Two new electric trucks are responsible for supplying components to the BMW plant in Leipzig

In the German city of Leipzig, two fully electric trucks have started operating, transporting components every day between a logistics warehouse and the high-voltage battery production facilities of the BMW plant. With this initiative, the Bavarian manufacturer takes a further step forward in favour of sustainability in its production process.

These two electric trucks, which are already operating daily, come from the Swiss manufacturer DesignWerk and, according to BMW’s estimates, will reduce CO2 emissions by around nine tonnes per year.

The route these trucks travel is very short, about eight kilometres in total for the round trip, which allows them to make this journey up to twelve times a day, supplying the plant with all the components needed to produce high-voltage batteries across three work shifts. The DesignWerk trucks have four electric motors that together deliver a power output of 450 kW. They also carry several battery packs with a combined capacity of 340 kWh. Recharging can be completed up to 80 per cent in just an hour and a half, taking advantage of the drivers’ rest breaks.

The growing sales of its electric models confirm that BMW’s strategy is the right one

BMW began producing battery modules at its Leipzig plant on 17 May 2024, almost a year after announcing it. With this new production line, the Bavarian manufacturer seeks to secure greater independence in battery supply, a crucial component in the transition towards more sustainable mobility.

BMW is not the only German manufacturer using electric trucks in Leipzig to supply its production plant. Porsche also has seven electric trucks performing the same task at its local plant, although its fleet there includes models from various manufacturers, such as Scania and Daimler Truck.

At the Leipzig plant, the Bavarian manufacturer produces high-voltage batteries for the MINI Countryman Electric, as well as battery packs and modules for a wide range of BMW electric models, such as the BMW iX1, BMW iX2, BMW i4, BMW i5 and BMW iX.

In relation to this news, Petra Peterhänsel, current director of the BMW plant in Leipzig, wanted to highlight that the transition towards electric and sustainable mobility affects not only the BMW and MINI vehicles that reach the streets, but also the production methods and supply chains that make it possible.