2019
BMW HVS Battery Plant Inauguration
ข่าวประชาสัมพันธ์ | 2019.09.06

BMW Group Thailand is plugging in for Thailand's electric future with the local assembly of High-Voltage Batteries for BMW Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEVs)

The only high-voltage battery assembly plant for BMW PHEVs in the ASEAN region is located at WHA Chonburi Industrial Estate 2

 

BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand, led by, Mr. Uwe Quaas (far left), Managing Director, together with DRÄXLMAIER Group, led by Mr. Gerhard Irnesberger (far right), Plant Director, at the opening ceremony of the only high-voltage battery assembly plant of BMW Group in the ASEAN region at the DRÄXLMAIER Group plant in WHA Chonburi Industrial Estate 2. The event also joined by Khun Kornphattawee Muangnoy (3rd from left), Deputy Director General, Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of Industry, Dr. Prachin Eamlumnow (2nd from left), President, and Khun Jaturon Komolmitr (4th from left), Director and Chief Operating Officer, Grand Prix International PCL.

 

Chonburi. BMW Group Thailand is marking another historic milestone with the inauguration of a local high-voltage battery production plant in partnership with the DRÄXLMAIER Group, one of the world’s leading automotive suppliers and a partner of BMW Group since 1966. BMW Group Thailand launched the local assembly lines in July 2019 at the DRÄXLMAIER Group plant in WHA Chonburi Industrial Estate 2. The only high-voltage battery assembly plant in the ASEAN region of BMW Group, assembling both battery modules and the battery itself.

 

Mr. Uwe Quaas, Managing Director of BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand said: “One of the pillars of BMW Group’s global strategy is electrification, and BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand is underlining its commitment to this mission by taking another big step forward in our electro-mobility strategy. The start of local battery production enables us to better respond to growing domestic demand for electrified vehicles in Thailand. This new capability also strengthens the performance of Plant Rayong in fulfilling the country’s mission of sustainable mobility.”

 

Mr.Gerhard Irnesberger, Plant Director DRÄXLMAIER Group Thailand, said, "It is a major honor for us to be entrusted with the production of high-voltage batteries for BMW Group Thailand. Our company sees itself as a reliable BMW partner in the regions in which we operate. We have long experience in offering the most innovative solutions for premium vehicles in the fields of electrics,electronics, interior design and battery systems. With 53 years of supplier partnership at the global level, we are very pleased to expand our alliance and partnership with BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand.”

 

To ensure that the production process meets the BMW Group’s exceptional standards of quality, experts from BMW Group Munich were involved in the process at the new DRÄXLMAIER Group facility throughout the process in order to set up a solid foundation for the future.

 

The high-voltage battery is a central element of partially and fully electrified vehicles and a highly sophisticated component that requires specialized skills to produce. Thanks to the advanced training and qualification programs initiated in September 2018, the staff from the DRÄXLMAIER Group who have participated in the battery production training program at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing - the BMW Group Competence Center for e-drive production – and the BMW Group pilot plant for e-drivetrains in Munich, are now ready for the high-tech assembly work to produce the latest generation (Gen4) of the BMW Group high-voltage batteries This involves the use of cutting-edge production technologies onsite including laser welding, plasma activation,robotics, gluing, automated optical and electrical inline quality inspection along with end-of-line testing. The training is also focused on supporting a highly automated process, which is an important part of battery module production, as well as comprehensive quality assurance, product methodology and technology, rework, and analysis. 

 

Equipped with a strong grasp of battery production skills, the staff will work on battery cells provided by supplier in the Asian region along with other imported parts – such as aluminum housing, electronics,and cables – to roll out high-voltage batteries that meet BMW Group’s world-class standard and are in full compliance with Thailand’s local content requirement regulation. Final batteries will then be transported to Plant Rayong for the production of the entire range of BMW 530e Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles, which has been in operation since July 2019.

 

Since 2017, BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand has assembled four PHEVs,namely the BMW 330e, BMW 530e, BMW X5 xDrive40e and BMW 740Le,at Amata City Industrial Estate, Rayong province.

 

Following on from BMW Group Thailand earlier endorsement for incentives by Thailand’s Board of Investment (BoI) for a 700 million baht outlay in BMW plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) production, the company has jointly invested with DRÄXLMAIER Group in this battery assembly plant, worth 500 million baht. This new beacon for e-mobility innovations will further unlock the competence of Thailand’s automotive industry. The incentives from BoI also symbolize the unity between the public and private sectors in this undertaking towards a sustainable future.

 

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BMW Xpo 2019

From left to right - Mr. Uwe Quaas Managing Director, BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand,Khun Jaturon Komolmitr, Director and Chief Operating Officer, Grand Prix International PCL., Dr. Prachin Eamlumnow, President, Grand Prix International PCL,. Khun Kornphattawee Muangnoy,Deputy Director General, Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of Industry and Mr. Gerhard Irnesberger, Plant Director, DRÄXLMAIER Group

From left to right - Mr. Uwe Quaas Managing Director, BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand, Mr. Gerhard Irnesberger, Plant Director, DRÄXLMAIER Group and Khun Kornphattawee Muangnoy, Deputy Director General, Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of Industry
Mr. Uwe Quaas, Managing Director, BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand
Mr. Gerhard Irnesberger, Plant Director, DRÄXLMAIER Group
Khun Kornphattawee Muangnoy, Deputy Director General, Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of Industry
BMW HVS Battery Plant Inauguration
BMW HVS Battery Plant Inauguration
BMW HVS Battery Plant Inauguration
BMW HVS Battery Plant Inauguration
BMW HVS Battery Plant Inauguration
BMW HVS Battery Plant Inauguration
BMW HVS Battery Plant Inauguration
BMW HVS Battery Plant Inauguration

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

 

In 2018, the BMW Group sold over 2,490,000 passenger vehicles and more than 165,000 motorcycles worldwide.The profit before tax in the financial year 2017 was € 10.655 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.678 billion. As of 31 December 2017, the BMW Group had a workforce of 129,932 employees.

