BMW to build new EV SUV in SC. Here are the details
BMW will assemble the first fully electric BMW built in the United States in South Carolina.
It is the BMW iX5 and will be assembled beginning in late 2026 after a $1.7 billion expansion of Plant Spartanburg and the construction of Plant Woodruff.
The announcement came as the company celebrated the construction milestone at the “Home of X” event at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg.
The company also showed off its fifth-generation BMW X5.
“When we announced our investment plans for South Carolina in 2022, we made a clear commitment to the future of the BMW Group in the United States,” said Milan Nedeljković, chairman of the Board of Management, BMW AG. “Today, we are delivering on that commitment.”
The South Carolina operation is BMW Group’s largest plant worldwide.
“For more than 50 years, BMW has maintained a strong commitment in the United States, growing its presence to nearly 30 locations across 12 states,” the company said in a news release. “Today, BMW Group’s business activities in the U.S. support more than 120,000 jobs nationwide and contribute more than $43.3 billion annually to the U.S. economy.”
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg has assembled more than 7.3 million BMW vehicles since it opened in 1994.
In 2025, 412,799 BMW X models were assembled at Plant Spartanburg, the company said, with almost half exported to 120 countries.
“With two plants, over 400 suppliers, and many longstanding strategic partners across the country, the United States remains central to BMW Group’s global strategy,” the news release said.
Plant Spartanburg will be the first BMW plant to assemble a single vehicle — the X5 — on one assembly line with five drivetrain options — internal combustion, battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric and diesel with fuel cell electric powered by hydrogen to come.
“The all new BMW X5 demonstrates our belief that innovation and customer choice go hand in hand,” said Sebastian Mackensen, president & CEO, BMW of North America.
The company announced it would assemble at least six fully electric BMW models in the United States by 2030.
The high-voltage batteries will come from Plant Woodruff.