BMW Group's Spartanburg plant has opened its first press shop in preparation for the launch of the new BMW X3

Celebrating 30 years of production, BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina, USA, has opened its state-of-the-art press shop, as it prepares for the launch of the new BMW X3. The X3’s outer skin, including its exterior body sides, doors, side panels and tailgate, will all be produced by the plant's own press shop.

The new press shop represents a $200 million investment and spans 20,000 square meters. It was constructed in under two years and has created over 200 new jobs. This facility is equipped with advanced high-tech servo technology, including a 55-ton overhead crane and a coil line capable of producing up to 10,000 parts per day. 

After the parts are stamped, they go to quality control for inspection, using special lighting that mimics natural daylight. The pressed parts are then stacked into containers, ready for delivery to the body shop for further processing.

This year, Plant Spartanburg celebrates 30 years of production in South Carolina, with more than 6.7 million BMWs assembled during the past three decades. The plant employs more than 11,000 people in production of various BMW X models and is one of the BMW Group’s largest plants worldwide, with over 1,500 vehicles manufactured daily. The 750,000-square-metre campus includes three body shops with more than 2,600 robots, two paint shops and two assembly halls. The plant generates about 20 percent of its own power from recycled methane gas obtained from a local landfill and uses hydrogen fuel cell technology to power about 800 logistics vehicles.

The BMW Group announced in 2022 that it would invest $1.7 billion in its US operations, including $1 billion to prepare Plant Spartanburg to assemble fully-electric vehicles and $700 million to build a new high-voltage battery assembly plant in Woodruff. When completed in 2026, Plant Woodruff in South Carolina will assemble the sixth-generation batteries to supply fully-electric vehicles at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg.

During the ceremony, the fourth-generation BMW X3 was also presented to the audience. The BMW X3 is one of the company’s best-selling vehicles in the United States and worldwide. Plant Spartanburg associates have built more than 1.7 million BMW X3s since the model was introduced back in 2010. The new BMW X3 will be released onto the market in autumn 2024.

Source: BMW