You might think that every BMW is made in Germany, but in fact, like all Auto companies BMW has factories in various locations around the world – 30 years ago the company opened it’s US Manufacturing plant in Spartanburg South Carolina, today it’s where BMW X series SUVs are made for the world.
On January 4, 1994 BMW employed their first staff in Spartanburg and it was on September 8 that same year the first car built there – a BMW 318i – rolled off the production line.
Originally 27 acres of Factory floor the plant has grown to over 183 acres today including the 7th and most recent expansion in the last 18 months.
The site features two production lines, operating on two shifts across six days of the week. One line builds the X5, X6, X7 and XM models, while the other produces the X3 and X4.
I was able to tour the X3/4 production line which is currently in the middle of a rapid expansion. Using the philosophy of performing while transforming – BMW is still building hundreds of cars a day on this line, while growing the physical footprint within new built areas.
They do this by diverting the production line into these new areas as “fingers” off the main line.
Imagine a car production line as a rolling conveyer belt that runs in a circle. Now expand it out as a long oval with long long straights. That’s the core production line. When a new building is constructed adjacent to that the conveyer is diverted out from the central line essentially making the whole production line longer.
Currently producing around 1500 cars per day, Spartanberg has been producing over 400,000 cars a year and that number is set to grow as this factory expands – ready for new Battery Electric Vehicles to join the line.
It’s fascinating that a single line can produce any model, configuration or specification required by a customer anywhere in the world.
Such a well oiled machine that the parts and components for each car are ready “just in time” for the car to be assembled – so much so that if you had an order in place, you could change any aspect of it from the colour to the trim up to seven days before it is actually on the production line.
In the years to come that model range will include Battery Electric full EV options in Spartanberg, with a new specific factory not required, instead BMW can build cars based on consumer demand – the flexibility allows for efficiency at every level of the process.
25km away in a place called Woodruff there’s a whole new factory being built just for the Battery packs for BMW Electric cars.
Using the latest “Gen 6” “Cells”, these batteries will have more range, efficiency and faster charge times than the current BMW EV batteries.
They will then be delivered to Spartanburg, along with the 700-1000 other deliveries a day, to become the first part of an all-electric BMW assembly.
In a petrol car, the body, interior and electronics are built, while the engine, drivetrain and suspension are assembled separately – they come together on the production line in what’s called the “marriage”. This process will still happen with EV vehicles for the Motor, steering and suspension components, however the battery itself will be the first thing assembled to the body.
This whole plant is under construction, while still in operation. Come Christmas the plant will shut down for five weeks at which time an army of engineers and construction workers will transform the production line ready for more volume – and those Electric Cars.
And that isn’t just as easy as putting a battery instead of a gearbox either. While robots rule here in Spartanburg, including Autonomous tug’s taking trollies of parts to each station, there are real people at every step from putting parts on to screwing them down.
Here at the assembly plant and at the new Battery Factory the company has turned to game designers and used Unreal Engine to build a full virtual training program so staff can understand the new processes and practice.
They’re even using VR Headsets to practice in real space the production and assembly process not yet possible until the factory is built and operating!
This training cuts the time required before the production line can start, and is lower cost that setting up a separate training facility.
BMW is the largest single automotive exporter in the United States and has been for ten years, but that German engineering is present everywhere. Engines are all made in Germany, and the processes, procedures, materials and checks and balances are all like for like with what you’d find at any BMW factory.
Absolutely fascinating stuff! A privilege to see it happen in real time. Who knows, if you are waiting on a BMW X series SUV – I might have seen it on the production line today.
Trevor Long travelled to the USA as a guest of BMW Australia
Trev is a Technology Commentator, Dad, Speaker and Rev Head.
He produces and hosts two popular podcasts, EFTM and Two Blokes Talking Tech. He also appears on over 50 radio stations across Australia weekly, and is the resident Tech Expert on Channel 9’s Today Show each day and appears regularly on A Current Affair.
Father of three, he is often found down in his Man Cave.
