Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen
Visualization of the BMW Group plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen construction project from a bird's eye view.

BMW Group Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen.

Visualization of the BMW Group plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen construction project from a bird's eye view.

BMW Group Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen.

Welcome to BMW Group Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen.

Our heart beats Bavarian: The over 100-year history of Bayerische Motoren Werke and the region is firmly rooted in one another. For example, there is no question that we will assume responsibility for the approximately 30,000 jobs at the BMW Group in Eastern Bavaria in order to secure prosperity and continue to share our success with the region in the future.

Our heart beats strongly for electricity: We are consistently focusing our company on electric mobility and thus making it future-proof. An essential component of electric vehicles is the high-voltage battery, which supplies the electric drive with power. To this end, we are planning to build a new location in Irlbach and Strasskirchen in Lower Bavaria. From here, the BMW plants in Dingolfing, Regensburg and Munich are supplied with high-voltage batteries within short distances. In this way, we secure our current and future jobs and those of our Bavarian partners and suppliers in the long term.

Electric drives are a prerequisite for climate-neutral mobility in the future. That is why the BMW Group is already consistently expanding its range of electric vehicles and offers all-electric cars in virtually all market segments. From 2025, it wants to start a new era of mobility with the next generation, the so-called NEUE KLASSE, and achieve that more than half of global vehicle sales are fully electric before 2030.

The BMW Group is clearly committed to the Paris Climate Agreement. With our all-electric vehicles, we are making a decisive contribution to achieving the ambitious CO₂ reduction goals. By 2050 at the latest, we want to achieve “net zero” in terms of our CO₂ emissions across the entire value chain.

Construction Progress.

E-mobility at the BMW plant in Irlbach-Straßkirchen.

A map for the area from Munich to Regensburg, showing the BMW Group plant Irlbach-Strasskirchen, the surrounding roads and other BMW Group plants.

From Bavaria, for Bavaria: The new location will be the Hub of E-Mobility.

It's clear to us that we stand by Bavaria. In order to be able to supply the BMW Group's Bavarian vehicle plants in MunichRegensburg and Dingolfing with high-voltage batteries for future vehicle generations, the BMW Group needs a new location. In the past two years, we have therefore first examined the options on our own properties and quickly discovered that this space was not sufficient for the requirements. After all, the new location will supply three major plants in Bavaria, which together produce around 3,300 vehicles every working day. Together with representatives of the Bavarian State Ministry, districts and municipalities, we then looked for an industrial plot of around 100 ha that met the necessary criteria:

  • good logistical connection to our plants in Dingolfing, Regensburg and Munich
  • sufficient area of at least 100 ha to set up a location that can supply three large vehicle plants in Bavaria
  • no nature and water protection areas, no deforestation
  • as flat a surface as possible and suitable topography

The new location will make a decisive contribution to the socially and politically required transport transition towards e-mobility. Together with residents of Irlbach and Strasskirchen and in an open dialogue, we are now planning the further implementation of the new location.

This is how the high-voltage battery is created.

The high-voltage battery is the energy source for battery-electric vehicles; it drives the electric motor. The components, including the battery cells, are delivered by suppliers and then assembled into a single unit by specially trained employees in high-precision manufacturing and assembly processes. In principle, no water is required to produce high-voltage batteries.

The battery cell is the heart of a high-voltage battery. It determines the power, energy content, charging capacity and lifetime of the battery and therefore has a significant influence on the performance of an electrified vehicle. The BMW Group purchases battery cells from technologically and economically leading battery cell suppliers.

With the NEUE KLASSE models, the BMW Group is entering a new era in the company's history from 2025 and is using newly developed, round battery cells that are optimally tailored to the new vehicle architecture. With the sixth generation of our lithium-ion cells, we will achieve an enormous technological leap in terms of energy density, charging speed and range. We have agreed with our suppliers to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 60 percent for the production of battery cells. We also pay attention to responsible raw material management throughout the entire supply chain. These are big steps in terms of sustainability and customer benefits.

The high-voltage battery is also the most valuable recyclable component in electric vehicles. Our long-term goal is therefore to use a fully recyclable battery cell.

Production employees at the BMW Group work on the manufacture of a high-voltage battery for plug-in hybrids.

Traffic concept at the Irlbach-Straßkirchen plant.

A truck with an electric drive drives in front of the BMW Group production halls.

A coherent transport concept is our top priority.

A new location brings challenges, but also new opportunities for traffic. Together with representatives of the two municipalities and the authorities responsible for road construction, we will develop measures to keep the impact on Irlbach and Strasskirchen as low as possible. As early as the construction phase, we are planning effective management of truck traffic, which will relieve the burden on municipalities. We are also committed to the construction of a bypass for Strasskirchen and will work with Deutsche Bahn to check the connection of the site to the existing rail network. The use of e-trucks is also included in the overall concept.

We will create incentives for our employees that will also have a positive effect on traffic. At existing locations, this includes, for example, offering factory buses, shuttle buses to the train station, the use of job bikes, free charging of e-bikes or support for carpooling.

