Beijing (ZXZC)- The BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA), the joint venture between BMW Group and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings, officially opened its High-Voltage Battery Centre at the Tiexi location on September 14, the first one in the BMW Group production network to manufacture its much more powerful batteries for the company’s fifth-generation eDrive technology.

With the new center, the German automaker is expected to double its battery production capacity in China. The fifth-generation BMW power batteries will be used first in BMW iX3, which will be produced at BBA Plant Dadong. In the future, the center will be further expanded to supply batteries for other models.

Photo source: BMW Group

Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Production, said: “China is of high importance to the BMW Group, both as a market and as a location for production and innovation. Our investments underline our strong commitment to China and Shenyang over the long term. And the investments are ongoing: The Tiexi and Dadong plant extension projects are well on track. And we are preparing for future growth: With this new Battery Center, we more than double the capacity of our local battery production in China.”

BMW iX3; Photo source: BMW Group

On September 13, the day before the opening, the presale of the BMW iX3 started. With two variants, the model has a price range from RMB470,000 to RMB510,000. Powered by fifth-generation eDrive technology, the model has a driving range of up to 500KM. The EV version of the BMW X3 will be produced in Shenyang and exported to other overseas markets.

BMW Group's Dingolfing plant will also make fifth generation high-voltage batteries in the future and such models as the BMW iNEXT and the BMW i4 will be powered by those batteries. According to the group’s plan, it will offer 25 electrified models in the world by 2023.