BMW starts Gen6 battery production in Shenyang for China-built Neue Klasse

BMW starts Gen6 battery production in Shenyang for China-built Neue Klasse

15 October 2026: BMW has begun series production of its Gen6 high-voltage batteries in Shenyang, the third plant to build them after Debrecen in Hungary and Irlbach-Strasskirchen in Germany. The packs will power future Neue Klasse models built in China, and the company says the new cylindrical cells hold more than 20% more energy than the previous generation.

Three plants running, two more to come

Shenyang, home of BMW Brilliance, joins the two European sites already producing Gen6 batteries. Battery assembly in Woodruff in the United States and San Luis Potosi in Mexico will start series production "in the coming months", which would give BMW Gen6 capacity on three continents. BMW calls this a local-for-local approach: future technologies are industrialised close to the market and made where the vehicles are built. The company says batteries built near the vehicle plants shorten transport routes, support a stable supply and make the network more resilient. Uniform production, quality and safety standards apply at every site, and each one adds its own regional manufacturing and supplier expertise.

Dr. Raymond Wittmann, the BMW board member responsible for production, said, "We manufacture locally, efficiently and close to our markets." He called the high-voltage battery "a key component of our all-electric vehicles" and the Shenyang start "a key prerequisite for the successful global ramp-up of the Neue Klasse."

What changes inside the pack

The Gen6 generation uses new cylindrical cells. Besides the energy density gain of more than 20%, BMW says charging speed and range improve by up to 30%.

The pack is built cell-to-pack: the module level is dropped and the cells go straight into the housing. BMW says dropping the module level makes better use of installation space and allows flexible integration into different vehicle models. A BMW-developed central unit called the Energy Master sits directly on the battery and combines power-supply and battery-management functions in one component.

Seven steps from cell to finished battery

Assembly in Shenyang runs through seven production steps:

• cell inspection, then clustering with cooling units
• laser cleaning
• precision welding of the clusters and the contact system
• foaming, a specialised process that bonds the parts into one mechanical unit, which BMW says supports safety, stability and longevity
• closing, sealing and riveting of the housing
• fitting of the Energy Master
• an end-of-line test

Quality checks built into the line

Production data is captured and analysed across the whole process. BMW uses digital twins, data analytics and AI-supported inspection methods to detect deviations early and keep every battery traceable, and inline systems monitor the laser-welded joints in real time. Every battery is tested for quality, safety and function before it leaves the plant.

The company behind it

BMW Group sold 2.46 million passenger vehicles in 2025, with revenue of EUR 133.5 billion and profit before tax of EUR 10.2 billion. It employs 154,540 people, runs more than 30 production sites worldwide and sells in more than 140 countries through four brands: BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad.

Sources

• BMW Group PressClub: Series production of Gen6 high-voltage batteries starts in Shenyang (T0461769EN), 15 October 2026