.jpg)
In the first stage of construction, a warehouse, a two-storey office building and a loading tunnel with a combined gross area of 38,000 m2 will be erected. There are also plans for a second construction stage, which will take the total investment to as much as 100 million euros. When all the construction work is complete, the new buildings at the Supply Centre North will provide workplaces for approx. 500 employees.
By 2026 the BMW Group aims for at least one in three new cars sold to be fully electric, so the need for high-voltage batteries will increase. Plant Leipzig is already a cornerstone in supplying e-components for the production network and provides one in three battery modules for the BMW Group’s fully electric vehicles. These include the BMW iX1, the BMW i5 and the BMW iX. With the new hall as a logistics centre for high-voltage batteries, Plant Leipzig is embracing this role even further, with a building that meets all the structural requirements for handling high-voltage components.
"Leipzig continues to power ahead. Making the BMW i3, we were the BMW Group’s pioneer in electromobility. Now, with the development of e-component production and the upcoming launch of the Mini Countryman, the future is already taking shape," says plant director Petra Peterhänsel.
The battery logistics plant will also prioritize sustainability. Outfitted with a rooftop solar array pushing north of 3,000 kilowatts (kW) in ideal conditions and "more than 5,700 new shrubs and trees," BMW's upcoming facility will aim for a minimal carbon footprint.
BMW says that by 2026, a third of its vehicles sold will be fully electric.
Source: BMW
