BMW will begin series production of high-voltage batteries for the electric iX5 at its Woodruff plant in South Carolina in December 2026.
The facility sits about 24 km from its Spartanburg plant, where the first battery-electric X5 will be assembled. Woodruff will build BMW’s sixth-generation battery packs using cylindrical cells and an 800-volt electrical system.
The iX5 60 xDrive will receive the largest battery yet fitted to a fully electric BMW. Net usable capacity is 144 kWh for the US model and 141 kWh in Europe. BMW claims a range of up to 845 km for the electric SUV.
The Woodruff plant will employ more than 300 people and use around 250 robots. Production data will be monitored in real time, with BMW-developed artificial-intelligence tools checking processes and identifying faults. Every completed pack will also undergo an end-of-line inspection.
Workers are being trained through a virtual-reality copy of the factory before operating the machinery. BMW has also used digital twins to plan production and test processes ahead of the plant’s opening.
Construction started in September 2023, three months after the groundbreaking. Equipment installation began a year later, while test and pre-series battery packs have been produced since summer 2025.
The packs use a cell-to-pack design, removing conventional battery modules. Cells are grouped with cooling components before the contacts are laser-cleaned and welded. Foam is then added to strengthen and protect the assembly before the housing is sealed and fitted with its main control unit.
BMW said the Gen6 cells produce around 28% fewer carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions per watt-hour than the previous-generation cells used in the iX.
The Woodruff plant will not burn fossil fuels during normal operations, although its industrial vehicles will use hydrogen.
The iX5 is due to enter production at Spartanburg before the end of 2026, with market deliveries following in early 2027.