Careers at Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen.

We secure and create jobs.

With highly qualified and attractive jobs, the future location offers new prospects for Lower Bavaria. The more than 1,600 attractive high-tech jobs in the future field of e-mobility will be filled to a large extent by existing employees from other locations and in some cases by new employees. The BMW Group is thus securing existing jobs in the region.

With over 1,000 trainees, the BMW Group is Lower Bavaria's largest training company. Since 2015, almost 2,500 trainees have been hired at the Dingolfing plant alone.

We are constantly developing our job offer and thus strengthening the personal development and development opportunities of our employees: through qualification offers, part-time models, university cooperation (“study and work”) and supra-regional recruiting.

More about our vocational training:

A collage of various employees at work in production at the BMW Group.

The latest news from BMW Group Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen.  

All 1066 pillars of the high-voltage battery assembly plant are in place.

Think global – act local for local: Where the BMW Group will make its next generation of high-voltage batteries.

Yes to BMW: Straßkirchen residents cast clear vote for new high-voltage battery assembly site.

For the latest from BMW Group Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen and many other news, check out the BMW Group PressClub.

Local news from the BMW Group plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen.

BMW Group Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen on Social Media.

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Our responsibility.

As a company, we are responsible for much more than just our own business success. We are investing in a successful and sustainable future as well – with innovative processes and production technologies. Find out more from the BMW Group’s SustainabilityEmployeesEnvironment and Society web pages.

Regional companies ensure rapid progress on the construction site.

At the end of June, the time had come: With the installation of the first concrete support, construction of the production building at the BMW Group site in Irlbach-Strasskirchen officially began. In the coming weeks, a good 1,000 pieces of the approximately 12-meter high slab props will be built on a total area of around 14 soccer fields. Together with 2,500 vertically mounted steel trusses, the horizontal supports form the structure of the hall. The production building with its façade and roof should be closed by the end of 2024. Once the shell is complete, it is time to install the production systems for the high-voltage batteries. The new plant in Lower Bavaria will be part of the global production network for high-voltage batteries by the BMW Group. Five of these production sites on three continents will in future become automotive plants with next-generation, sixth-generation high-voltage batteries.

In order to be able to meet the tight schedule for the construction of the new production site in Lower Bavaria, the developer uses prefabricated components. On the one hand, this saves time and builds buildings faster than with conventional construction, where the components are manufactured directly at the construction site. In addition, the use of prefabricated parts requires up to 65 percent less water on the construction site.

Various construction machines in use on the building site.

Q&A about the Irlbach-Straßkirchen location.

Inquiries that have reached us – and our answers.

In addition to meeting formats on site, the BMW Group is also in contact with citizens via the email address info.irlbach-strasskirchen@bmw.de and telephone number +49 151 601 44861. A selection of – of course anonymized – inquiries and our answers to them can be found in this section.

Question: Why is the plant built and needed right here and which components are actually assembled in the new plant in Lower Bavaria? And where do these parts go then?

Our answer: The BMW Group is building an assembly plant for high-voltage batteries in Irlbach-Strasskirchen. One of the most important prerequisites for choosing a location was the good logistical connection to the other Bavarian plants. We examined 20 potential locations just in Bavaria based on numerous mandatory criteria. In doing so, we worked closely with the “Invest in Bavaria” agency of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs as well as with the respective districts and municipalities. It was important to us that the area is located in Bavaria and that we do not have to build or clear forests in any nature or water protection areas. The area is well connected to the transport infrastructure. Our vehicle plants must not be too far away. All of this results in: Only the area between Strasskirchen and Irlbach offers all the necessary conditions.

The resulting plant will be a assembly site exclusively for high-voltage batteries from the sixth generation and will supply the Bavarian automotive plants in Munich, Dingolfing and Regensburg from the end of 2026. It therefore makes a significant contribution to the expansion of electromobility and the transformation of the company. The highly efficient high-voltage batteries completed there make an important contribution to the Neue Klasse. More information about the Neue Klasse can be found here

Question: Which battery cells will then be assemblied here? Where do they come from?

Our answer: The battery cell is responsible for key characteristics of e-vehicles: range, mileage and charging time. With the new BMW round cell, which is specifically designed for the e-architecture of the Neue Klasse models, it is possible to significantly increase the range of up to 30 percent (according to WLTP) in the widest range model.

Based on the prismatic cells of the fifth generation of BMW battery cells, the nickel content in the sixth generation BMW round cells is increased on the cathode side and the cobalt content is reduced at the same time. On the anode side, the silicon content is increased. As a result, the volumetric energy density in the cell increases by more than 20 percent. Energy storage, drive and charging technology of the Neue Klasse will have a voltage increased to 800 volts. Among other things, this optimizes the supply of energy to DC fast charging stations. With an amperage of up to 500 amps, a significantly increased charging capacity can be achieved there, so that the time required for charging is reduced by up to 30 percent from ten to 80 percent.

