Governments, policy makers and politicians now dictate through regulation automotive design as much as automakers or customers.
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg will build plug-in hybrid electric variations of the BMW X5 and BMW X3 in Spartanburg. The 2020 BMW X5 xDrive45e Sports Activity Vehicle will begin production on August 1. Production of the BMW X3 xDrive30e will begin in December. X5 and X3 are currently among the best-selling BMW models in the U.S.
“We have invested approximately $10 million to install a new battery assembly line and expanded the area to 86,000 square feet. This means we could double the number of batteries produced if needed to meet market demand,” said Michael Nikolaides, senior vice president engines and electrified drivetrains, BMW Group.
BMW Group says it has invested a further $10 million to support the production of the new PHEV models. Hundreds of millions in taxpayer subsidies were not mentioned.
More than 120 employees were trained to work the new line, having completed a program in battery production, robotics and electrical inline quality inspection along with end-of-line testing. An additional 225 vehicle assembly workers received training in the production of electrified vehicles.
During 2015 – 2018, Spartanburg produced the X5 xDrive40e, the first plug-in hybrid production car from the BMW brand. All totaled, the plant’s battery assembly team assembled more than 45,000 batteries during this four-year period.
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg produces BMW X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 models. Since starting production 25 years ago, the plant has built more than 4.6 million BMW vehicles for the U.S. market and the world. In 2018, data from the U.S. Department of Commerce showed that BMW Manufacturing was the largest automotive exporter by value for the fifth consecutive year.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
BMW X5 and X3 Hybrids to Start Production in Spartanburg
Governments, policy makers and politicians now dictate through regulation automotive design as much as automakers or customers.
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg will build plug-in hybrid electric variations of the BMW X5 and BMW X3 in Spartanburg. The 2020 BMW X5 xDrive45e Sports Activity Vehicle will begin production on August 1. Production of the BMW X3 xDrive30e will begin in December. X5 and X3 are currently among the best-selling BMW models in the U.S.
“We have invested approximately $10 million to install a new battery assembly line and expanded the area to 86,000 square feet. This means we could double the number of batteries produced if needed to meet market demand,” said Michael Nikolaides, senior vice president engines and electrified drivetrains, BMW Group.
BMW Group says it has invested a further $10 million to support the production of the new PHEV models. Hundreds of millions in taxpayer subsidies were not mentioned.
More than 120 employees were trained to work the new line, having completed a program in battery production, robotics and electrical inline quality inspection along with end-of-line testing. An additional 225 vehicle assembly workers received training in the production of electrified vehicles.
During 2015 – 2018, Spartanburg produced the X5 xDrive40e, the first plug-in hybrid production car from the BMW brand. All totaled, the plant’s battery assembly team assembled more than 45,000 batteries during this four-year period.
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg produces BMW X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 models. Since starting production 25 years ago, the plant has built more than 4.6 million BMW vehicles for the U.S. market and the world. In 2018, data from the U.S. Department of Commerce showed that BMW Manufacturing was the largest automotive exporter by value for the fifth consecutive year.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.