- NEUE KLASSE to be released in 2025, local production in Shenyang
for China from 2026 - BBA to invest RMB 10 billion in construction of assembly plant for
sixth-generation high-voltage batteries in China - Global production network for high-voltage batteries based on
“local for local” principle
Shenyang. To mark the 20th anniversary of the BMW
Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) joint venture, Milan Nedeljković,
member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for
Production, today announced local production of the NEUE KLASSE in
China. Following the market launch in 2025, models of the next vehicle
generation will also be produced from 2026 onwards by BBA in Shenyang.
The high-voltage batteries required for this will likewise be
manufactured locally. The virtual ground-breaking for a new assembly
site for high-voltage batteries also took place as part of the
anniversary celebrations. BBA is investing RMB 10 billion in the new
location, which will produce battery cells for the next, sixth
generation of high-voltage batteries from 2026 onwards. The
“Sixth-Generation Battery Project” will play a key role in production
of vehicles for the NEUE KLASSE and create around 2,000 new jobs in
the region.
“From a small assembly facility with a limited number of units,
our plants in Shenyang have developed into our largest production
location worldwide. Today, 20 years after our joint venture’s initial
start of production, I am delighted to announce local production of
the NEUE KLASSE in China,” declared Milan Nedeljković in Shenyang.
“Integration of the NEUE KLASSE into our production in China goes hand
in hand with construction of a high-voltage battery assembly for the
next, sixth generation of batteries and will make a significant
contribution to further electrification of our lineup and, therefore,
to our success as a company.”
20 years of BBA – strong partnership between China and Germany
The BMW Group has had a presence in the Chinese market
since 1994 and founded the BMW Brilliance Automotive joint venture in
May 2003. Over the past 20 years, the BMW Group has continuously
expanded its activities in China, and production capacity in Shenyang
has increased from 30,000 to 830,000 units. BBA currently produces
seven model ranges, with fully-electric, plug-in hybrid and internal
combustion engines.
Electromobility and digitalisation play an important role at the
BMW Group and, particularly, in China. The BMW Group’s next model
generation, the NEUE KLASSE, will embody all three pillars of future
mobility: electric, digital and circular.
Global production network for high-voltage batteries based on
“local for local” principle
Integration of the NEUE
KLASSE in China and construction of battery factories for the sixth
generation are further milestones, as the BMW Group systematically
aligns its production network for electromobility. More than half the
vehicles the BMW Group sells worldwide should be fully electric before 2030.
At present, the BMW Group produces electronic components and
high-voltage batteries for its current electric vehicles at its German
sites in Dingolfing, Leipzig and Regensburg, as well as at the
Shenyang location in China. In addition to Shenyang, new assembly
sites for sixth-generation high-voltage batteries will be added in
Debrecen (Hungary), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and Woodruff near
Spartanburg (USA) in the next few years. These batteries will be used
in the models of the NEUE KLASSE. The company also plans to establish
a new location in Germany to supply its Bavarian vehicle plants with
sixth-generation high-voltage batteries going forward.
With its “local for local” approach, the BMW Group is securing
the increasing electrification of its product lineup in individual
regions of the world. Short distances also enable CO2
savings from logistics.
Expansion of research and development activities in Shenyang
In preparation for the rollout of the NEUE KLASSE, the BMW
Group has created an entire electromobility ecosystem in China,
spanning research and development, the supply chain and production of
batteries and electric vehicles. With facilities in Beijing, Shanghai,
Shenyang and Nanjing, the BMW Group has built the biggest research and
innovation network outside of Germany. The research and development
centre in Shenyang is mainly focused on developing technologies for
electromobility and localising products. To coincide with its tenth
anniversary, the R&D facility was comprehensively expanded and
development and validation capacity for BEVs in China increased. The
site provides 19 test benches for low and high-voltage testing,
pedestrian safety testing, improved electronic analyses and charging
capacity tests at extreme temperatures. These expanded testing
capacities can also help shorten development cycles.
Local supplier network further expanded
The BMW
Group is continuously expanding its supplier network in China and
consistently implementing its “local for local” approach. BBA already
has around 430 local suppliers across the country. More than a quarter
of these are in Liaoning Province and almost 100 in Shenyang.
Systematic implementation of BMW iFACTORY
Implementation of the BMW iFACTORY – the master plan
for automotive production at the BMW Group – will drive further
development of high-quality, intelligent and resource-efficient
manufacturing in Shenyang. Based on the production principles LEAN.
GREEN. DIGITAL., the BMW iFACTORY sets new standards for automotive
production in the age of electric and digital mobility: The most
recent example of this is the Lydia plant site that opened last year
and was configured for the BMW iFACTORY from the beginning.
Reliable employer
The BMW Group and BBA provide
high-quality jobs for more than 30,000 people in China; 26,000 of
these at BBA alone. 92 percent of the managerial positions are
currently held by Chinese staff.
