BMW Group has expanded its supplier network for sixth-generation (Gen6) electric vehicle batteries, awarding new cell supply contracts to South Korea’s Samsung SDI and LG Energy Solution.
Samsung SDI will supply battery cells manufactured in Europe, while LG Energy Solution will provide cells produced in the United States. Deliveries from their existing regional plants are scheduled to begin in the late 2020s.
The agreements broaden BMW’s supplier base as the German carmaker develops regional production networks for its next-generation electric vehicles.
In Europe, Samsung SDI joins existing suppliers CATL and EVE Energy. LG Energy Solution will become another supplier for BMW’s US operations.
BMW said the strategy is intended to reduce transport distances, improve supply security and keep battery cell production close to vehicle manufacturing facilities.
The company has established five Gen6 high-voltage battery assembly facilities near its vehicle plants in Irlbach-Straßkirchen, Germany; Debrecen, Hungary; Shenyang, China; Woodruff, United States; and San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
These facilities assemble battery cells into high-voltage batteries rather than manufacture the cells themselves.
BMW also maintains three battery competence centres in Bavaria. Its Munich facility researches new cell technologies, while Parsdorf focuses on manufacturing processes and near-production battery cell testing.
A third facility in Salching is dedicated to recovering battery materials through a direct recycling process developed by BMW.
The expanded supplier network forms part of BMW’s regional battery production strategy, linking cell manufacturers with battery assembly facilities and vehicle plants across Europe, Asia and North America.
