BMW has added Samsung SDI and LG Energy Solution to its battery-cell supply network for its next generation of electric vehicles. As BMW announced on November 9, Samsung SDI will provide cells made in Europe, while LG will supply U.S.-made cells. For deliveries we should be expecting 2028 or 2029, according to Korean reports, but BMW has only confirmed the late 2020s.
The cells will be used in BMW’s sixth-generation (Gen6) batteries, introduced with the Neue Klasse iX3. In Europe, Samsung joins existing suppliers CATL and EVE Energy. BMW says regional sourcing can reduce transportation distances and disruptions with supply.
BMW Has Not Identified the Supplier Factories
“Diversifying procurement is an integral part of the BMW Group’s purchasing strategy,” said BMW purchasing chief Nicolai Martin in the company’s announcement.
BMW has not identified the factories or disclosed the supply volumes and contract values. The Elec reported that Samsung SDI will make the cells in Göd, Hungary, and LG Energy Solution in Arizona, U.S., with deliveries of these batteries beginning in 2028.
The Elec also reported, without naming a source, that LG’s deal could last up to 10 years and supply approximately 10 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery cells annually. But these figures remain unconfirmed by BMW.
The Herald Business reported that this is LG’s first supply deal for BMW’s fully electric cars after earlier work on mild hybrids.
LG Joins an Existing U.S. Battery Supply Network
BMW’s Gen6 cylindrical cells measure 1.8 inches (46 mm) across and come in heights of 3.7 or 4.7 inches (95 or 120 mm). BMW says these new cells offer more than 20% higher energy density than its previous rectangular cells.
BMW already named AESC as a supplier for U.S.-built electric vehicles in 2022. AESC paused construction of its Florence, South Carolina, cell plant in June 2025, and two months later EVXL reported that BMW was weighing Chinese cells for its U.S.-built EVs. BMW’s Woodruff, South Carolina, plant is scheduled to begin assembling Gen6 battery packs for the iX5 in December 2026, according to electrive, which is well before LG’s expected deliveries.
EVXL previously covered the Gen6 battery production in China and reported on the U.S.-built iX5, which is due to reach American buyers in early 2027. The new deals should not and aren’t reported to disturb this expected timeline.
EVXL’s Take
BMW is adding regional battery suppliers, not replacing a sole supplier in the United States. AESC was already part of its U.S. plan, while LG’s contribution will be more in the future. The practical questions are how much each partner will supply and which BMW models will use their cells. BMW’s announcement answers neither, and it also does not state where the plants will be located.
Sources: BMW, BMW’s AESC agreement, The Elec, electrive, The Herald Business, BMWBlog.
EVXL uses automated tools to support research and source retrieval. All reporting is by Damien Kesteloo, edited by Haye Kesteloo.
