BMW Group completes $1.7 billion U.S. investment and premieres all new BMW X5 at ‘Home of X’ event in Spartanburg
August 20, 2026
At the end of June 2026, BMW Group announced that it had completed its $1.7 billion investment in South Carolina, finishing the expansion of BMW Manufacturing’s Plant Spartanburg and construction of the new Plant Woodruff.
The investment lays the groundwork for BMW to assemble fully electric vehicles in South Carolina. The company confirmed the BMW iX5 will become the first fully electric BMW assembled in the United States, with production scheduled to begin at Plant Spartanburg before the end of 2026.
BMW also unveiled the fifth-generation BMW X5 at its “Home of X” event in Spartanburg. The new X5 will be available with five drivetrain technologies: internal combustion, battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, diesel and, eventually, hydrogen fuel cell. Plant Spartanburg will become the first BMW plant capable of assembling a single vehicle with five drivetrain technologies on one production line.
BMW plans to assemble at least six fully electric models in the United States by 2030. Plant Woodruff will support that production by assembling high-voltage batteries for the electric vehicles.
Plant Spartanburg, BMW’s largest manufacturing facility worldwide, has produced more than 7.3 million vehicles since opening in 1994. The plant assembled 412,799 BMW X models in 2025, marking the seventh year production exceeded 400,000 vehicles.
About half of Plant Spartanburg’s production is exported to nearly 120 countries. BMW has exported nearly 3 million vehicles from the United States valued at more than $113 billion.
BMW has nearly 30 locations across 12 states and more than 400 U.S. suppliers. The company said its U.S. operations support more than 120,000 jobs and contribute more than $43.3 billion annually to the U.S. economy.
BMW is also expanding its use of artificial intelligence, automation and digital manufacturing at its Spartanburg and Woodruff plants. Technologies include AI-supported quality control, digital twins, robotics and virtual production planning.
