BMW Group is taking a significant step forward at its San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico, preparing for the production of the Neue Klasse by starting the construction of a local high-voltage battery assembly. This initiative is part of a larger expansion plan that includes enhancing the body shop, assembly, and logistics areas, with an investment of 800 million euros aimed at upgrading the Mexican production site.
First Mexico-based Neue Klasse in 2027
The Neue Klasse will begin production in Mexico by 2027. This follows its introduction in Hungary at the new BMW Group Plant Debrecen with the BMW iX3 model in late 2025 and the future i3 sedan in Munich in 2026. Milan Nedeljković, a BMW AG Board of Management member responsible for Production, highlighted the strategic placement of battery assembly close to vehicle manufacturing sites to enhance production resilience and efficiency.
The San Luis Potosí facility will focus on the assembly of BMW’s sixth-generation high-voltage batteries, enhancing the company’s ability to respond to market changes and reducing the carbon footprint of its production process. In addition to the location in San Luis Potosí, assembly sites for sixth-generation high-voltage batteries are also being built in Debrecen (Hungary), Shenyang (China), Woodruff, near Spartanburg (USA) and Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Lower Bavaria).
The plant expansion includes a significant enlargement of the body shop by nearly 20,000 square meters and a similar expansion of the assembly and logistics areas. Efforts to double the photovoltaic output at the San Luis Potosí plant are underway, aiming to generate over 20% of the plant’s electrical needs directly on-site. Additionally, a 3.3 million euro investment has been made to expand the wastewater treatment plant, significantly boosting the reuse of treated wastewater. BMW is also enhancing its employee training programs at the San Luis Potosí plant. These initiatives are designed to equip the workforce with the necessary skills for future challenges, including safety practices around high-voltage systems and robotics in manufacturing.
The BMW Group plant in San Luis Potosí started production in 2019. Around 3,700 employees currently produce the BMW 3 Series Sedan as well as the BMW 2 Series Coupe and the BMW M2 models for the global market.
