The BMW group continues to build its new high-voltage battery assembly plant in Irlbach-Straßkirchen, in Basse-Bavaria. One year after the green light given to the work, the central building is completed and the installation of the production lines will start in time in June 2025.
“The success of the project is due to the excellent cooperation between our team and our external partners”explains Sabrina Kugler, responsible for carrying out the site.
A “Lean” organization for rapid construction
BMW Group applies methodology Lean Construction Managementwhich allows precise coordination of each phase of the site. All tasks are displayed in real time in a special “Lean Room”, which allows you to see any horses and speed up problem solving.
All the companies involved in the work are German: 66 % of them are Bavarian and approximately a third are located less than 100 km from the site. BMW thus applies the principle of “local for the local”, giving a real boost to the local economy from the construction phase.
Photo: BMW
BMW Group, new Gen6 battery factory in Bavaria
Global network: five Gen6 battery factories
The Bavarian factory is part of a global network of five Gen6 battery production factories. The other sites are under construction at:
- Debrecen (Hongrie)
- Shenyang (Chine)
- San Luis Potosí (Mexican)
- Woodruff, near Spartanburg (United States)
The objective is to produce the key technology of the Neue Klasse near the vehicle assembly factories, by promoting employment and sustainability.
Photo: BMW
BMW Group, new Gen6 battery factory in Bavaria – The new IX3 will be equipped with Gen6 batteries
The new BMW IX3 equipped with Gen6 batteries will make its debut in 2025.
The series production of the batteries will start in 2025 in Debrecen to feed the new BMW IX3, the first model of the Neue Klasse, which will be presented in September at the IAA Mobility. Experts from the Dingolfing factory will support production to start production in Hungary and, in 2026, to Irlbach-Straßkirchen.
The technical heart of the factory will be the power plant: in addition to providing electricity, compressed air, heat, cooling and technical water, it will house:
- The internal fire station for firefighters
- Maintenance workshops
- the service center
Heat pump systems will recover the energy of production, while rainwater will be reused for sanitary facilities. The assembly of batteries, on the other hand, will not require any water consumption.
Photo: BMW
BMW Group, new Gen6 battery factory in Bavaria – the infrastructure is also in the process of completion
Intelligent connections and viability
A system of technological bridges and underground networks distributes resources throughout the factory. Some 60 km of pipes connect the various buildings. To the north, an under construction pumping station will connect the site to the Irlbach treatment plant by 3 km of pipes from 2026.
The future roundabout on the B8 near Makofenerstraße is already visible. With a diameter of 80 m and five road crossroads, it will manage the incoming and leaving traffic from the factory without impacting the national road.
