BMW plans to spend $1 billion to build a plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, with capacity of about 150,000 units per year, the company said Thursday.
Start of production is planned for 2019, with a work force of about 1,500 employees, said Harald Krueger, BMW board member for production, in a statement. BMW did not disclose what models it will build at the plant.
BMW won the June U.S. luxury sales race and widened its lead over the Mercedes-Benz brand and Lexus during the first six months.
Last month, BMW sold 30,201 vehicles, a 12 percent increase, helped by the 5-series sedan, which surged 77 percent to 7,940 deliveries. Mercedes sales rose 9 percent to 26,506, helped by a 25 percent gain to 6,500 for the E-class sedan.
BMW is still deliberating on where to locate a second factory in North America but will reach a decision before the summer break, CEO Norbert Reithofer said today.
Germany’s BMW Group is analyzing a limited number of its cars in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, it said on Monday, as part of a broader investigation into the safety of air bags supplied by Japan’s Takata Corp.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG said it will extend its partnership with its Chinese partner until 2028 as it seeks to challenge Volkswagen AG’s Audi in the world’s biggest auto market.
