BMW in the United States

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BMW Zentrum (visitor center) at the Spartanburg factory, with the "Stars and Stripes" X5 (E53) BMW Zentrum Spartanburg.jpg
BMW Zentrum (visitor center) at the Spartanburg factory, with the "Stars and Stripes" X5 (E53)

BMW cars have been officially sold in the United States since 1956 [2] and manufactured in the United States since 1994. [3] The first BMW dealership in the United States opened in 1975. [4] In 2016, BMW was the twelfth highest selling brand in the United States. [5] The North American headquarters for BMW is located at 300 Chestnut Ridge Road, Woodcliff Lake, Bergen County, New Jersey. [6]

Contents

As of 2019 the BMW Spartanburg manufacturing plant in Greer, South Carolina, had the highest production volume of the BMW plants worldwide, [7] producing approximately 1,500 vehicles per day. [8] The models produced at the Spartanburg plant are the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM SUV models.

In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW's North American companies include sales, marketing, design, and financial services operations in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Latin America. The North American headquarters for its large financial services subsidiary is located in Dublin, Ohio and is responsible for the captive lending for BMW automotive, BMW Motorsport, and Rolls-Royce cars, when buyers lease the vehicles or decide to finance directly with the company. [9]

Spartanburg manufacturing plant

34°53′35″N82°10′44″W / 34.89306°N 82.17889°W / 34.89306; -82.17889

BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC
Company type Division
Industry Automotive
Founded1992;32 years ago (1992),
Greer, South Carolina [10]
Headquarters
Greer, South Carolina
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Robert Engelhorn (president)
Products BMW X3, BMW X4, BMW X5, BMW X6, BMW X7, BMW XM
Number of employees
11,000 [8]
Parent BMW
Website bmwusfactory.com

The BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC, also known as BMW Spartanburg, is the BMW Group's only assembly facility in the United States, and is located in Greer, South Carolina. [11] The plant is currently BMW's major global production site for the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM crossover SUVs, [12] whose biggest market is the U.S., while other BMW models sold in the U.S. market are imported.

History

In 1992, BMW announced that it would build a 1,150-acre (470 ha) manufacturing facility in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States to strengthen its international production system. The plant opened in 1994. [7]

In 2010, BMW announced that it would spend $750 million to expand operations at the Greer plant. This expansion will allow production of 240,000 vehicles a year and will make the plant the largest car factory in the United States by number of employees. [13] BMW's largest single market is the United States, where 339 dealerships sold 346,023 cars in 2015. [14]

The two millionth vehicle built at BMWUSM rolled off the plant in January 2012. It is a vermilion red metallic X3 xDrive35i with Oyster Nevada interior and an M Sport Package, was driven by BMW Associate Terry Gardner, a 16-year BMW veteran, with accompanying associates Renita Williams, Trang Pham and Olga Yurchenko. These associates represent teams from each of the plant's manufacturing technologies: Body, Paint and Assembly. The vehicle was retained on display at the Spartanburg Plant to commemorate the milestone. [15]

The $2.2 billion plant, which employs 23,000 (BMW and contract), is part of the company's global five-plant production network.

In 2014, the automaker announced an additional $1 billion investment in the facility that will make Spartanburg, South Carolina, BMW's largest U.S. factory, with an annual capacity of 480,000 units [16] when including the X7. [17] There were 411,171 vehicles produced in 2016, of which 70% were exported to 140 countries. [7] The plant is the largest BMW plant in the world in terms of vehicle production volume. [18]

Another record was set in 2018, around 70% of production was exported to 125 markets. The biggest export market was China, accounting for one-third of all export. [19] That same year, BMW ceased exporting the X3 to China. [19]

A nearby dry inland port, 200 mi (320 km) from the port of Charleston, handles many of the plant's needs for cargo and finished vehicles. In 2015, BMW Spartanburg sent 250,000 new cars by rail to the Charleston port. [17] Some air freight is also used. [20]

Current products

Previous products

Model range in the U.S.

