The car manufacturer BMW has criticized the federal government and the EU in an unusually clear manner. The economy is “increasingly confronted with short-term legal changes and increasing bureaucracy,” said board member Milan Nedeljkovic on Thursday in Parsdorf near Munich. This slows down investments.
When it comes to infrastructure, “we are falling behind in international comparison. Unreliable transport routes, high energy costs, but also a lack of network coverage are unacceptable for a modern industrial location,” said the BMW production boss.
Germany and Europe must ensure that they do not fall behind as an industrial location in competition with other economic areas. However, traditional strengths here have included education and a world-class research network. That is why BMW has now set up its battery cell production competence center in Parsdorf for 170 million euros.
In two years, BMW wants to bring a fundamentally new generation of electric cars onto the market, with 30 percent more range and charging speed. Nedeljkovic started producing the necessary battery cells in the new pilot plant in Parsdorf.
The goal: a fully recyclable battery cell
The small factory is used to test the industrial production of the battery cells developed by BMW itself, which will be used in the “New Class” models from 2025. Head of Development Frank Weber said that “in Parsdorf we will then scale the best product towards a series process”.
The car manufacturer will buy the cells for the batteries later. However, the pilot plant enables BMW to optimize the self-developed battery cell together with subsequent suppliers and to try out mass production. One million cells can be produced here every year. .
Experts from purchasing, research, development and production work together in the factory. The long-term goal is a fully recyclable battery cell, the company said. This is also economically necessary given the expensive raw materials. BMW has already manufactured the first battery cells from 100 percent recycled cathode material.
During cell production, graphite for the anode and nickel oxides for the cathode are first mixed with binding agents and solvents and applied to wafer-thin metal foils, “thinner than the threads of a spider’s web.” The coated aluminum and copper foils are then inserted into the cell housing, which is filled with electrolyte. The tubular battery cells are about ten centimeters high. They are then assembled by BMW into large, heavy, high-voltage storage systems in its own battery factories near the car factories. The first models of the “New Class” are scheduled to roll off the assembly line in Debrecen, Hungary, and at the main plant in Munich.
