First look at production: BMW Group’s Woodruff plant starts assembling high-voltage batteries for the new BMW iX5

BMW Group has opened the doors to its new Plant Woodruff in South Carolina, offering the first glimpse of its advanced facility dedicated to assembling high-voltage batteries for the upcoming fully-electric BMW iX5. Scheduled to begin series production in December 2026, the plant will manufacture the Gen6 high-voltage battery using cutting-edge, AI-driven processes designed to meet zero-defect standards. The facility integrates cylindrical round cells directly into the battery pack under the cell-to-pack principle, with every production step monitored in real time and documented inline.

AI assistants and agents analyze the data, supported by over 300 employees and 250 robots, to ensure flawless battery assembly. BMW Group’s Gen6 battery cells incorporate a high share of secondary materials in cobalt, lithium, and nickel, alongside renewable energy sources for anode, cathode, and cell production. Compared to the Gen5 cells used in the BMW iX, these new cells reduce CO₂e emissions by approximately 28 percent per watt-hour.

The Woodruff plant operates without fossil fuels during normal operations, and its industrial trucks run on hydrogen. To prepare the workforce, Plant Woodruff has implemented a VR training program where employees practice manufacturing operations in a hyper-realistic virtual factory environment using VR goggles and PCs. The plant’s construction began in September 2023, with equipment installation starting in September 2024.

Pre-series battery production has already begun in summer 2025, and the site is part of BMW’s global “local for local” strategy, with high-voltage battery assembly plants also being established in Irlbach-Straßkirchen. Plant Woodruff strengthens BMW’s electromobility footprint in the U.S. and supports the integration of battery and vehicle production, laying the groundwork for next-generation fully-electric BMW X models assembled at Plant Spartanburg.