Leipzig. The BMW Group continues to build on its
leading international role in the field of electro-mobility, as the
100,000th BMW i3 rolled off the production line at the company’s
Leipzig plant today. The BMW i3 has played a major part in making the
BMW Group one of the most successful suppliers of electrified vehicles
worldwide. Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW
AG, and Plant Director Hans-Peter Kemser celebrated this milestone
with Saxony’s Minister-President Stanislaw Tillich, other guests and
plant employees. At the event, Krüger and Kemser also presented the
next member of the BMW i family, the BMW i8 Roadster, as a camouflaged
prototype; series production of the BMW i8 Roadster will begin in
2018. A further highlight was today’s official commissioning of the
BMW Battery Storage Farm Leipzig, which will connect up to 700 BMW i3
high-capacity batteries. The large-scale battery storage system at the
Leipzig plant will give batteries previously installed in BMW i3 cars
a second life and put them to profitable use in a sustainable,
energy-based business model.
“We are proud of the 100,000th BMW i3 built by our plant in Leipzig.
The BMW i3 is the original, a true technological pioneer. With BMW i
as our spearhead, we intend to remain the leading premium supplier of
electro-mobility going forward. We are now looking ahead to the next
member of the BMW i family, the i8 Roadster, which will expand our
leading position in the field of electro-mobility. In 2025, we will
offer our customers a total of 25 models with electrified drive
trains,” said Krüger. “In the interests of sustainability, today we
are also presenting a concept for the second use of BMW i3
high-voltage batteries. With our Strategy NUMBER ONE NEXT, we are
looking far beyond the car itself and driving change in our industry
with totally new approaches and business models.”
Saxony’s Minister-President Stanislaw Tillich continued to be
impressed with the development of BMW’s Leipzig plant: “Two days after
I was elected minister-president for the first time, I came to Leipzig
to attend the topping out ceremony for the new BMW press shop. I have
followed developments very closely ever since and had conversations
with the Board of Management of BMW on a regular basis. The plant
began building electric cars in 2013 and, by the end of my term of
office, the Leipzig plant will have produced over 100,000 electric
cars – now, with its battery farm, BMW is beginning a new chapter in
its innovative history. I would like to thank the BMW Group for
choosing to make Leipzig the leading production location for premium
electric vehicles in Germany. I hope that the BMW Group, with its
concentrated innovative power and Leipzig production expertise, will
continue to spearhead the automotive revolution of the 21st century. I
am confident that BMW will further contribute to the positive economic
development of the Leipzig region and Saxony as a car-producing state,
through future growth in the areas of electro-mobility and connected driving.”
100,000th BMW i3 from Leipzig
Series production of the BMW i3 began in September 2013. The BMW
Group has invested a total of 400 million euros in production of BMW i
models at the Leipzig location and created more than 800 jobs. Current
daily production of the BMW i3 stands at more than 120 units, with an
annual production volume in 2016 of 26,631 vehicles. “We are proud of
our team performance, which enables us to celebrate production of the
100,000th BMW i3 today – all with the same premium quality and
efficiency as our more conventional models. I would like to thank all
our associates for this tremendous achievement,” said Plant Director,
Hans-Peter Kemser. Production in Leipzig includes making carbon-fibre
parts and painted plastic parts for outer skin panels, the BMW i body
shop and BMW i assembly hall.
Series production of the BMW i8 got underway in May 2014 and a total
of 2,783 BMW i8s were shipped from the plant in 2016. Production of
the most successful hybrid sports car worldwide currently stands at
eight to ten vehicles per day.
The next member of the BMW i family, the BMW i8 Roadster, an
open-topped version of the sports car, will be released onto the
market in 2018.
“Battery2ndLife”: Innovative second use of BMW i3 high-voltage
batteries for new business model: BMW Group opens large-scale
battery storage in Leipzig
The official commissioning of the battery storage farm on the grounds
of BMW Plant Leipzig demonstrates innovative, sustainable and
profitable second use of BMW i3 batteries after a vehicle reaches the
end of its lifecycle. The battery storage unit in Leipzig can house up
to 700 used BMW i3 high-capacity batteries. There are currently 500
new and used batteries integrated, because today – four years after
the BMW i3 market launch – most battery packs are still in cars on the
road. “The capacity of 700 high-voltage batteries is the equivalent of
an electric range of 100,000 km in a BMW i3. The scalable approach
means that the storage unit could be further expanded to accommodate
more batteries. It is also already compatible with upcoming battery
generations and therefore future-proof,” underlined Joachim Kolling,
Head of Energy Services at the BMW Group. “We are demonstrating once
again that the concept of sustainability at BMW i goes far beyond the
car.” With wind turbines located on the grounds of the plant, the BMW
Battery Storage Farm Leipzig links decentralised captive production
from renewable energies with local energy storage and an industrial
consumer in a completely unique way. The stationary battery storage
farm is also integrated with the public power grid, which enables its
electricity to be marketed as primary balancing power. In this way,
the BMW Group is making a contri-bution to the stability of the public
power grid and performing a valuable function for the wider community.
When there is a surplus of power from renewable energies, large-scale
battery storage can relieve the grid by absorbing electricity. When
there is not enough power in the electricity grid, the facility can
release electricity to help stabilise the grid.
The battery storage farm at BMW Group Plant Leipzig will open up new
potential for cost and energy efficiency, as well as CO2 reduction in
the energy sector. It is yet another example of practical steps the
BMW Group is taking in its aspiration to become the most sustainable
automotive company in the world.
The BMW Battery Storage Farm project in Leipzig is part of the
WindNODE initiative, dedicated to promoting intelligent usage and
storage systems for renewable energies. The German Federal Ministry
for Economic Affairs and Energy provides funding for the venture
through its “Smart Energy Showcases – Digital Agenda for the
Energy Transition” (SINTEG) programme.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Jochen Müller, Head of Communication BMW Group Plants Leipzig,
Berlin, Eisenach
Telephone:
+49 341 445-38000, Email:
Jochen.Mueller@bmw.de
Christina Hepe, Business and Financial Communications
Telephone:
+49 89 382-38770, Email:
Christina.Hepe@bmw.de
BMW Group Plant Leipzig
BMW Group Plant Leipzig is one of the most modern and sustainable car
plants in the world. Series production began in March 2005. Today,
more than 860 vehicles roll off the assembly line every day from
classic production: Currently, these are the BMW 1 Series five-door
version, the BMW 2 Series Coupé and Convertible, the BMW 2 Series M
Coupé and the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. In addition, the plant also
builds more than 120 BMW i3s and BMW i8s per day – two ground-breaking
vehicles with alternative drive trains and innovative lightweight bodies.
Total investment in Leipzig to date exceeds two billion euros. The
plant currently employs a permanent staff of more than 5,300 associates.
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services.
As a global company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly
facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than
140 countries.
In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and
145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately
€ 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16 billion. As of 31
December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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About WindNode
A total of 70 partners from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg,
Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, Saxony and Thuringia work together on the
WindNODE project to connect energy producers, electricity grid
operators, suppliers and consumers through an ICT platform. The goal
is to organise supply and demand in such a way that large quantities
of renewable energy can be introduced to the grid without causing
major voltage fluctuations. A further aim is to develop innovative
business models for suppliers, as well as consumer protection and data
security standards, market designs and systems architecture. WindNODE
receives funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs
and Energy as one of five model regions in the “Smart Energy Showcases
– Digital Agenda for the Energy Transition”.