The BMW Group places particular focus on keeping the CO2 footprint and consumption of resources for manufacturing as low as possible right from the supply chain. For series production of battery cells, the contracted cell manufacturers will use cobalt, lithium and nickel, which consists partly of secondary material. Together with the obligation of its cell suppliers to use only green electricity from renewable energy sources for production, the BMW Group will reduce the CO2 footprint in battery cell production by up to 60 percent compared to the current generation of battery cells.

More Information: www.bmwgroup.com/en/gen6

Question: How is traffic controlled around the construction project and how can trucks be prevented from passing through smaller towns?

Our answer: Until a possible bypass is put into operation, the company will take measures to effectively manage traffic:

  • During the construction phase, we have contractually agreed fixed routes with our freight forwarders and construction companies and compliance with these routes is regularly checked. These agreements will also apply to the operation of the site and the transportation of the batteries to the Bavarian automotive plants until a bypass is completed.

  • The inspection is ensured by people who are stationed at different entrances to the town and track the journeys of the trucks.

  • If partners/suppliers do not follow the specified routes, this will be investigated and, if necessary, the companies will be warned.

  • In this way, around 80 percent of truck traffic can be routed via the B8 to junction 22 Plattling West on the A92, thus relieving the burden on the surrounding villages. For around 20 percent of delivery traffic, the BMW Group has no direct contractual relationships with freight forwarders and is therefore unable to impose mandatory routes. The company will nonetheless work to ensure that these freight forwarders also travel the relief routes. The use of e-trucks is also included in the overall concept.

Question: How can I apply for the new plant Irlbach-Strasskirchen? Where does the apprenticeship take place?

Our answer: We are pleased that we are continuously receiving applications for our future location — not only from BMW employees, but also from many people interested in hiring outside the BMW Group. And also, of course, from young people who are interested in an apprenticeship with the BMW Group.

Applications for permanent positions at the new location are now possible. Vacancies are published on our career portal www.bmwgroup.jobs. Here you can find the job finder specifically for Irlbach-Strasskirchen. Applications are only possible via this portal. Requests sent via our email address will not be accepted or forwarded.

We will also offer training places for young career starters. Recruiting for apprenticeship began this year. 50 training places were created for the first time this year for the new assembly site for high-voltage batteries in Irlbach-Strasskirchen. More information about the start of training at BMW Group locations in 2024 can be found here.

The apprenticeship takes place at the plants in Dingolfing and Regensburg, before later working at the future location in Irlbach-Strasskirchen. Further information on the BMW Group apprenticeship program can be found at www.bmwgroup.jobs/apprenticeship.

Question: Where do the 1,600 employees that will be working here come from? We already have enough jobs in Lower Bavaria!

Our answer: The planned production site is the company's clear commitment to Bavaria as an innovation and production location. 1,600 jobs are to be created at the new location in the future, many of which will be filled by existing employees from other locations, some of which will be filled by new employees.

Around 36,000 people are currently employed in Bavaria alone at the Munich, Dingolfing and Regensburg vehicle plants. 7,500 people who live within a radius of 20 km from Irlbach and Strasskirchen work for the BMW Group. The new location secures the future of Bavarian plants by supplying them with the high-voltage batteries required for electromobility. As a result, important jobs in the region will be retained and new jobs will be added in the pioneering field of e-mobility.

As a result of the BMW Group's decision to locate, important jobs will also be retained and new jobs created outside the company. The company currently has business relationships with around 1,000 suppliers and service providers from Lower Bavaria, including around 120 from the Straubing-Bogen district: from suppliers of series components to craft and construction companies to bus companies and bakeries.

The high level of employment in Lower Bavaria is also linked to the BMW Group. We want to secure these jobs - and make Lower Bavaria as an innovative and production location future-proof.

Question: It is good to see that the BMW Group is finally coming to the Straubing area. I also find it remarkable that you are continuing to invest in Bavaria, where completely different options would be available to you.

[...] In your statement on your homepage, you refer to aligning the building structure in accordance with KfW Standard 40 and the construction of PV systems. [...] In order to be able to operate as energy independently as possible, you would need to have the know-how to be able to store this energy. You have this know-how! There is already a battery storage power plant in Leipzig, which uses battery packs from electric cars. This variant would also add an innovation to Gäuboden and further increase public acceptance. [...]

Our answer: Thank you for your suggestions on energy efficiency. This is one of the many topics that we at the BMW Group are thinking intensively about — including, of course, for the planned location for the assembly of high-voltage batteries in Lower Bavaria.

The battery storage farm at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig was opened back in 2017. Around 700 high-voltage batteries from BMW electric vehicles are being used here for a second time. The plant can temporarily store electricity from various renewable sources on the factory premises. In this way, the storage farm optimizes local energy management. Through additional integration into the public power grid, the BMW Speicherfarm in Leipzig is helping to relieve it and contribute electrical energy.

Here you can find a video about the battery storage farm at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig.

Contact & Directions.

BMW Group Werk Irlbach-Straßkirchen
Bierweg 1
94342 Irlbach

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Address.

BMW Group Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen
Bierweg 1
94342 Irlbach

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