Legacy automakers, keen to make an “orderly transition” to EVs, have embraced all kinds of half-measures, from PHEVs to awkward ICE-to-EV conversions to pick-your-powertrain production lines. Conventional wisdom among EV advocates is that this is a mistake—industry leader Tesla and other startups have generally taken a clean-sheet approach to designing both their cars and the… Read more »
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BMW’s hometown Munich plant to go all-EV as ICE vehicles pass their “tipping point”
BMW says its historic plant in Munich will produce only electric cars from 2027, following a €650-million investment in expansion and upgrades, including the construction of a new vehicle assembly line and a new body shop. BMW’s Munich plant opened in 1922, and produced motorcycles until car production began there in 1952. It currently produces… Read more »
BMW Group Logistik tests electric semi-trailer in real-world logistics operations
BMW Group Logistik, in collaboration with German e-trailer manufacturer Trailer Dynamics, has conducted tests to compare the performance of an electrically powered semi-trailer combined with a diesel tractor on varying routes in a simulation of real-world logistics operations. The companies conducted four days of tests over distances of up to 250 kilometers each day on… Read more »
BMW expands ChargeForward smart charging program
BMW of North America is expanding its smart charging service, ChargeForward, in conjunction with the launch of the first electric BMW 5 Series, the BMW i5. ChargeForward provides customers with incentives for aligning their vehicle charging with times when renewable energy is available on the grid. It’s already available in some states through partnerships with… Read more »
BMW Group expands North American e-mobility footprint with regional supply chain
BMW is boosting its e-mobility ramp-up and using localized supply chains in line with the “local for local” approach. The company wants to source battery cells near vehicle production and localize its raw material supply chains. Umicore, a Belgian battery material supplier, is being added to the company’s North American supply chain partners. Umicore’s new… Read more »
BMW, Ford and Honda to create new company to facilitate EV grid services
In September, BMW, Ford and Honda agreed to form an equally owned company named ChargeScape to create a platform connecting electric utilities, automakers and interested EV customers. It is expected to be operational early in 2024. ChargeScape is designed to increase the value EVs can provide to the electric grid and to enable EV customers… Read more »
BMW Group to build new battery assembly factory in South Carolina
The BMW Group has broken ground for a new high-voltage battery assembly plant in Woodruff, South Carolina. Plant Woodruff will produce sixth-generation batteries to supply EVs at nearby BMW Manufacturing in Spartanburg. Back in October 2022, BMW Group announced a new $1.7-billion investment in its US operations, including $1 billion to prepare Plant Spartanburg for… Read more »
BMW and PG&E begin V2X testing in California
BMW and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) are collaborating to test how vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can help offset growing demand on the power grid, improve reliability for electric customers, and maximize the usage of renewable energy. The V2X testing, which is taking place at PG&E’s Applied Technology Services (ATS) Lab in San Ramon, builds on… Read more »
BMW i Ventures invests in new DeepDrive’s e-motor technology
BMW i Ventures has co-led startup DeepDrive’s $16.1 million Series A e-motor deal. UVC Partners and Bayern Kapital participated alongside Wachstumsfonds Bayern and Continental’s Corporate Venture Capital Unit. DeepDrive’s radial flux dual-rotor electric motor can be placed as a central drive or in-wheel drive in any vehicle. According to the startup, the patented method boosts… BMW i Ventures, DeepDrive, EV Motors
BMW to co-locate battery assembly and vehicle production plants in Hungary
BMW is building a battery assembly plant in Hungary for its Neue Klasse vehicles. It will be located on the site of the Debrecen vehicle production plant, for which construction was begun about six months ago. Markus Fallböhmer, BMW’s Senior VP of Battery Production, explains: “The BMW iFACTORY is also about ensuring short distances for… Read more »