The BMW Group has started series production of its sixth generation, or Gen6, high-voltage batteries in Shenyang, China. The company announced the milestone on October 15, 2026. The packs made there will power the Neue Klasse electric models that BMW builds in China.

Shenyang is the third site in BMW’s global Gen6 battery network. It follows Debrecen in Hungary and Irlbach-Straßkirchen in Germany.

What is new about Gen6

Gen6 is the battery behind the Neue Klasse, BMW’s new family of electric vehicles. According to BMW, the newly developed cylindrical cells offer more than 20 percent higher energy density than the previous cell generation, while charging speed and range rise by up to 30 percent.

Two design choices make that possible, BMW says:

  • Cell to pack: the cylindrical cells go straight into the battery housing, without the usual module layer, which frees up space and lets the pack fit different vehicle models.
  • Energy Master: a BMW developed control unit mounted directly on the battery that combines key power supply and battery management functions.

How the packs are made

BMW describes a production line where cells are inspected, joined with cooling units into clusters, laser cleaned and precision welded to a cell contact system. A foaming process bonds the parts into one unit before the housing is sealed and riveted. The Energy Master goes in last, and every pack then gets a full end of line test. BMW says inline systems watch laser welds in real time and that production data is tracked through the whole process.

The bigger picture in China

CnEVPost reported that the Shenyang battery project represents an investment of 10 billion yuan and a planned floor area of 240,000 square meters, with construction that began in May 2023. The outlet said the batteries will first go into the Neue Klasse iX3 and i3 built for China, and that deliveries of the long wheelbase iX3 there are scheduled to begin in November.

The same report described a road test in which a long wheelbase i3 50L covered 1,213 km on one charge with a 113.4-kWh battery. BMW stressed that this was not a certified range figure.

What it means for Canadian drivers

The Shenyang batteries are for cars built and sold in China, so they will not end up in Neue Klasse models sold in Canada. What matters for North America is the next step: BMW says battery assembly sites in Woodruff, USA, and San Luis Potosí, Mexico, will begin series production in the coming months.

BMW’s approach is to build batteries close to the vehicle plants they supply, under the same global quality and safety standards. For Canadian shoppers watching the Neue Klasse, the Shenyang start shows the Gen6 rollout is moving across BMW’s network on schedule. Canadian range ratings and pricing for upcoming models are separate announcements, so treat the energy density and charging gains as BMW’s own figures until Canadian specifications are published.