Cell Intelligence | BMW Group Report 2023 (original) (raw)

Cell intelligence

One key competence at two knowledge centres: the BMW Group now covers all aspects of battery value creation in Munich and Parsdorf, from the development of the cell to research into the manufacturing process. This concentrated expertise puts the BMW Group on a par with the best battery cell manufacturers in the world.

The future of electromobility depends entirely on having the right technology – the battery cell, for example, which determines how powerful an electric vehicle is, how far it can travel, how efficiently it charges and how environmentally friendly it is. At present, the BMW Group offers 20 all-electric models and aims for electric vehicles to make up at least 50% of Group sales by 2030. To achieve this goal, the Group is investing in its own expertise, with its next major step being taken at the Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre (CMCC) in Parsdorf, near Munich.

„We are creating the future of electromobility in Parsdorf. We are shaping the industrialisation of future generations of high-performance battery cells. The CMCC allows us to map out the cell value creation process in full.“

Markus Fallböhmer Head of Battery Production BMW Group

Markus Fallböhmer

Research into series production in Parsdorf

Since 2023, a group of around 80 employees have been working at the 15,000-square-metre facility on research into the individual steps required to industrialise cell production. The first battery cells are coming off the production line in Parsdorf which will be used in the NEUE KLASSE models from 2025. The BMW Group is gaining valuable knowledge from the test series that can be applied to the subsequent mass production of this new round cell, which will continue to be carried out by partners – in line with the BMW Group’s precise specifications and requirements. This will ensure the Group receives the best batteries for its electric models and makes itself more independent.

The five steps to the battery cell in the CMCC pilot series

Cell production begins by making the electrodes. First, the different active materials are combined with binders and solvents in set quantities, creating the slurry.

The slurry is applied to very thin metal foils and the coating then dries over 25 metres.

Several pairs of rollers compact the coated foils in a process known as calendering. This a highly precise process, as the foil is only a few micrometres thick – thinner than the threads of a spider’s web. The coating is also only micrometres thick.

In the cell assembly stage, the coated foils – known as calendered electrodes – are wrapped around jelly rolls with a separator and inserted into the cell housing. The cells are then filled with electrolyte.

The round cells are charged for the first time and then checked.

A new level of performance in Munich

The BMW Group’s other battery knowledge centre – the Battery Cell Competence Centre (BCCC) – is in northern Munich, only 17 kilometres from Parsdorf. Since 2019, around 200 employees have been working in this 10,000-square-metre facility to analyse the chemical composition of the cell, its shape, its energy and power density, its safety and its lifespan. Working together, they have laid the foundation for the round cell which will take the BMW Group’s e-drive technology to the next level, offering 20% higher volumetric energy density than the fifth generation. The range it offers is therefore up to 30% greater – even higher in some models – and has reduced the charging time by up to a third.

Format

cylindrical
height: 95 and 120 millimetres
diameter: 46 millimetres

Energy density

increased by more than 20%*

* Compared to the fifth generation

Range

increased by up to 30%*

* Compared to the fifth generation

Charging speed

faster charging by up to 30% from 10% to 80%*

* Compared to the fifth generation

Carbon emissions

reduced by up to 60% in cell production*

* Compared to the fifth generation

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However, it is not only the chemistry inside the cell that determines the future performance of the battery. Its shape is significant, too. Unlike its predecessors, the sixth generation cell is not prismatic but cylindrical, making it optimal for use in the NEUE KLASSE. The round cell is significantly smaller, with two possible heights of 95 and 120 millimetres and a diameter of 46 millimetres, making flexible, space-saving installation possible.

All this illustrates how that pays off for the BMW Group to invest so heavily in its own expertise in this key technology.

„Thanks to the combination of these two knowledge centres, we find ourselves on a par with the best battery manufacturers in the world.“

Peter Lamp Principal Expert Battery Cell, Cell Module
BMW Group

Peter Lamp

The big goal: recyclable batteries

Beyond the design and performance of the battery, sustainability is also of key importance for both competence centres. For standard production of battery cells, the cell manufacturers commissioned will use cobalt, lithium and nickel containing secondary material. Together with the commitment by its cell suppliers to use only green power from renewable energies in production, the BMW Group will reduce the carbon footprint from battery cell production by up to 60 percent, compared to the current generation of battery cells. The long-term aim is for battery cells to be completely recyclable. This is not merely for environmental purposes. It also makes economic sense, as raw materials are one of the biggest cost drivers in cell production.

≤60 %

reduction of carbon emission in cell production

Local assembly for local supply

The BMW Group also has a long-term strategy when it comes to logistics and supply security: In order to meet future demand for battery cells, partners are building a total of six new battery cell factories. The factories will be located in Europe, the North American free-trade zone (USMCA) and China, which are the most important markets for the Group.

Germany

Battery cells will be sent from these factories to the BMW Group’s manufacturing sites, where they will first be put together with other components to make battery packs, and then installed in vehicles in specially constructed battery assembly plants. To expand this “local for local” approach, the BMW Group is investing in capacities at existing sites in Debrecen (Hungary), Woodruff, South Carolina (USA), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and Shenyang (China), and is also planning to build a new battery assembly plant in the Bavarian municipalities of Irlbach and Straßkirchen, which will supply the vehicle plants in Dingolfing, Regensburg and Munich.