BMW starts production of Gen6 batteries in China, following Hungary and Germany

BMW kicked off the production of its Gen6 high-voltage batteries at its Shenyang plant in China. This is the third location for such production, following the factories in Debrecen, Hungary and Strasskirchen, Germany. The facilities are part of the growing Gen6 battery production network, which will eventually expand to Woodruff, USA and San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

BMW's Gen6 batteries are one of the most important bits of the Neue Klasse models. The battery offers 20% higher energy density and 30% gains in charging and range, compared to the previous generation.

Gen6 batteries make the transition from prismatic to cylindrical cells and support 800-volt platforms like the Neue Klasse. The new cell-to-pack manufacturing lets the cylindrical cells be integrated directly into the battery housing, entirely omitting the module level. This reduces the required installation space and also allows the battery to be integrated flexibly into various vehicle types.

BMW's Gen6 batteries

Currently only the BMW iX3 and i3 are using the Gen6 batteries, but iX4 and some upcoming iX5 configurations in early 2027 will also take advantage of them, so it's good news BMW is boosting the production capacity. The demand from Neue Klasse models is already outpacing the production and will likely continue to grow in the following years.

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