BMW prepares the batteries of the future: new test centre kicks off

Construction begins on the German hub for electric car batteries.

Photo by: BMW

By: Riccardo Ciriaco

Nov 20, 2024 at 5:25am ET

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The BMW batteries of the future have a new home. It is located in Germany, in Wackersdorf, and is the company's new testing centre that will be ready by the end of 2025. Costing around £83 million, it covers an area of over 8,000 square metres. There, in the early stages of development, the manufacturer will test both individual cells and entire batteries for electric cars, together with other powertrain components.

Premium quality guaranteed

But that's not all, because later BMW will also test production electric vehicles before series production begins in the new centre, in order to "guarantee the required premium quality", as the group emphasises.

BMW's new battery test centre for electric cars seen from above

Charge/discharge, vibration, and shock tests

"So-called 'battery testers'," the company continues, "will be operational around the clock to test the battery cells during the initial development phase. Basically, the electrical performance of individual battery cells is determined during charging and discharging under different conditions. This makes it possible to simulate use cases that will be relevant for customers later on, long before a vehicle under development hits the road.

"Initially," adds BMW project manager Felix Schmidt-Stein, "parallel testing of several hundred battery cells will be possible. Once the launch ramp is complete, the testing capacity will reach several thousand battery cells.

This includes subjecting the batteries to vibration and shock tests. We can also simulate complex driving patterns in endurance tests, including charge and discharge cycles. Tests like these are essential for the approval of electric vehicles.