A sleepy Bavarian village could decide the future of BMW's drive towards electromobility as it goes to the polls on
A sleepy Bavarian village could decide the future of BMW’s drive towards electromobility as it goes to the polls on Sunday over the German automobile giant’s plans to build a huge battery factory.
It also comes at a crucial time for BMW as the car industry transitions from combustion-engine vehicles to electric-powered ones. The factory would be “a huge opportunity for the region to invest in sustainable technologies and jobs for the future”, he said.BMW wants to invest “several hundred million euros” in the plant, which will be “at the heart of the development of electric vehicles in Germany”, according to Alexander Kiy, who is in charge of the project.
Because batteries are large and heavy, it makes sense for them to be produced as close as possible to vehicle assembly lines. But as things stand at the moment, “there is a clear reluctance to create industrial sites in Germany”, said Milan Nedeljkovic, a board member at BMW in charge of production.Germany “needs a commitment to economic growth, especially at a time of transformation” in terms of energy and digital technology, he said.