Borgward, once Germany’s third-biggest automaker, plans to open an electric vehicle factory in Germany to build 10,000 cars a year.
Work on the new facility is due to start in 2017, with plans to start vehicle production in 2018. The exact location of the factory has yet to be revealed – Borgward says it is in discussion with potential production partners, property owners and the State of Bremen.
Bremen was the former home of Borgward, and the German automotive company produced around 1.2 million Borgward, Lloyd, and Goliath brand vehicles there from the 1920s until well into Germany’s “economic miracle” era in the early 1960s, when it went bankrupt. But the name was revived last year by a consortium led by the grandson of the original company founder.
Between 50 and 100 jobs will be created in Bremen during the initial phase. Borgward plans to create an SKD manufacturing facility with a production capacity of up to 10,000 vehicles per year. In the first step, the company will build an assembly hall with around 10,000 square meters of floor space. Next to it will be a similarly large outdoor area.
Borgward said it was not just the “emotional argument” that has attracted it to its former home. It cited Bremen’s good logistics’ connection to the Bremerhaven port, the ready availability of skilled workers, and the region’s strong supplier industry as reasons for the decision.
The automaker said Continental, Kuka, Schaeffler, SKF, BorgWarner, Webasto, and Robert Bosch are all suppliers that will “play a major role” in the future assembly of its EVs in Germany. Batteries will be supplied by LG Electronics, it said.
In accordance with Borgward’s announcement that it will begin sales in Europe with electric SUVs, the first model to be produced in Bremen will be a Borgward BX7 with an all-electric drive system. The company also plans to manufacture electric and plug-in- hybrid versions of the BX5 series and other models.
Currently, the brand is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, but operates a plant Miyun near Beijing, China. The BX7 was launched for the Chinese market in June and has received 15,000 orders to date.
