BMW adds Samsung SDI and LG Energy Solution as new Gen6 battery cell suppliers, deepening its regional sourcing strategy.
In a move aimed at reinforcing its regional battery ecosystem, the BMW Group announced the inclusion of two South Korean cell makers into its sixth-generation (Gen6) high-voltage battery supply chain. Samsung SDI will serve European production sites, while LG Energy Solution (LGES) will cater to U.S.
factories. Both partners are expected to start deliveries toward the end of the 2020s, using existing plants in their respective regions. The announcement aligns with BMW’s broader ambition to shrink logistics footprints, reduce dependence on any single market, and keep more value creation close to its vehicle assembly lines.
New regional partners for Gen6 batteries
BMW’s existing European cell portfolio already features CATL and EVE Energy. The addition of Samsung SDI expands that trio, giving the automaker three independent sources on the continent. Samsung’s Hungarian facility in Göd, which has been producing cylindrical cells for years, is slated to become the primary source for the new 46-mm format cells BMW requires.
On the transatlantic side, LGES will supply the United States from its established factories in the Midwest and Southeast, providing a domestic alternative to the previously planned AESC deliveries.
European supplier landscape
The European side now benefits from a local-for-local network that includes CATL’s plant in Arnstadt (Thuringia) and its upcoming factory near BMW’s battery hub in Debrecen, Hungary, as well as EVE Energy’s new cell line adjacent to the same Hungarian site. Samsung SDI’s Göd operation completes the triangle, ensuring that BMW can source cells within a few hundred kilometres of its battery-assembly locations in Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Germany) and Debrecen (Hungary). This proximity is designed to cut transportation time, lower carbon emissions, and improve supply-chain resilience.
U.S. supply chain reinforcement
In the United States, LGES will deliver cylindrical cells from its domestic facilities to BMW’s newly built battery-assembly plant in Woodruff, South Carolina. The plant, positioned next to the company’s forthcoming electric-vehicle line, will assemble the cells into packs using the “cell-to-pack” architecture BMW has championed for Gen6. By sourcing cells on-shore, BMW hopes to mitigate potential tariff shocks and align with U.S. policy incentives that favor locally produced components.
How the “local for local” approach reshapes BMW’s supply chain
BMW defines its local-for-local principle as the practice of procuring major components in the same geographic region where the final vehicle is built. The strategy serves three core purposes: shortening freight routes, reinforcing regional value creation, and bolstering supply security. While the group retains a globally diversified supplier base to avoid over-reliance on any single manufacturer, the new contracts with Samsung SDI and LGES shift a substantial portion of the cell supply chain closer to the assembly lines.
Beyond the cell manufacturers, BMW has also invested in battery-pack assembly sites that mirror its vehicle-plant geography. The five Gen6 pack-building facilities – Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Germany), Debrecen (Hungary), Shenyang (China), Woodruff (USA), and San Luis Potosí (Mexico) – sit within a few hundred kilometres of the respective car factories. This tight clustering enables rapid feedback loops, faster troubleshooting, and the ability to scale production in line with regional market demand.
Technical details of the Gen6 cells and chemistry mix
Gen6 batteries are built around large-format cylindrical cells measuring 46 mm in diameter and available in two lengths: 95 mm and 120 mm. BMW employs a cell-to-pack design, embedding the cells directly into the battery housing without an intermediate module layer. The pack itself becomes part of the vehicle’s structural chassis, a concept BMW calls “pack-to-open-body”. Compared with the previous generation’s prismatic NMC cells, the new format delivers roughly a 20 % boost in energy density, translating into up to 30 % more driving range and quicker charging times.
The automaker has signaled that future Neue Klasse models will not rely on a single chemistry. While the first wave will use nickel-rich NMC (or NCA) cells, later variants may incorporate LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) chemistry to lower costs and adapt to specific segment needs. Neither Samsung SDI nor LGES has publicly disclosed which chemistries they will supply, but industry chatter suggests both companies plan to offer nickel-rich formulations with silicon-enhanced anodes for the 46-mm format.
BMW’s own in-house capabilities complement the external partnerships. The Munich Battery Cell Competence Center, the Parsdorf Cell Manufacturing Centre, and the Salching Cell-Recycling Hub together cover research, pilot-line production, and end-of-life material recovery. By coupling external supply with internal know-how, BMW hopes to create a resilient, flexible, and competitive battery-cell supply chain that can adapt to evolving market dynamics and regulatory landscapes.
