BMW Group has officially opened its Irlbach-Straßkirchen battery plant in Bavaria, bringing sixth-generation high-voltage battery production into series operation for the Neue Klasse vehicle programme. The facility is initially supplying BMW Group Plant Munich, where the batteries will be fitted in the new BMW i3.
A central battery hub for BMW’s German plants
The opening on October 1, 2026 marks a major step in BMW’s plan to localise battery assembly close to vehicle production. BMW has invested around €1 billion in Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen, which will serve as a central supplier of Gen6 high-voltage batteries for the group’s vehicle factories in Germany.
According to BMW, production has begun on a two-shift basis immediately, following stronger-than-expected demand for Neue Klasse models. Raymond Wittmann, BMW AG board member responsible for production, said the site will play a key role in the company’s production network and support the ramp-up of its next-generation electric vehicles.
The plant was developed on a 60-hectare site in Lower Bavaria. Construction began in April 2024, while the first pre-series battery was produced in March 2026. BMW said the accelerated project timeline was supported by cooperation with local authorities, policymakers and regional partners, as well as digital planning and management tools.
Local approval was secured before construction started. In a September 2023 referendum, more than 75% of participating Straßkirchen residents voted in favour of the BMW project, with turnout of around 77%, according to the company.
Cell-to-pack batteries and highly automated production
Irlbach-Straßkirchen will assemble BMW’s internally developed Gen6 high-voltage battery, using cylindrical round cells sourced from external cell manufacturers. The batteries use a cell-to-pack design, in which cells are integrated directly into the battery pack rather than first being assembled into traditional modules.
BMW’s pack-to-open-body concept also makes the battery an integral part of the vehicle body structure. The Gen6 system is intended for use across all BMW Group vehicle segments, underscoring the importance of the technology beyond the first Neue Klasse models.
The production area covers 50,000 square metres and includes around 500 robots. BMW said inline monitoring systems collect and document more than 3,500 data points for every battery in real time. The company is also using internally developed AI assistants and agents to analyse production data and improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness.
The assembly process includes incoming inspections of battery cells, cell clustering with cooling components, laser cleaning and welding, foaming for mechanical protection, and final sealing and riveting of the housing. The Energy Master, the battery’s central control unit, is installed at the end of the process. BMW says every completed high-voltage battery receives a 100% end-of-line inspection.
Once fully operational, the plant is expected to employ around 1,600 people and produce several hundred battery packs per day on two production lines.
BMW expands its “local for local” battery strategy
The Bavarian site is one of five new Gen6 battery assembly plants being established by BMW near its major EV manufacturing operations. Other facilities are located in Debrecen, Hungary; Shenyang, China; Woodruff in the US; and San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
This “local for local” strategy is designed to keep battery transport distances short while linking battery assembly directly to regional vehicle manufacturing. For Germany, Irlbach-Straßkirchen strengthens BMW’s existing eastern Bavarian industrial network, which includes vehicle plants in Dingolfing and Regensburg and operations in Landshut.
BMW said all directly contracted construction companies for the new plant were based in Germany, with two-thirds coming from Bavaria. More than three-quarters of the plant-engineering companies involved were also German, including one-third from Bavaria.
For BMW, the start of series battery production provides a domestic manufacturing base for the Neue Klasse ramp-up. It also places battery assembly closer to the Munich-built BMW i3, as European carmakers seek to secure more resilient and regionally integrated EV supply chains.
