German automaker BMW Group has commenced the construction work for its own local manufacturing facility for 'Gen-5' high-voltage batteries in Thailand. The battery assembly, with a footprint of 4,000 square metres, is coming up at the company's already existing car plant located in Rayong town at the east coast of the country.
With the company already readying the Rayong facility to roll out BEVs starting from the second half of 2025, the upcoming battery assembly will complement BMW's electrifications plans for the global markets.
The new assembly line will assemble imported battery cells into modules that will then be integrated into high-voltage batteries. The BMW Group claims to have invested more than € 42 million in the project, a significant share of which – almost € 36 million – will be used to buy state-of-the-art equipment and systems.
"Local production of high-voltage batteries in Rayong is the next logical step in the continued electrification of our production network. Once again, the principle of 'local for local' applies, supporting economic development, employment opportunities and knowledge transfer in Thailand and the ASEAN region," said Milan Nedeljković, Board Member for Production at BMW AG, at the ground-breaking ceremony.
The BMW Group has been producing high-voltage batteries in Thailand for locally made plug-in hybrids since 2019. Plant Rayong manufactures around two dozen BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad models for the Thai as well as various ASEAN markets. In 2023 output totalled more than 12,000 cars and almost 11,000 motorcycles.
Given the robust auto industry and the emerging EV manufacturing ecosystem in Thailand, the company claims to be very much involved in boosting the local industry and the global transition to mobility solutions. This year, the BMW Group is collaborating with UNICEF in Thailand to improve career opportunities for young people through a targeted STEM education programme, training and careers advice.
BMW Group rolls out battery cell samples from its Parsdorf facility -