ENERGY TRANSITION
The heart of the BMW Group has been beating in Bavaria for over a century. Now, with the automotive industry moving towards a carbon-neutral future, the company is confirming its commitment to its home region. To support the 2025 launch of the“ Neue Klasse” – a new generation of vehicles designed to usher in a fully electric era – BMW is developing a dedicated high-voltage battery assembly plant in Irlbach-Straßkirchen, Lower Bavaria. The plant is needed to supply the vehicle manufacturing plants in Dingolfing, Regensburg and Munich.“ We use lean, highly intelligent production processes that are already tested in our Bavarian pilot plants,” says Dr Markus Fallböhmer, Senior Vice President Battery Production, BMW.
“ We profit from short distances. We use digital twins to plan, train and optimise production processes. The ramp-up is a collaboration within the whole production network.”
Strategic location for regional production BMW’ s commitment to Eastern Bavaria is rooted in retaining approximately 30,000 jobs while moving to a net zero future. With existing factories lacking the required space for a project of this magnitude, BMW chose a 100-hectare industrial plot in Irlbach- Straßkirchen that met strict logistical and environmental criteria: it was flat, required no deforestation and sat outside water protection zones.
sustainabilitymag. com
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