BMW is slow on the pickup of electric drive production
It was previously known that the BMW engine plant in Steyr would produce over 600,000 electric drives per year for the ‘Neue Klasse’ electric cars. The German publication Automobilwoche now provided further details, citing production planning at the Steyr plant. Steyr is where BMW developed the electric drive system for the ‘Neue Klasse’ vehicles, as well as manufacturing all electric drives for vehicles from BMW, with the exception of the Chinese market.
According to the new reports, two production lines are available for the manufacture of electric drive systems in Steyr. In comparison, there are 13 for combustion engines, with two versions of the current-excited synchronous motors (SSM) being produced on the first ‘Neue Klasse’ line: one for vehicles with rear-wheel drive and one all-wheel drive version.
The PSM drive (permanent magnet synchronous motor) is produced on line 2. For the two versions of the SSM drive on line 1, BMW expects 200,000 units per year after the ramp-up, and 400,000 units per year for the PSM drive on line. BMW had introduced the sixth generation of its high-voltage battery and drive in February of this year, with the statement that drive production would start in Steyr this summer. At the time, prospective production numbers were not mentioned, but BMW did spare some details about its upcoming production plans: “Series production is scheduled to start in August, with a further expansion stage in 2026. When production starts, around 200 people will be employed in the production area of the Energy Master in Landshut, and up to 700 people after the ramp-up.”
Factory manager Klaus von Moltke, who took over the facility in late 2022, explained why the factory was not committing to vehicle electrification in a larger style: “Our job is to go through all possible scenarios, prepare for each scenario and ensure that we are able to deliver.” He claims that this would keep the German company in a better position to react to market demands and dynamics in terms of electric vehicle technology versus internal combustion engines, although the manager also admitted that he would prefer both, according to the German publication Automobilwoche.
Vehicle production for the Neue Klasse started at BMW’s plant in Hungary in March, producing test vehicles for the first model of the ‘Neue Klasse’, which will be the iX3, since November 2024. BMW stated that it planned to introduce the production model in September 2025 at the IAA Mobility in Munich. Just last month, more technical details surrounding the iX3 were also released ahead of the presentation, such as a fast-charging capacity of up to 400 kW.
0 Comments