The Austrian plant Steyr becomes BMW’s competence center for next-generation drivetrain systems, featuring 800‑volt architecture, silicon‑carbide inverter technology, and a range of up to 800 km.
BMW Group’s Plant Steyr in Austria has begun series production of its sixth-generation BMW eDrive electric motors, marking a key milestone for the forthcoming Neue Klasse vehicle architecture. “Today we are laying the groundwork for the future of the BMW Group,” said Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG Board Member for Production, underscoring the plant’s central role in the company’s global electrification strategy.
For over 40 years, Steyr has been a reference point in BMW’s powertrain engineering, producing combustion engines for BMW and MINI. Between 2022 and 2030, the Group will invest over €1 billion to expand its electric drivetrain development and manufacturing capabilities. The facility will continue to produce diesel and petrol engines alongside the new Gen6 systems, with around 1,000 employees already dedicated to electric motor assembly. By 2030, half the plant’s workforce could be working on e-mobility projects.
The Steyr site manufactures the core components of the highly integrated Gen6 drive unit — rotor, stator, two-stage transmission and inverter — while the motor housing is cast at the Landshut light-alloy foundry before being machined in Austria. The inverter, developed for the first time in Steyr in a controlled cleanroom environment, employs silicon carbide semiconductor technology and operates on an 800 V architecture, enabling higher efficiency and lower switching losses. This design, together with a modular production concept, allows multiple Neue Klasse variants to be assembled flexibly, reducing costs and improving scalability.
Compared with the current Gen5 xDrive system, the new motor achieves a 40% reduction in energy losses, 20% lower production costs and 10% less weight, leading to an overall 20% gain in vehicle efficiency. The two-stage gearset benefits from optimized tooth geometry, improved cooling, reduced friction and enhanced acoustic qualities, while the inverter is now integrated directly into the motor housing to save space and complexity.
When combined with BMW’s next-generation high-energy-density battery, the Gen6 drivetrain will offer a WLTP range of up to 800 km in the upcoming BMW iX3, the first Neue Klasse model. With this technological leap and the integration of key manufacturing processes under one roof, Plant Steyr is set to remain BMW’s core competence center for powertrain systems well into the electric era.
