BMW breaks ground on new US battery facility, furthering South Carolina as its new EV hub
BMW Group moves one step closer to enabling US EV production while simultaneously helping promote the state of South Carolina as a new hub for battery and vehicle manufacturing. The Plant Woodruff facility, announced last fall, is officially under construction and will eventually complement new and existing factories operated by BMW and AESC in The Palmetto State.
BMW Group is a well established German automaker known for combining sport and luxury in its vehicles, but it hasn’t been until recently that a new range of all-electric models has emerged. As the lineup of BEVs grows through BMW’s vow to eventually go all-electric, we are still seeing these models built overseas and shipped to the US.
As a result, only one electrified BMW qualifies for federal tax credits in the US under revised terms established in the Inflation Reduction Act signed last summer – the 2024 X5 plug-in hybrid. To once again deliver compliant vehicles, BMW Group chair Oliver Zipse announced a new $1.7 billion investment into US operations last October. Those plans include $1 billion allocated to converting the automaker’s existing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to enable BEV production.
Additionally, BMW Group committed another $700 million toward erecting a new high-voltage EV battery facility in Woodruff, South Carolina, where the automaker plans to produce its sixth-generation batteries to EVs in its pipeline at Spartanburg about 20 miles up the road.
Today, BMW shared it has broken ground on its latest facility in South Carolina as its growing US EV hub.
BMW and AESC to provide batteries to South Carolina EVs
According to BMW Group, construction of the new high-voltage battery plant is officially underway, paving the way for over 300 new jobs in South Carolina with room for growth as it currently sits atop 315 acres. When complete, the facility will be over one million square feet in size, complete with its own technology building, fire department, and energy center.
Additionally, Woodruff will be operated without fossil fuels and will, instead, utilize 100% green electricity and will be constructed to be “solar ready.”
The 300 new EV associates will be trained nearby at BMW’s Technical Training Center (TTC), which opened at the Spartanburg facility this past October. The automaker states the TTC will soon become its epicenter for the EV training of all employees in both North and South America. BMW’s member of the board of management, responsible for human resources and real estate, Ilka Horstmeier, spoke:
We’re making the BMW Group electric. Our new battery assembly plant in Woodruff will soon play an important role in our electric future here in the USA. Through the Woodruff plant, we expand our footprint in the state of South Carolina. At the same time, we are taking our associates with us in this transformation. Our new Technical Training Center at the Spartanburg plant will prepare our 11,000 associates for the future. In this way, we are taking responsibility as a reliable employer and offer future-proof jobs at the same time.
The Woodruff facility will fit into a “local for local” business strategy BMW is implementing in the US, which includes newly developed round lithium-ion battery cells that will be produced by partner AESC. The battery manufacturer broke ground of its own at a new site in Florence, South Carolina, on June 7.
When both battery facilities are complete, AESC will ship cells produced in Florence to Woodruff, South Carolina, where BMW will use them to manufacture its sixth-generation modules that will be used to power future all-electric X models built in Spartanburg.
Currently, BMW only builds three EVs in Spartanburg, all of which are plug-ins: the X3 xDrive30e, X5 xDrive50e, and the XM. However, BMW states at least six fully-electric models will be produced in Spartanburg, South Carolina, by 2030. BMW’s president and CEO of manufacturing, Dr. Robert Engelhorn, also spoke:
Today’s groundbreaking is the start of a new era at Plant Spartanburg as we prepare to produce fully electric BMW X models for the world. The road to the future begins here in Woodruff as we build on our legacy of producing high-quality vehicles right here in the U.S. Plant Woodruff will be state-of-the-art in terms of sustainability, flexibility, and digitalization.
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Rivian (RIVN) plans to launch a new Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) this year to enable hands-free driving. The new feature is expected to be similar to Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (FSD). In 2026, Rivian will up the ante with an “eyes-free” system.
Rivian plans hands-free driving in 2025, eyes-free in 2026
At the new Rivian Space opening in San Francisco on Thursday, CEO RJ Scaringe revealed a few exciting developments to look forward to.
According to the folks at RivianForums, Scaringe said during the event that the company plans to launch a hands-free ADAS feature in 2025. Next year, Rivian will follow it up with an “eyes-free” system.
The big question is, will current Rivian R1S and R1T owners gain access? It could depend on whether you drive a Gen 1 or Gen 2 model. All Rivian models built through 2024 are considered Gen 1, while models 2025 and newer are Gen 2.
Rivian introduced the second-generation R1S and R1T last summer. They were “completely reengineered” with hundreds of hardware improvements, fully redesigned software, and more.
The upgrades include its new in-house autonomy system, Rivian Autonomy Platform. It’s powered by 11 cameras, five radars, and predictive AI.
Rivian said the new platform is “10 times more powerful” than the old system. It also features 360-degree visibility with 8X the number of camera pixels than the previous models. Gen 2 models already include features like Blind Spot Monitoring and Highway Assist.
With the premium version, drivers gain access to Lane Change, while Rivian said Enhanced Highway Assist and other features were coming soon.
Although all Rivian R1S and R1T EVs include OTA updates, some features may require additional hardware or software not included on Gen 1 models.
Rivian hands-free and attention-free autonomous highway driving will be available on the upcoming R2 model. The smaller electric SUV is due out in the first half of 2026, starting at around $45,000.
