SOUTH CAROLINA — BMW Group completed the expansion of Plant Spartanburg and the construction of Plant Woodruff in South Carolina. The company finalized a $1.7 billion investment to begin U.S. production of fully electric models, including the BMW iX5, by the end of 2026.

The electric BMW iX5 will be the first fully electric BMW model built in the U.S., with production scheduled to start at Plant Spartanburg before the end of 2026. High-voltage batteries for U.S. production will be manufactured locally at Plant Woodruff. BMW Group intends to build at least six fully electric models in the U.S. by 2030.

Plant Spartanburg has operated as BMW's global hub for X model expertise for more than 30 years and has assembled the X5 for over 25 years. The redesigned BMW X5 will feature five drivetrain options: petrol, battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, diesel, and hydrogen fuel cell power. Plant Spartanburg will be the first site in BMW's production network capable of building one model across five drivetrain types on a single line. The plant employs more than 11,000 people.

"When we announced our investment plans for South Carolina in 2022, we made a clear commitment to the future of the BMW Group in the United States," said Milan Nedeljković, BMW board chairman. "Today, we are delivering on that commitment." He added, "The completion of our investments in Plant Spartanburg and Plant Woodruff demonstrates our confidence in the United States and reinforces South Carolina's role at the center of BMW Group's global operations."

Battery production at Plant Woodruff utilizes a "Cell-to-Pack" method, where cells go directly into the housing without separate coating or module stages. Plant Spartanburg also deployed humanoid robots from Figure AI under BMW's Physical AI Initiative to assist employees with physically demanding and repetitive tasks.

Since 1994, South Carolina has produced over 7.3 million BMW vehicles. In 2025, Plant Spartanburg built 412,799 X models, marking the seventh consecutive year that its output exceeded 400,000 vehicles. Approximately half of the current production at Plant Spartanburg is shipped to nearly 120 countries, and total exports from the U.S. site have reached close to three million vehicles valued at over $113 billion. BMW's U.S. footprint includes close to 30 sites across 12 states, supporting more than 120,000 jobs and contributing over $43.3 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Global X5 sales have surpassed three million since 1999, with one-third of these sales occurring in the U.S.