisation methods. Our cell suppliers are
already delivering battery cells containing secondary raw materials
(e.g. nickel) from various used-battery sources (incl. production
waste). The long-term aim of the BMW Group is to reuse all raw
materials in recyclable high-voltage batteries.
How the cell is created: Production steps for sample
manufacturing at the CMCC
Cell manufacturing begins with electrode production. Here the base
material, comprising, for example, graphite for the anode and nickel
oxides for the cathode, with binders and solvents, is metered and
mixed in a precisely measured ratio. This creates the so-called
“slurry” – which means wafer-thin metal foils are coated and then
compressed after drying. In technical jargon, this is referred to as
“calendering”. The highest level of precision is required: The foil is
just a few micrometres thick – in other words, thinner than the
threads of a spider web, while the coating is in the micrometre range.
During cell assembly, the coated foils, referred to as calendered
electrodes, are wound into so-called “jelly rolls” using the separator
and inserted into the cell housing. The cells are filled with
electrolyte, then charged for the first time and finally checked for
functionality and quality.
CMCC Parsdorf: Buildings with a focus on the environment
The CMCC in Parsdorf is built to high environmental standards. An
immission control approval procedure has been carried out for the
technical installations used in battery cell production – ensuring
that the company complies with all requirements and guidelines. The
CMCC will also operate fossil-free, relying on electricity produced
using renewable energy, including from photovoltaic systems on the
roof of the building. The building will also be supplied with
regenerative heat produced using state-of-the-art groundwater and air
heat pumps.
Sixth-generation BMW battery technology: New cell format and
enhanced cell chemistry
The battery cell is responsible for electric vehicles’ core
properties: range, driving performance and charging time. With the new
BMW round cell specially designed for the electric architecture of the
Neue Klasse models, it will be possible to significantly increase the
range of the top model by up to 30 percent (according to WLTP).
The new BMW round cells come with a standard diameter of 46
millimetres and two different heights of 95 millimetres and 120
millimetres. Compared to the prismatic cells of the fifth BMW battery
cell generation, the nickel content of the sixth-generation BMW round
cells will be higher on the cathode side, while the cobalt content
will be reduced. On the anode side, the silicon content will be
increased. As a result, the cell’s volumetric energy density will
improve by more than 20 percent.
Battery, drive train and charging technology in the Neue Klasse will
have a higher voltage of 800 volts. Among other things, this will
optimise how energy is supplied to direct current high-power charging
stations, which can achieve a much higher charging capacity with a
current of up to 500 amperes – thus reducing the time it takes to
charge from ten to 80 percent by up to 30 percent.
Reducing the carbon footprint of battery cell production by up
to 60 percent
The BMW Group is particularly focused on keeping the carbon footprint
and resource consumption of production as low as possible, starting in
the supply chain. For standard production of battery cells, the cell
manufacturers commissioned will use cobalt, lithium and nickel
containing secondary material. Together with the commitment by its
cell suppliers to use only green power from renewable energies in
production, the BMW Group will reduce the carbon footprint from
battery cell production by up to 60 percent, compared to the current
generation of battery cells.