Electrek’s Take
As a Tesla Model 3 driver, I can tell you that Full-Self Driving (FSD) is fun and can be helpful at times. I’ve used it on longer trips, like through the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it makes driving or sitting in the car a little more enjoyable.
Although the system still requires you to pay attention, it enables the vehicle to drive itself almost anywhere with “minimal driver intervention.”
The new Actually Smart Summon feature is one of my favorites. Through the Tesla app, you can summon your vehicle to come to you in a parking lot. The vehicle will then move around other cars, people, and objects to find you.
Other functions, like Navigate on Autopilot, will take over while the vehicle is on the highway, changing lanes (with turn signals) and braking or accelerating as needed.
For Rivian owners, it would be like an upgraded system from Highway and Lane Change Assist. The “eyes-free” system coming next year will likely have a few regulatory hurdles to pass before it rolls out, so it should be interesting to see what that will consist of. Check back for more info soon. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
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The United Arab Emirates is building the world’s largest solar and battery storage project that will dispatch clean energy 24/7.
Emirati Renewable energy company Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company) and Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) are developing the trailblazing solar and battery storage project. Once it’s online, will become the largest combined solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) in the world.
Located in Abu Dhabi, the project will feature a 5.2 GW solar PV plant coupled with a 19 gigawatt-hour (GWh) BESS.
His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, minister of industry and advanced technology and chairman of Masdar, said:
For decades, the biggest barrier facing renewable energy has been intermittency – to be able to source uninterrupted clean power day and night.
In collaboration with EWEC and our partners, we will develop a renewable energy facility capable of providing clean energy round the clock.
For the first time ever, this will transform renewable energy into a world-leading 1 GW of reliable baseload energy every day on an unprecedented scale – a first step that could become a giant leap for the world.
Masdar announced China’s JA Solar and Jinko Solar, two of the world’s largest solar panel suppliers, and Chinese battery and BESS giant CATL as preferred suppliers. JA Solar and Jinko Solar will supply 2.6 GW of solar panels each. India’s Larsen & Toubro and POWERCHINA have been selected as preferred engineering, procurement, and construction contractors.
Masdar says the project will create 10,000 jobs and doesn’t yet indicate a projected completion date.
Read more: China installed a record capacity of solar and wind in 2024 – in numbers
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U.S. President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order on cryptocurrencies in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Jan. 23, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to promote the advancement of cryptocurrencies in the U.S. and to work toward potentially developing a national digital asset stockpile.
Venture capitalist David Sacks, who Trump tapped as his crypto and artificial intelligence czar, joined Trump in the Oval Office for the signing of the order.
“The digital asset industry plays a crucial role in innovation and economic development in the United States, as well as our Nation’s international leadership,” the order states.
Trump, who was a crypto critic in his first administration, changed his tune on the campaign trail and attracted hefty contributions from the industry after a tumultuous four years under then-President Joe Biden. Crypto investors, companies and executives accounted for almost half of corporate donations in the 2024 election cycle, with some contributing tens of millions of dollars to help Trump win a second term in office.
Most of the order focuses on establishing technology and rules around crypto and its development in the U.S. One of the critical pieces is the creation of a working group to consider a national digital asset stockpile, “potentially derived from cryptocurrencies lawfully seized by the Federal Government through its law enforcement effort.”
Historically, the U.S. Marshals Service has auctioned off seized bitcoin, along with other cryptocurrencies such as ether and litecoin. Trump promised on the campaign trail that if he returned to the White House, he would ensure the federal government never sells off its bitcoin holdings, though Thursday’s order does not mention bitcoin.
“If I am elected, it will be the policy of my administration, United States of America, to keep 100% of all the bitcoin the U.S. government currently holds or acquires into the future,” he said in July in a keynote at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
The order goes on to outline other key priorities for the digital asset industry, including protecting individuals and private sector companies that use blockchain networks from “persecution.” The document spells out certain protections for developers and miners, noting that they should be able to freely “develop and deploy software” as well as “participate in mining and validating,” a nod to the technicians securing the bitcoin network.
The president has also pledged to defend the rights of those who choose to self-custody their digital assets. That means they do not rely on a centralized entity such as Coinbase to hold their tokens and instead use personal crypto wallets, which are sometimes outside the reach of the Internal Revenue Service.
The order emphasizes promoting the sovereignty of the U.S. dollar by supporting the growth of legitimate, dollar-backed stablecoins globally.
Since his victory in November, Trump has focused on appointing government leaders who support the cryptocurrency sector.
Paul Atkins has been nominated to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. Atkins, a former SEC commissioner, is known for advocating market-friendly policies and opposing heavy-handed regulation. If confirmed, he will succeed Gary Gensler, whose aggressive enforcement of crypto regulations made him a divisive figure in the industry.
Earlier this week, the SEC announced the formation of a new “crypto task force,” to be led by Commissioner Hester Peirce. Dubbed “Crypto Mom” for her outspoken support of digital currencies, Peirce has long championed a regulatory framework that fosters innovation rather than hindering it.
Scott Bessent, a pro-crypto hedge fund manager, is Trump’s pick to lead the Treasury Department. Bessent attended the Crypto Ball on Friday in Washington, an event that brought together lawmakers, cabinet appointees and industry leaders and underscored the administration’s plan to make the U.S. a global leader in digital asset innovation.
Sacks told the crowd at the packed Mellon Auditorium on Friday night that “the war on crypto is over.”
“This is just the beginning of America reclaiming its position as the world’s innovation leader,” Sacks said.
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