New Plant Lydia In China To Assemble BMW i3 Electric Sedan

BMW Group has increased its manufacturing presence in the People’s Republic. BMW has opened the new Plant Lydia in China to assemble the BMW i3 Electric Sedan.

The German automotive corporation invested RMB 15 billion ($2.2 billion) in Plant Lydia. And it is the BMW Group’s biggest single investment in China. This particular factory can create cars that are up to 100 percent electric. Thus, if the market demands these EVs, then BMW can supply them.

The new Plant Lydia helps expand BMW’s annual production capacity in the Shenyang region. Now, the company can produce up to 830,000 cars in the region. This includes those assembled at the neighboring factories in Tiexi and Dadong. Aside from the assembly facility itself, it also has a press and body shop. It also comes with its own paint shop.

For those not familiar with China’s i3, it is a zero-emissions sedan that is only available in an RWD layout. It’s all because of the single electric motor installed in the back. This sedan is also the first 3 Series to feature air suspension, though only for the rear axle. 

This EV takes the road 44 millimeters (1.73 inches) low to the ground. It also uses a battery pack with a net capacity of 66.1 kWh that covers 526 kilometers. This is based on the regional CLTC test cycle.

Also, BMW i3 eDrive35L accelerates from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.2 seconds. It carries 400 Nm of torque and 282 horsepower. Worth noting is that practicality has suffered due to the additional components for an EV setup. It caused the trunk’s cargo capacity to drop from 70 to 410 liters.

BMW also produces the RWD-only iX3 in China. However, unlike the i3 sedan, iX3’s electric crossover is available internationally.