Electromobility: BMW will buy battery cells from Samsung and LG Energy in the future

Batteries from Korean suppliers will also be installed in Munich's electric cars in the future. BMW wants to reduce its dependence on China.

Munich. The German car manufacturer BMW wants to purchase battery cells from South Korean battery manufacturers Samsung SDI and LG Energy Solution in Europe and the USA. The company announced this on Monday.

From the end of the 2020s, Samsung will deliver the cells to BMW plants in Europe and LG to the locations in the USA. The company announced this on Monday. In Europe, BMW also sources cells from the Chinese manufacturer CATL and EVE Energy.

BMW is currently ramping up global production of its sixth-generation high-voltage batteries. The components are central to the new generation of electric models, such as the iX3 electric SUV. The group is also accelerating the phase-out of older battery models, as it announced last week.

In addition to a factory in China, the manufacturer has set up assembly plants for its latest batteries in Germany, Hungary, Mexico and South Carolina. The group wants to shorten the distances between its suppliers, who supply these locations with cells, and its car factories.

Many European and US car manufacturers want to become more independent of China for key components. The country dominates global battery production and the processing of important raw materials. This leaves manufacturers vulnerable to capacity near their plants in Europe and North America.

At the same time, the European Union is working on new rules that are intended to strengthen local manufacturing. The so-called Industrial Accelerator Act sets thresholds above which a vehicle must be manufactured primarily in the EU in order to be eligible for a series of subsidies.