BMW has started series production of electric motors for the Neue Klasse
BMW has announced the start of mass production of "Gen6" electric motors, which will be used in electric cars of the Neue Klasse series. At the first stage, their production was established at the company's plant in Austria, but later the geography of production should expand.
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By 2030, BMW will invest more than 1 billion euros in the plant in Austrian Steyr. The facility will become the BMW Group's flagship production facility for electric powertrains.
This plant has produced internal combustion engines for BMW and Mini for 40 years. It can now produce petrol, diesel and electric engines in parallel. Around 1,000 employees are involved in the production of the latter.
BMW has said that by 2030, half of the entire workforce at the Steyr plant could be employed in the field of electromobility, depending on global demand.
Ceremony for the start of series production of electric motors at the BMW Group's Steyr plant. Photo: BMW
The plant produces the rotor, stator, transmission and inverter. The motor housings are cast in Landshut, Germany, but their final machining takes place in Steyr.
The next-generation iX3 50 xDrive will be around 20 per cent more efficient than the Gen5 xDrive model, thanks to a new powertrain. Combined with a new high-voltage battery, this will provide a range of up to 800 kilometres WLTP in the iX3 50 xDrive, the first Neue Klasse model to go on sale.
Source: BMW
