KATHMANDU: BMW has added a third shift at its new iX3 production plant in Debrecen, Hungary, as orders for the electric SUV have crossed 100,000 units in Europe.
The plant has now started 24-hour production to meet demand. BMW says around 50,000 iX3 units have already been produced at the facility, leaving another 50,000 vehicles in the order queue.
According to BMW, the Debrecen plant has achieved the fastest production ramp-up in the company’s history. Production increased from a single shift to a three-shift, round-the-clock operation within eight months.
More than 5,000 employees are currently working at the Hungarian facility. BMW will also add a second electric model to the plant’s production line from this fall.
The iX3 is the first production model based on BMW’s Neue Klasse platform. It features the company’s latest battery technology and can deliver up to 698 km of EPA-estimated range, while supporting 10-80% fast charging in around 21 minutes.
BMW also plans to start producing the iX3 for the US market at its San Luis Potosi plant in Mexico from next year.
