BMW Completes $1.7 Billion South Carolina Expansion: CEO Sebastian Mackensen Says BMW Is in America “for the Long Game” as Plant Spartanburg Prepares to Assemble the iX5 and Five More EV Models by 2030
According to Fox Business, BMW North America CEO Sebastian Mackensen declared the company is in the United States “for the long game” as the automaker completed its $1.7 billion South Carolina investment; a two-part expansion that includes a $1 billion upgrade of Plant Spartanburg and a $700 million battery assembly facility in nearby Woodruff, first announced in 2022.
To mark the milestone, BMW unveiled the all-new X5 at Plant Spartanburg on June 28, alongside confirmation that the iX5; the first battery-electric BMW X5, will become the first fully electric BMW assembled in the United States when production begins at the end of 2026.
At least five additional fully electric BMW models are expected to roll off South Carolina lines by 2030. BMW said it has been the largest automotive exporter from the US by value for more than a decade, exporting nearly 3 million vehicles worth more than $113 billion from 2014 through 2025.
The US is BMW’s second-largest market by volume, and Mackensen said the Spartanburg expansion has had a “changing impact on the whole community” across Greenville, Spartanburg and the wider state.
As some automakers retreat from EV commitments, BMW’s position stands in sharp contrast. “We are convinced that the EV is a relevant and here-to-stay drivetrain option,” said Mackensen. The announcement matters precisely because it is done; not because it was promised.
Check out our previous coverage of electric vehicles and US automotive manufacturing on The Trusted Times.
