Elektromobilität: BMW kauft künftig Batteriezellen von Samsung und LG Energy

Munich - German automaker BMW plans to source battery cells from South Korean manufacturers Samsung SDI and LG Energy Solution for its future vehicles in Europe and the United States, the company announced on Monday. Starting at the end of the 2020s, Samsung will supply the cells to BMW's European factories, while LG will provide them to the company's facilities in the United States.

Apart from Samsung and LG, BMW also relies on battery cells from Chinese manufacturer CATL and EVE Energy in Europe. Currently, BMW is ramping up the global production of its sixth-generation high-voltage batteries, which are crucial for the new generation of electric models, such as the electric SUV iX3. The company is also accelerating the phase-out of older battery models, as it announced last week.

In addition to a plant in China, BMW has built factories for its latest batteries in Germany, Hungary, Mexico, and South Carolina. The company aims to shorten the supply routes between its suppliers, which provide these locations with cells, and its car factories. Many European and US automakers are striving to become less dependent on China for key components, as the country dominates global battery production and processing of essential raw materials.

The vulnerability of manufacturers to capacities near their European and North American facilities is a concern. Meanwhile, the European Union is working on new rules to boost local manufacturing. The so-called Industrial Accelerator Act sets thresholds for vehicles that must be mostly manufactured within the EU territory to qualify for a range of subsidies.