The facility represents a €100m investment, focused mainly on advanced test-bench technology and infrastructure upgrades. Credit: BMW Group.

BMW Group’s Wackersdorf battery testing centre, announced a year ago, has started its initial phase operation.

The centre, spans over 8,000m2, will test battery cells and high-voltage components for future BMW models, ensuring readiness before production.

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The centre’s completion is anticipated by late 2025.

The facility represents an investment of about €100m ($105m), primarily for advanced test-bench technology and infrastructure enhancements.

Hall 80 at the Wackersdorf plant has been remodelled, involving extensive structural work, including a new floor slab. Approximately 2,200t of structural steel and 10,000m3 of concrete were utilised in the expansion, the company said.

With the commissioning of the initial section, “battery testers” will operate continuously, assessing battery cells during early development stages.

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This involves evaluating the electrical performance of cells during charging and discharging under varied conditions. This process allows for the simulation of use cases relevant to customers well before vehicle development is complete.

Project Manager Dr. Felix Schmidt-Stein said: “Parallel testing of several hundred battery cells will initially be possible. Once the ramp-up is complete, testing capacity will reach several thousand battery cells.”

In the final phase, starting in 2025, the testing centre will also validate the BMW Group’s battery-electric vehicles before their official series production launch.

Site Manager Christoph Peters confirms: “Commissioning of the first phase of the new battery testing centre means that the BMW Group’s Wackersdorf location is poised to become a major facilitator in the transformation towards electromobility.

“The new battery testing centre gives our site a broader foundation. We are now adding a fourth pillar in Wackersdorf – in addition to supplying our overseas plants, cockpit production and door production for Rolls-Royce models. This represents a strong commitment to the future of the site.”