Dive Brief:
- Ahead of the launch of its new X3 SUV, BMW Group opened a 20,000-square-meter press shop at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, according to a June 21 press release.
- The automaker invested $200 million in the shop, which will produce the X3’s outer skin, exterior body sides, doors, side panels and tailgate.
- The investment has also led to the creation of more than 200 new jobs in various fields, including its tool and die technicians, as well as in electrical and mechanical maintenance for automated machinery, the release said.
Dive Insight:
In October 2022, BMW Group announced that it would invest $1.7 billion in its U.S. operations, including $1 billion to prepare Plant Spartanburg to assemble fully-electric vehicles and $700 million to build a new high-voltage battery assembly plant in Woodruff, South Carolina.
The automaker is preparing to ramp up production of six fully electric vehicles at Plant Spartanburg between now and 2030. When completed in 2026, Plant Woodruff will assemble the sixth-generation batteries for those EVs.
BMW Group said the innovative new press shop also contributes to the strengthening of its manufacturing footprint in the U.S.
“The advanced production methods used in our press shop will ensure the highest quality and efficiency of body components for our customers,” said Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing, in the release. “Having this press shop on-site fits our ‘local for local’ strategy, whereby we produce major parts at the location where we need them.”
The press shop line is equipped with cutting-edge servo technology, which enables the automaker to produce large quantities efficiently. It’s capable of running up to 18 strokes per minute, which means more than 10,000 components can be produced each day, depending on the size, the release said.
BMW’s factory in Spartanburg is the automaker’s largest global assembly plant and produces the X Series lineup of SUVs for global markets. In total, the plant employs over 11,000 and builds more than 1,500 vehicles daily.
