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Pyronic_Chaos t1_isyna31 wrote

Hopefully this turns out better than Foxconns $10Bn Wisconsin plant. I think it's like $700m now.

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seicar t1_isyr0qa wrote

Hopefully it will be cleaner than the Excide plant that used to be just down the road in Greer.

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skellener t1_isyr8bx wrote

I hope they will build batteries for the Mini Cooper there.

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riley212 t1_isyvjk8 wrote

Fuck bmw and their ugly ass piece of shit cars. If I want a nice car ill buy audi, if I want a good car ill buy toyota.

−19

Furlion t1_isz2imj wrote

The plant already has a battery assembly hall, this will enable them to manufacture the batteries as well. They are also in the process of building a sheet metal fabrication plant as well. I think they spent close to a billion on it as well. I worked there for the past 8 years. Shit job with even shittier management.

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_-_Naga-_- t1_isz4hfc wrote

EV batteries are a very limited resource, what makes you think its the practical future?

−10

gazorpaglop t1_isz5hhj wrote

My favorite bimmer was built in SC, glad to see them growing

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lukanz t1_isz65wr wrote

Why not in germany ?

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FriendlyDespot t1_iszawaw wrote

Replying to lukanz (#145,989)

Presumably because the United States is BMW's second-biggest market, with 40% more sales than in Germany, and so they won't want to get caught up in another trade conflict. BMW is also the largest vehicle exporter by value in the United States, and paying tariffs to import assembled batteries from elsewhere, and then paying tariffs again when exporting the vehicle doesn't make a lot of sense for them.

And, of course, South Carolina workers are more acquiescent, and the state government much less interested in labour rights than other jurisdictions. BMW also gets obscene tax benefits from the state, because South Carolinians love nothing more than giving corporate handouts.

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guy_incognito784 t1_iszecvg wrote

Replying to FriendlyDespot (#146,279)

Well that and I'm guessing BMW wants buyers to qualify for the federal EV tax credit since cars must use batteries produced in the US in order to qualify for the federal tax credit.

Tons of other auto manufacturers are doing the exact same thing, the change in the tax code is working as intended.

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swiftessence t1_iszeq3q wrote

Replying to lukanz (#145,989)

Build back better has stipulations for products to be made in the United States for tax breaks. South Carolina has poor labor laws, unionization rates, and wages compared to most other areas in the United States. They are also on the Atlantic near ports with easier access to shipments to and from Europe.

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sids99 t1_iszidyj wrote

Where will the lithium ion mines be? Probably a third world country with lax environmental laws.

−7

mackinoncougars t1_iszjoth wrote

Replying to Pyronic_Chaos (#144,638)

FoxConn in WI continues to be a boondoggle. So glad Evers is withholding those most of those subsidies at least, Scott Walker would have continued to feed them even as they fail to deliver on even 10% of their farcical claims. Feel bad for the hundreds of home owners who were forced to leave and have their homes torn down.

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grundlefuck t1_iszn5uq wrote

Meanwhile SC will continue to rail against EV, which is the most ironic shit yet.

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Aprilismissing t1_it013l8 wrote

Replying to Pyronic_Chaos (#144,638)

Bmw already has massive infrastructure there and the area is full of other auto suppliers. It’ll be just fine. I’m just glad that it got the republicans in SC to actually invest in EV charging infrastructure.

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sids99 t1_it0g9vh wrote

Replying to LlamaCamper (#148,801)

Yeah, you extract it using a lot of water. So what? It still isn't great for the environment. Replacing ICEs for EV isn't going to solve our issues. Personal transport is very destructive to our society.

−2

jnobs t1_it0h6fd wrote

It’s almost like the policy of the current administration is working as intended.

1

xampl9 t1_it0h6oq wrote

Replying to cuteman (#148,731)

Whenever a major automaker opens a factory in a new area, their suppliers will also open factories there for things like the seats, wiring, auto glass, brackets, etc. This way they are close enough for their trucks to meet the automakers demands for just-in-time delivery.

If you haven't been to the factory in Greer, they have a museum there that is worth visiting. Not as big as the one in Munich, but still good. It looks like they might still be doing factory tours, too.

https://www.bmwgroup-werke.com/spartanburg/en/plant-tours-zentrum-museum.html

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C-hound t1_it0mbo1 wrote

Replying to Furlion (#145,788)

The people that actually work for beamer have a good gig. The people who work there as "contractors" or whatever not so much. I live in Fountain Inn where there are several plants that supply bmw and they seem pretty hit or miss as far as places to work.

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mrmoe198 t1_it0ml3m wrote

Wonderful. I can’t wait to see how much it will cost me to buy their headlights, brake lights, and fog light subscription package per month

1

C-hound t1_it0o137 wrote

Replying to swiftessence (#146,535)

I'm from SC and I was shocked how much more I made in other parts of the country. The tradeoff is, in general the cost of living is much lower, so people don't think they're being lowballed even though they dodge potholes on the road after dropping their kids off at shitty schools. I have moved back and though I love my home I also loathe it in many ways. I'm angry at my state because I love it.

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SquirrelDynamics t1_it0rcs5 wrote

That'll be great... In 5 years. Too late to the party.

2

Furlion t1_it0rqcx wrote

Replying to C-hound (#149,384)

It is better than other jobs you can get with no degree but still not a great job. They work their employees hard as shit and pretend that their entire lives should revolve around the job.

1

Gsteel11 t1_it2db5y wrote

Replying to C-hound (#149,495)

The red state delimia: low wages and low cost of living in an area that won't ever fully develop, and this will always have mostly subpar jobs and low standards of living.

1

Hungryneck29 t1_it35wp3 wrote

Replying to cuteman (#149,107)

The land the BMW plant is located on was purchased and donated to BMW by the SC Ports Authority. There is also Port infrastructure in the Spartanburg area. The SCPA is a state agency therefore not private. Without the BMW plant, no battery plant.

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juggarjew t1_it37tbh wrote

Replying to Pyronic_Chaos (#144,638)

BMW has had plant Spartanburg here since 1992, there is an inland port in Greer that delivers supplies via rail from Port Charleston, its actually setup really well and BMW is the reason we even have an inland port in Greer. They also export cars from that inland port to the sea port for exportation to the entire world. BMW basically put the SC Upstate on the map as a major manufacturing/transit hub in the South East.

This 1.7 Billion investment is to add on to the existing campus in plant Spartanburg and build a 700 million EV battery plant in Woodruff SC which is about 15 miles south of the main plant.

Overall, it will turn out just fine, BMW has been here for 30 years now. As a local resident im thrilled to see this investment in the area, not many areas in the country are so fortunate to have such a strong local economy.

1

juggarjew t1_it38co5 wrote

Replying to xampl9 (#149,054)

There is also a track and driving experience/driving school that is really cool. You can basically spend an entire day there, for auto enthusiast its like Disney World lol .

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juggarjew t1_it38qso wrote

Replying to grundlefuck (#147,018)

That is fine, so long as the leadership do the right things, like this. Gov McMaster and Lindsey Graham at least know a good thing when they see it, regardless of how their idiot voters feel. Im glad they working with BMW to address their needs, we need as much of this investment as we can get!

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palebluedotcitizen t1_it3ejii wrote

BMW will be bankrupt long before that. It's EV sales won't ramp up fast enough to compensate for its ICE sales dying. It's already in a lot of trouble with sales.

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xampl9 t1_itbregz wrote

Replying to cuteman (#149,107)

> I meant what did Republicans do to invest in EV?

Sued Volkswagen for lying about their diesel emissions and made them use the settlement money to create Electrify America charging stations?

1