The new halls for future e-drive production at the BMW Group site in Steyr, Austria, have been completed.
The 105 x 150m building, covering some 60,000m2, was erected on a tight schedule. According to Helmut Hochsteiner, head of electric drives at the site, construction and installation of the production facility for Neue Klasse e-drives are proceeding as planned.
In the coming months, approximately 300 pieces of plant and equipment, valued at over €500m (US$540m), will be installed to prepare for pre-series production starting in July. These items vary in size and function, from small individual components to large stations like the ‘marriage’ station, where robots and systems will assemble the transmission to the main motor.
The first piece of equipment, a crane, was introduced into the new assembly hall in January. It will facilitate the movement of power electronics components from the first floor, where inverters are assembled in a cleanroom environment, down to final assembly on the ground floor. Once the electronic components are in place, the inverter and e-drive will be assembled.
Looking ahead, the BMW Group plans to invest around €1bn (US$1.08bn) in e-drive production at the Steyr facility by 2030. The plant is anticipated to produce more than 600,000 e-drives annually, alongside diesel and gasoline units.
Klaus von Moltke, senior VP of engine production at BMW AG and plant director of Steyr, said, “Series production of e-drives for the Neue Klasse is scheduled for launch in the autumn of 2025.”
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