Japanese electric vehicle (EV) battery technology company Envision AESC said it will invest in a new battery cell plant for Germany’s BMW Group.
Envision said its battery cells will result in 20% more energy density, faster charging speeds and an extended range of up to 30% for new electric models built at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, US, by 2030.
Car maker BMW said the high-voltage battery assembly facility would cost $700 million. A further $1 billion will be invested in producing EVs in South Carolina.
The new battery facility builds on an existing battery manufacture plant in Tennessee and another under construction in Kentucky, providing up to 70GWh capacity in the US.
Envision will produce newly developed round lithium-ion battery cells, which were specifically designed for the sixth generation of BMW eDrive technology.
Shoichi Matsumoto, chief executive officer of Envision, said it is committed to sourcing critical cobalt, lithium and nickel from certified mines, with full transparency of extraction.
Envision has invested in 12 manufacturing sites worldwide and aims to reach 300GWh globally by 2026.
BMW previously announced four additional battery cell factories will be built in Europe and China to meet its demand for next-generation battery cells. The cell factories are being built by partners and will each have an annual capacity of up to 20GWh.
