BMW Group has commenced the installation of production systems at its new assembly plant in Irlbach, Bavaria, Germany, for high-voltage batteries.

The construction of the high-voltage battery assembly plant began in April 2024.

The first high-voltage batteries for testing are expected to be produced by the end of 2025, with series production slated to begin at the end of 2026.

The company aims to leverage German expertise, with local Bavarian companies contributing to the construction and manufacturing processes.

In the upcoming months, the company’s employees will collaborate with partner firms to assemble and build the production facilities.

The new Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen plant is expected to generate 1,600 employment opportunities, and the company is actively recruiting individuals for the plant’s operations.

Currently, the company is producing the fifth generation of high-voltage batteries at the competence centre for e-mobility in Dingolfing, which is located 40km away.

BMW Production board management member Milan Nedeljković said: “The Neue Klasse is full of innovations, and this is also reflected in manufacturing technologies.

“In future, German vehicle plants will be supplied with sixth-generation high-voltage batteries from this location. The BMW Group has made a conscious decision to invest in Bavaria. This work proves that high-tech has a future in Germany.”

This May, the company announced that it is progressing the exploration of all-solid-state battery (ASSB) technology by integrating large-format ASSB cells from Solid Power into its test vehicle, the BMW i7, operating in the Munich area.