BMW

BMW has begun series production at its new battery plant in Lower Bavaria; initially the plant will manufacture sixth‑generation batteries for the new BMW i3. BMW has invested around one billion euros in the plant, which will gradually ramp up to several hundred batteries per day and uses around 500 robots. The capacity of the new batteries increases from 75 to 108 kWh and charging times are expected to be significantly shorter. Currently about 1,000 people work at the plant; that number is expected to rise to around 1,600. » More on golem.de

On October 1, 2026, BMW opened the roughly €1 billion battery assembly plant in Irlbach‑Straßkirchen and began series production of Gen6 high‑voltage batteries. The facility will initially supply the Munich plant for the all‑electric BMW i3 of the “Neue Klasse,” and later Dingolfing, Regensburg and Leipzig; production is already running in two shifts due to strong demand. BMW is using cylindrical 46‑mm round cells instead of prismatic cells, which should provide about 20% higher volumetric energy density, up to 30% more WLTP range and shorter charging times; the cells come from CATL and EVE— Irlbach is an assembly, not a cell factory. In production BMW uses Cell‑to‑Pack design, AI‑assisted inline quality assurance and plans about 1,600 employees and roughly 500 robots at full capacity; the goal is up to a 60% lower CO2 footprint for cell production compared with the previous generation. » More on heise.de

BMW will reduce model variety, slim down management by around 20% and introduce agentic AI across many areas to improve profitability. The 2 Series Active Tourer will be discontinued without replacement; additionally, BMW plans a fully electric entry model for Europe from 2028. The target is an EBIT margin for the car division of 3–5% by 2028 and 8–10% long term; increased localization and export strategies for China, as well as investments in production and battery plants, are also central. » More on heise.de