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BMW Completes $1.7 Billion South Carolina Buildout to Anchor U.S. EV Production

The investment links an expanded Spartanburg assembly line with a new Woodruff Cell-to-Pack battery plant to increase U.S. battery-electric vehicle output and exports.

Overview

  • The company said it finished the $1.7 billion program on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, completing the Plant Spartanburg expansion and the new Plant Woodruff battery facility.
  • BMW confirmed the all-electric iX5 will be the first fully electric BMW assembled in the U.S. with production slated to start in late 2026.
  • Spartanburg is now configured to build a single model across five drivetrain types on one line — petrol, mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery-electric and future hydrogen fuel-cell — giving the plant flexible output without retooling.
  • Plant Woodruff will supply high-voltage packs using a Cell-to-Pack process that places cells directly into the pack housing to cut assembly steps and feed U.S. BEV production.
  • The move pairs advanced automation — including humanoid robots from Figure AI and BMW’s AIQX quality platform — with a regional economic boost that supports more than 11,000 local plant jobs and contributes to BMW’s broader U.S. operations that sustain over 120,000 jobs and large export volumes.