From 2025 onwards, the next generation of electric powertrains (e-drives) will be created in Steyr - with production and development on site - as the BMW Group's plant in the Austrian city transitions to an electric future. The BMW Group will invest around one billion euros in developing skills in this area between now and 2030. The significant increase in capacity, announced by the company at an event held on 20 June, will ensure that the Steyr plant in Upper Austria will remain the BMW Group's leading powertrain production facility.
Combined expertise in powertrains: The newest generation of systems e – drive comes to Steyr .
"This plant has been developing and manufacturing internal combustion engines for the BMW and MINI brands for more than 40 years. One in two BMW Group vehicles worldwide today already has a 'heart' built in Steyr. From 2025, we will also develop and produce the next generation of electric drive systems here," explains Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG board member responsible for production. "Many years of experience and a wealth of expertise in powertrains make the BMW Group's Steyr plant the ideal facility for the sustainable mobility of the future," he added during the project presentation.
At the project launch event, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer added: "The construction industry contributes significantly to strengthening Austria as a business hub, creating jobs and promoting innovation. It is a catalyst for an effective and sustainable fight against climate change. In all these respects, the BMW Group in Austria is already today a model company. It acts as a powerful driving force for a sustainable future for our country, proving once again that climate protection and economic growth are not contradictory and can go hand in hand."
Production e – drives at Steyr : "The most important milestone since the start of operations".
Alexander Susanek, Managing Director of the BMW Group plant in Steyr, gave an insight into what e-drive production means for the region: 'Without doubt, this step is the most important milestone since the plant opened in 1979. We will manufacture more than 600,000 electric drivetrains per year - while maintaining a high production capacity for diesel and gasoline engines. By 2030, around half of our 4,400 employees will be working in the electrification sector. In the long term, this is also a huge step towards safeguarding jobs here at the BMW Group plant in Steyr."
In the future, Steyr will manufacture all the key components for the innovative, combined and electric drive system: the rotor and stator, the gearbox, the converter and the shell. These components will then be installed on two new assembly lines.
Significant expansion of the production sector: around 60,000 square metres of new buildings and production facilities.
To carry out this work, the existing production facilities will be renovated and new areas will be created: a two-storey production hall will house two assembly lines for electrical powertrains, including the assembly of the transmission. The new building will also be used for the manufacture of power electronics in a controlled environment that will be fully filtered of dust, dirt and microparticles. A second new building will expand the logistics areas. As a result, the total area for production will be expanded by approximately 60,000 square meters. The investment in production will amount to approximately EUR 710 million by 2030.
Turning point for the evolution facility Steyr : "A completely new electric drive system will be developed in the installation of the Steyr for the first time".
As a development site, Steyr revolutionised diesel engines and has been optimising them ever since. Now, this success story will be repeated for e-drives: at Steyr, a new high-performance electric drivetrain is being developed that will create a new category in this field. "We are strengthening the Steyr facility to continue to expand our expertise in electrification technology. For the first time, a completely new drive system will be developed here in Austria," underlined Frank Weber, BMW AG Board Member, Head of Development.
The development facility will invest around €230 million in these new high-performance e-drives between now and 2030. A third of the 700 employees in the development department at Steyr already work in the field of electrification. By 2030, this number will increase to around 90%.
Sustainable drive systems from Austria for the global market.
The transformation of the Steyr plant is taking place according to the principles of BMW iFACTORY - Lean. Green. Digital. And while "lean" and "digital" stand for the use of state-of-the-art production methods for high efficiency, flexibility and quality, the "green" aspect aims to ensure a responsible approach to the environment. In this context, the BMW Group plant in Steyr will meet 100% of its energy requirements from renewable sources by 2025 at the latest - using green energy and heat from local biomass. This ensures that sustainability starts long before the customer use phase. Plant manager Alexander Susanek is enthusiastic: "With e-drives from a clean, carbon-neutral production, we are creating the best possible conditions for carbon-neutral mobility by 2025."
