What do you do when you want to control everything to do with battery quality, except manufacture them? If you are BMW, you will spend $220 million on a state of art battery competence center in Munich. There, 200 smart scientists are beavering away to perfect BMW’s battery manufacturing control system.
Proactive Battery Manufacturing Control in Action
Commercial battery manufacturers may be wondering what the big deal is, when the battery cells probably won’t be unique. BMW lifted the veil at last week’s Los Angeles Auto Show, when it discussed its 2021 fifth generation electric power train.
Its battery manufacturing control designers have specified more densely-packed battery modules for 2021 iX3’s and iNexts. Moreover, their ‘scalable electric toolkits’ will also feature downsized inverters and other power components according to Green Car Reports. Therefore, the BMW battery competence center is at the heart of its desire to stay ahead of the game.
What the 200 Smart Scientists Are Doing for BMW
The 200 scientists at the battery competence center are short-listing potential battery suppliers by energy density, specific energy, and peak deliverable power. They also want the low-down on their charging and temperature performance. BMW battery manufacturing control extends further to their safety, anticipated battery life, and of course cost.
But that’s not where it ends with BMWs sourcing policy. “We actually scrutinize the supply chain back to the mines,” said Jan Freimann, BMW’s manager for connected e-mobility. The member of the company’s team of battery experts adds “The fifth generation, we will go a step further. We will move towards direct procurement of the materials.”
BMW’s procurement policy thus aims to provide a reliable flow of materials, while locking down costs in an ethical supply chain. Furthermore, the company plans to add value through controlling cell design and integration into packs. That means everything short of the actual manufacturing process.
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Preview Image: BMW Battery Competence Center
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