Models offered

There are several models which have been solely sold in the United States:

Engines offered

Several BMW engines have not been officially sold in the United States, due to emissions regulations. These include:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW</span> German automotive manufacturer

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, commonly abbreviated to BMW, is a German multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, which it produced from 1917 to 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945.creating engines for aircraft that were used in the Second World War. There were 5 billion BMW cars served in World War One. Automobiles are marketed under the brands BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce, and motorcycles are marketed under the brand BMW Motorrad. In 2017, BMW was the world's fourteenth-largest producer of motor vehicles, with 2,269,569 vehicles produced and in 2022 the 7th largest by revenue. In 2023, the company was ranked 46th in the Forbes Global 2000. The company has significant motor-sport history, especially in touring cars, sports cars, and the Isle of Man TT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW Z3</span> Motor vehicle

The BMW Z3 is a range of two-seater sports cars which was produced from 1995 to 2002. The body styles of the range are:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW M52</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The BMW M52 is a straight-6 DOHC petrol engine which was produced from 1994 to 2000. It was released in the E36 320i, to replace the M50. The BMW S52 engine is a high performance variant of the M52 which powered the American and Canadian market E36 M3 from 1996 to 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW 3 Series (E36)</span> Motor vehicle

The third generation of the BMW 3 Series range of compact executive cars is designated under the model code E36, and was produced by the German automaker BMW from 1990 to 2000. The initial models were of the four-door sedan body style, followed by the coupé, convertible, wagon ("Touring"), and eventually hatchback ("Compact").

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW X5 (E53)</span> Motor vehicle

The BMW E53 is the first generation BMW X5 mid-size luxury crossover SUV. The vehicle was the first SUV ever produced by BMW. It was produced between 1999 and 2006 and was replaced by the E70 X5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW Z4 (E85)</span> Motor vehicle

The first generation of the BMW Z4 consists of the BMW E85 and BMW E86 sports cars. The E85/E86 generation was produced from 2002 to 2008. The E85/E86 replaced the Z3 and is the third model in the BMW Z Series. Initial models were in the roadster (E85) body style, with the coupé (E86) body style being added in 2006. In February 2009, the BMW Z4 (E89) began production as the successor to the E85/E86.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magna Steyr</span> Automobile manufacturer

Magna Steyr GmbH & Co KG is an automobile manufacturer based in Graz, Austria, where its primary manufacturing plant is also located. It is a subsidiary of Canadian-based Magna International and was previously part of the Steyr-Daimler-Puch conglomerate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW X5</span> Mid-size luxury crossover SUV

The BMW X5 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by BMW. The X5 made its debut in 1999 as the E53 model. It was BMW's first SUV. At launch, it featured all-wheel drive and was available with either a manual or automatic gearbox. The second generation was launched in 2006, and was known internally as the E70. The E70 featured the torque-split capable xDrive all-wheel drive system mated to an automatic gearbox. In 2009, the X5 M performance variant was released as a 2010 model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW M54</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The BMW M54 is a naturally aspirated straight-6 DOHC petrol engine produced from 2000 to 2006. It was released in the E53 X5 and is the replacement for the M52 engine. The S54 is the equivalent high performance engine, used in the E46 M3, the Z3 M Coupé/Roadster and the E85/E86 Z4 M. The BMW M56 SULEV engine is based on the M54.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW M</span> High-performance car manufacturer owned by BMW

BMW M GmbH, formerly known as BMW Motorsport GmbH, is a subsidiary of BMW AG that manufactures performance cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW X3</span> Compact luxury crossover SUV

The BMW X3 is an SUV manufactured by BMW since 2003, based on the BMW 5 Series platform. Now in its third generation, BMW markets the car as a Sports Activity Vehicle, the company's proprietary descriptor for its X-line luxury vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW M Coupé and Roadster</span> High performance variants of the BMW Z3 and Z4 coupé and roadster

The BMW M Coupé and BMW M Roadster are high performance models of the BMW Z3 and Z4 coupés/roadsters produced by BMW M. The first generation was based on the Z3 and was produced between 1998 and 2002. The second generation was based on the Z4 and was produced between 2006 and 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of BMW</span>

The official founding date of the German motor vehicle manufacturer BMW is 7 March 1916, when an aircraft producer called Bayerische Flugzeugwerke was established. This company was renamed to Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) in 1922. However, the BMW name dates back to 1917, when Rapp Motorenwerke changed its name to Bayerische Motoren Werke. BMW's first product was a straight-six aircraft engine called the BMW IIIa. Following the end of World War I, BMW remained in business by producing motorcycle engines, farm equipment, household items and railway brakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW Z</span> Series of sports car models produced by BMW

The BMW Z models are a line of roadsters manufactured by German automaker BMW. The Z stands for zukunft, and has been produced in four different series with six generations consisting of roadster, coupé, sports car, and concept variants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW X4</span> Compact luxury coupé SUV manufactured by BMW

The BMW X4 is a compact luxury crossover SUV manufactured by BMW since 2014. It is marketed as a sports activity coupé (SAC), the second model from BMW marketed as such after the X6, and features styling elements and the roofline of a traditional two-door coupé. The X4 is widely considered as a "coupé" version of the X3, trading its practicality with a sloping rear roof which offers a sportier styling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW i</span> Sub-brand of BMW

