While BMW is one of the few automakers that has been adamant the death of the internal combustion engine shouldn’t be rushed, it’s fully aware the industry will inevitably go purely electric. As early as 2026, the German luxury brand projects a third of its new car sales will be represented by EVs, rising to 50% by by the end of the decade. Numerous investments to support the impending arrival of new electric models have been made, and today, another one is being announced.
Known as the “Supply Centre North,” this new logistics center will be erected at Plant Leipzig. In the first phase of the construction, a warehouse, a two-story building, and a tunnel will be completed by the middle of next year over an area occupying 38,000 square meters. Further down the line, a second construction stage is planned, which will increase the total investment to €100 million and create as many as 500 new jobs.
To make it happen, the BMW Group has signed a leasehold contract for a plot with 12 hectares, eight of which will be used in the first phase of the construction. The new buildings won’t rely on fossil fuels for power as roof-mounted photovoltaic systems will supply the necessary energy. There are also plans to install a heat pump, a green roof, and trees along the façade to lower the indoor temperature. In addition, over 5,700 new shrubs and trees will be landscaped at the site.
As to why Leipzig was chosen for the new battery logistics center, it produces e-components and batteries for the iX1, iX, and the newly launched i5. In addition, assembly of the next-generation MINI Countryman will be relocated at this factory where a fully electric variant is going to be produced.
The i3 was the first EV to be built there, from 2013 until a little over a year ago when it was discontinued. Approximately 250,000 were made in the car’s nine-year run, including some that had a range-extending gasoline engine.
Source: BMW
