BMW Adds LGES and Samsung SDI as Cell Suppliers for Gen6 Batteries

BMW will buy sixth-generation battery cells (Gen6) from Samsung SDI in Europe and LG Energy Solution (LGES) in the United States, with first deliveries expected at the end of the 2020s. The move gives the Munich-based automaker three cell suppliers in Europe — CATL, EVE Energy and Samsung SDI — and one dedicated supplier, LGES, for the US market, all feeding the electric models of the Neue Klasse platform.

The new partnerships follow BMW's "local for local" principle: sourcing components in the same regions where vehicles are built. The company says the approach shortens transport routes, strengthens regional value creation and improves supply security, while keeping the supplier network globally diversified to avoid dependence on single manufacturers or markets.

"Diversifying procurement is an integral part of the BMW Group's purchasing strategy," said Nicolai Martin, Board Member for Purchasing and Supplier Network. "Through our battery cell partnerships, we are actively strengthening value creation in Europe and the US."

Where will the cells come from?

The suppliers are expected to produce cells as close as possible to BMW's battery and vehicle plants, and the existing footprint already points to likely locations:

• EVE Energy has built a cell factory near BMW's new plant in Debrecen, Hungary.
• CATL is ramping a new factory in Debrecen alongside its existing facility in Arnstadt, Thuringia.
• Samsung SDI has long operated a plant in Göd, Hungary, where reports in 2023 suggested 46120-format cells for BMW would be produced. That now appears confirmed, at least indirectly — BMW's announcement names Samsung SDI as a supplier but specifies neither cell format nor production site.
• LGES already operates several cell factories in the USA.

Five new battery assembly sites

Gen6 battery assembly follows the same regional logic. BMW has established five new production sites near its vehicle plants: Irlbach-Straßkirchen in Lower Bavaria, Debrecen in Hungary, Shenyang in China, Woodruff in the USA and San Luis Potosí in Mexico. The company argues that clustering cell manufacturing, battery assembly and vehicle production further stabilises supply chains.

Which chemistry will each supplier deliver?

The announcement leaves that open. It coincides with a broader diversification of BMW's battery strategy: Neue Klasse vehicles will use not only the initially planned NMC cells but also LFP batteries (lithium iron phosphate, a cheaper chemistry with different range characteristics) in the future. CEO Milan Nedeljković confirmed the split on the Q3 earnings call, ruling out a comprehensive switch to LFP. BMW will decide case by case, depending on vehicle segment and use case; LFP is more cost-effective, but Nedeljković noted it delivers a different range.

The Gen6 design itself is fixed: large-format cylindrical cells, 46 millimetres in diameter, in two heights of 95 and 120 millimetres. BMW promises roughly 20 per cent higher energy density versus the previous prismatic NMC cells. The cells integrate directly into the battery via the cell-to-pack principle (skipping the module level), while the pack-to-open-body principle makes the battery housing part of the vehicle structure.

What does this change for suppliers and planners?

For cell makers outside the new circle, the message is that BMW's Gen6 volumes are now allocated regionally and the door is effectively closing in Europe and the US. For plant and logistics planners at BMW's assembly sites, cell supply will increasingly sit within the same region — or the same town, as in Debrecen — reducing inbound transport complexity from the second half of the decade.

BMW builds its own cell expertise

Beyond external procurement, BMW has been building in-house capabilities: the Battery Cell Competence Center in Munich (researching new cell technologies since 2019), the Cell Manufacturing Competence Center in Parsdorf (near-series production processes since 2022) and the Cell Recycling Competence Center in Salching since 2024, working on a direct recycling process to recover raw materials and reintegrate them into production.

BMW cautions that regional battery ecosystems need time, significant investment and reliable framework conditions. Beyond attractive location conditions, it says implementable political guidelines are crucial to enable the necessary industrialisation.

What to watch next: which cell chemistries LGES and Samsung SDI will actually deliver, confirmation of the 46120 format at Göd, and the first Neue Klasse launches as the end-of-decade delivery window approaches.