Florence County, South Carolina – AESC has announced its second expansion in just four months, as it grows its role as an EV battery provider for BMW. This partnership kicked off in 2022. The new addition will be right next to AESC’s major battery cell production site in Florece County, which started its construction in June 2023. This facility is still under construction, and back in December, AESC revealed they’re pouring another $810 million into it, expected to create 450 more jobs.
This expansion is aimed at fueling BMW’s battery assembly location in Woodruff, South Carolina, helping in the making of electric vehicles at BMW’s Spartanburg. The batteries made in this facility are expected to pack 20% more energy, cut down charging periods, and boost both the distance these vehicles can travel and their efficiency by 30%, a press release from Dec. 12 said.
“South Carolina is a crucial part of our strategy to power next generation electric vehicles for customers across the U.S. by manufacturing high-performance, longer-range EV batteries locally,” AESC CEO Shoichi Matsumoto said in Tuesday’s announcement.
AESC, headquartered in Japan, is broadening its presence in the U.S., not just for BMW, but for other electric vehicle manufacturers too. In September, the company shared that its Bowling Green, Kentucky, battery cell mega factory is expected to begin operations early next year. This 30 gigawatt-hour facility is set to manufacture battery cells and modules to power vehicles for various car manufacturers, as mentioned in their September 2023 announcement.
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Moreover, AESC is forming connections with its own suppliers in North America. In October 2023, the battery cell producer inked a deal with Umicore, a company that makes battery materials.
Starting from 2026, Umicore will provide AESC with key materials for battery cathodes from its factory in Cheonan, South Korea. Additionally, AESC will get more supplies from Umicore’s plant in Ontario, Canada, which is still under construction.
