BMW has offered a first look at its new plant in Woodruff, South Carolina, where high-voltage batteries for the upcoming all-electric iX5 will be assembled. Series production is set to begin in December 2026, just a few months before the model hits the market.
Located near the Spartanburg plant, the Woodruff site will produce BMW’s sixth-generation batteries, also known as Gen6. These will then be transported over a distance of roughly 24 km to the vehicle assembly plant.
“With the Woodruff plant, we are continuing to expand our footprint in South Carolina and strengthening the close integration of battery and vehicle production,” said Robert Engelhorn, President and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. “This creates the ideal foundation for the next generation of all-electric BMW X models assembled at the Spartanburg plant.”
A 144-kWh battery for the BMW iX5
The all-new electric BMW iX5 will feature sixth-generation eDrive technology. In its iX5 60 xDrive variant, it will receive a battery with a usable capacity of 144 kWh in the United States and 141 kWh in Europe.
This will be the largest battery ever installed in a fully electric BMW vehicle. The SUV is getting an 800-volt electrical architecture along with two motors, positioned on the front and rear axles respectively. This configuration will also maintain xDrive electric all-wheel drive capabilities.
The Gen6 battery stands out notably through its use of cylindrical cells integrated directly into the battery pack using the “cell-to-pack” approach. This method eliminates certain intermediate modules in order to maximize available space.
BMW also claims to have reduced CO2 emissions by roughly 28 percent compared to the fifth-generation cells used in the current iX.
Artificial intelligence and virtual training
The Woodruff facility will employ more than 300 workers and use around 250 robots. The various assembly steps will be monitored and documented in real time.
Artificial intelligence systems will analyze data collected during manufacturing to detect anomalies and reduce the risk of defects.
Construction of the site began in September 2023, while installation of equipment started a year later.
The Woodruff plant is part of a network of five facilities dedicated to Gen6 batteries. BMW is also preparing sites in Germany, China and Mexico, while a plant located in Debrecen, Hungary, has already been producing these batteries since last fall.