The BMW i is a sub-brand of BMW founded in 2011 to design and manufacture plug-in electric vehicles. The company initially released two vehicles: the i3 all-electric car and the i8 plug-in hybrid. The all-electric iX3 SUV was released in late 2020, while iX SUV and the i4 all-electric liftback sedan followed later in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW N20</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The BMW N20 is a 1.6 and 2.0 L turbocharged four-cylinder DOHC petrol engine with variable valve lift and variable valve timing which replaced the N53 and was produced from 2011 to 2017 by BMW. Although the N20 is a four-cylinder engine, it is considered a replacement for the naturally aspirated six-cylinder N52/N53 because it powers equivalent models, producing similar horsepower to the N52/N53 with greater low-rpm torque and better efficiency.

The ZF S6-37 is a 6-speed manual transmission manufactured by ZF Friedrichshafen AG. It is designed for longitudinal engine applications, and is rated to handle up to 370 newton-metres (273 lbf⋅ft) of torque.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW X7</span> Full-size luxury crossover SUV

The BMW X7 is a full-sized luxury sport utility vehicle manufactured by BMW. It is BMW's largest and 2nd most expensive SUV in its line-up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW Manufacturing (Thailand)</span>

BMW Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is an automobile manufacturing company based Rayong, in the Rayong Province of eastern Thailand and a subsidiary of BMW Group Thailand.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.bmwblog.com/2012/07/04/bmw-super-bild-of-the-day-x5-stars-and-stripes/ [ dead link ]
  2. ↑ "Isetta 300 model selection". www.realoem.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "Company - History". www.bmwgroup.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  4. ↑ "This is how BMW became the top selling luxury car company in the U.S." www.fortune.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "Sales by Manufacturer". www.edmunds.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  6. ↑ "Company Information | BMW USA" . Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 "BMW Plant Spartanburg leads U.S. auto exports". Roundel . BMW Car Club of America. April 2015. p. 30. ISSN   0889-3225.
  8. 1 2 "Production". BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
  9. ↑ "BMW Financial Services NA LLC - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg News .
  10. ↑ "Company Overview of BMW Manufacturing Co". www.bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Directions to BMW Plant". BMW Manufacturing. Archived from the original on 22 March 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  12. ↑ Harper, Ken (July 27, 2019). "BMW Group Plant Spartanburg More Than Doubles Capacity For Battery Assembly". AutoLoud. Archived from the original on 2021-07-27.
  13. ↑ Bennett, Jeff (14 October 2010). "BMW to Expand Plant in South Carolina". The Wall Street Journal . p. B5.
  14. ↑ "BMW Group U.S. Reports December and 2015 Sales, 5 January 2016". Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  15. ↑ Zach Bowman (12 January 2012). "BMW pouring $990M into Spartanburg plant to build more CUVs". Autoblog. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  16. ↑ Kurylko, Diana T. (28 March 2014). "BMW's Spartanburg plant will be company's biggest". Automotive News. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  17. 1 2 Greg Thompson (30 September 2016). "BMW and Spartanburg: A port far from any storms". Automotive Logistics. Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017. That Charleston facility now sees approximately 5,000 finished vehicles per week arriving via Norfolk Southern along a rail line that starts at the end of the BMW assembly line and testing center in Greer. Of the 285,000 finished vehicles exported by the OEM from the plant during 2015, Charleston port was the point of departure for some 250,000 units.
  18. ↑ "Spartanburg's Number Two in BMW plant production". Roundel . BMW Car Club of America. April 2015. p. 31. ISSN   0889-3225.
  19. 1 2 "BMW's U.S. plant sets record for output in 2019". Automotive News Europe. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  20. ↑ "BMW consolidates air freight shipments between US and Germany - Automotive Logistics". AutomotiveLogistics.media. 27 July 2016. Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  21. ↑ "Classic and Vintage BMW". www.classicandvintagebmw.tumblr.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  22. ↑ "BMW Bavaria Defense Mechanism". www.i-vol.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  23. ↑ "This Ten-Year-Old BMW Proves Why You Should Always Pick the Manual". www.roadandtrack.com. 11 August 2016. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  24. ↑ "FAQ E60 + E61 M5". www.bmwmregistry.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  25. ↑ "Engines". www.metricmechanic.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  26. ↑ "BMW N52 and N53 24 Valve Six Cylinder Engines". www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  27. ↑ "BMW's N52 versus N53 – what are we missing?". www.paultan.org. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  28. ↑ "FAQ E36 M3 3.0". www.bmwmregistry.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  29. ↑ "BMW S52 Engine". www.mywikimotors.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
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