 

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

 

BMW Group Thailand

BMW Group Thailand, a subsidiary of BMW AG, Germany,was established on the 3rd October 1998. The three entities of BMW Group Thailand are BMW (Thailand) Co., Ltd. with responsibility for wholesales &marketing of BMW Group products, BMW Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. with responsibility for BMW and BMW Motorrad local production, and BMW Leasing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. with responsibility for financial services offerings to both wholesale and retail customers.

 

In 2018, BMW Group Thailand reached new all-time highs with 12,036 BMW deliveries, representing a 20% increase year-on-year and the highest growth rate across BMW’s global networks for the second consecutive year. The sales of BMW plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) also achieved a record-high growth rate of 122% in Thailand over the past year. While MINI and BMW Motorrad also achieved the new record in sales with 1,051 vehicles MINI deliveries (growing sales by 4% year-on-year) and 2,154 BMW Motorcycles deliveries (growing sales by 8% year-on-year).

 

On the production side, the BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand plant was founded on BMW Group’s strong belief in the growth potential of Asian markets and Thailand in particular with its unique location, strong manufacturing base, and ready supply of skilled automotive labor, being an automotive hub for ASEAN. On-going investment has been put into the expansion of plant Rayong in terms of assembling processes, aiming to meet growing customer demand. In addition, with approximately 4 billion Thai Baht representing the amount of annual purchasing in Thailand, the BMW Global Purchasing office has been established in Thailand. This is to source various components from local suppliers in Thailand and the broader ASEAN region, in order to supply the entire BMW production network of 31 production and assembly facilities, located in 15 countries worldwide.

 

BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand produces the following 13 models: BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, BMW 5 Series, BMW 7 Series, BMW X1, and BMW X3. For BMW Motorrad, the BMW F 750 GS,BMW F 850 GS,BMW F 850 GS Adventure, BMW R 1250 GS, BMW R 1250 GS Adventure, BMW S 1000 R,BMW S 1000 RR and BMW S 1000 XR are also locally assembled at the plant. In addition, BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand now assembles two BMW plug-in hybrid models; BMW 530e and BMW 740Le.

 

 

For further information, please contact:

BMW Group Thailand

1-800-269-269

www.bmw.co.th

www.mini.co.th

www.bmw-motorrad.co.th

 

Media Contacts:

Carl Byoir & Associates                                              

Suthatip Boonsaeng (08-7685-1695 or0-2627-3501 ext.102)

Thornthawat Thongnab (08-3225-4567 or 0-2627-3501 ext.206)

Pichanan Toonkamthornchai (08-5157-7557 or 0-2627-3501 ext.101)

Nalinuth Sirisombut (08-6977-7881 or 0-2627-3501 ext.155)

sboonsaeng@carlbyoir.com,tthongnab@carlbyoir.com,
ptoonkamthornchai@carlbyoir.com,nsirisombut@carlbyoir.com

 

The DRÄXLMAIER Group

The DRÄXLMAIER Group supplies premium automobile manufacturers worldwide with complex wiring harness systems, central electrical and electronic components,exclusive interiors, and battery systems for electric mobility. The combination of core competencies in the interior, electrical, electronic and battery systems areas makes DRÄXLMAIER unique in the industry. The company thereby covers the entire process chain, from the initial idea, through the development and production process, and up to precisely in-sequence delivery of the products to the assembly lines of premium automobile manufacturers. The inventor of the customer-specific wiring harness, the DRÄXLMAIER Group develops pioneering wiring harness technology as well as electrical and electronic components, all directly in-house. These include multi-voltage and high-voltage wiring harness systems, battery management systems, and intelligent power distributors. DRÄXLMAIER is working on the future of emission-free mobility with its solution for low-voltage and high-voltage battery systems. As a market leader for interior systems in premium automobiles, the DRÄXLMAIER Group also supplies premium automobile manufacturers with ambient lighting,center consoles, door panels and instrument panels, as well as complete door and cockpit modules.

 

The DRÄXLMAIER Group is an international automotive supplier with more than 60 sites in over 20 countries. Founded in Germany in 1958, the company employs more than 70,000 employees throughout the world. For the DRÄXLMAIER Group as an owner-managed business, responsible and long-range thinking has always been the basis for economic success. It is therefore a core element of its strategy to design its business and production processes, as well as its products, in a more sustainable manner and in that way to increase the competitiveness of the company on a long-term basis.

 

In 2018, the DRÄXLMAIER Group generated sales of 4,6 billion euro. Customers of this member of the Top 100 Automotive Suppliers include Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Porsche and Volkswagen, as well as Californian automotive manufacturers.

 

Media Contact:

Dr.Tobias Nickel | Director of Marketing and Corporate Communication

Doris Zellner | Head of Corporate Communication

DRÄXLMAIER Group  |  Landshuter Strasse 100  | 84137 Vilsbiburg  |  Germany

Telephone:+49 8741 47-4747 | Fax: +49 8741 47-1960

Email: press@draexlmaier.com