bmw will seek to become the first premium manufacturer of electric vehicles in Mexicoso it will invest 800 million euros to build a battery module production center at its plant in San Luis Potosí, whose Start of operations is expected in 2027.
The first electric vehicles that BMW will produce in Mexico will be the corresponding ones to the NEUE KLASSE linespecifically the Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) model.
The announcement comes in the context of the possible arrival of Tesla and Build Your Dreams (BYD)leading companies in the manufacturing of electric cars that have announced investments in Mexico.
However, in the case of Tesla doubts are beginning to arise: Elon Musk announced the construction of a gigafactory in Nuevo León in March 2022, but to date no construction work has begun. Regarding BYD, the Chinese company is just analyzing which state of the Mexican Republic would offer it the best conditions and recently met with the Government of Jalisco.
What features do BMW’s NEUE KLASSE line cars have?
NEUE KLASSE BMW’s new platform dedicated to electric vehicles and will be the basis for multiple future models.
Among the main characteristics of this line of vehicles, a 20 percent greater energy density stands out; 30 percent faster chargesand 30 percent more driving range.
Globally, the first vehicles of this line will be produced at the Debrecen plant, Hungary, starting in 2025, while the Munich factory will produce a Sedan type starting in 2026, while a year later, the Mexican plant in San Luis Potosí will be ready to start producing.
What cars does BMW produce in Mexico?
The San Luis Potosí plant builds the BMW 2 Series Sedanin addition to the 2 Series Coupé, and exclusively for the global market the BMW M2.
Starting in 2030, the German company hopes to equalize the production of electric and internal combustion vehicles.
Harald Gottsche, president and CEO of BMW Group San Luis Potosí Plant, said in an interview with The financial that as soon as 2030, it is expected that 50 percent of the company’s vehicle manufacturing is electric.
“Nearshoring is a reality in the country, but BMW has trusted Mexico for some time, we have invested more than $1.5 billion since 2016, and we want to continue investing in Mexico,” he indicated.
He added that this new development is part of the launch of the next generation of BMW models.
“We will be pioneers in the industry as the first premium manufacturer in Mexico to produce fully electric vehicles and high-voltage batteries, while we continue to reduce our environmental footprint,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Milan Nedeljković, member of the board of the BMW Group, indicated that the production of high-voltage batteries in San Luis Potosí will be part of its global production network to the new sixth generation of e-drive.
“To achieve this, we are building five sites on three continents, with the aim of locating battery factories close to vehicle manufacturing to strengthen the production process,” he said.
In addition to the San Luis Potosí location, sixth-generation high-voltage battery production sites are also being built in Debrecen (Hungary), Shenyang (China)Woodruff, near Spartanburg (United States) and Irlbach-Strasskirchen (Germany).
