Battery Joint Ventures, BMW's Bavarian Overhaul and Nissan's US Localization Push Lead Manufacturing Week

A cluster of investment and labour decisions shaped the automotive manufacturing landscape this week, with battery production, model-line renewals and localization targets all competing for attention.

At the top of the list is a planned battery and materials push from PowerCo and Gotion, which have outlined roughly €3.22bn (US$3.68bn) of investment across three joint ventures. The scale of the commitment underlines how aggressively cell and material supply chains are being rebuilt in Europe, as automakers and their partners try to lock in capacity well ahead of future demand.

BMW is meanwhile directing €2bn (US$2.34bn) into three sites in Bavaria to prepare for the next 3 Series. Putting that kind of money into existing German plants signals that the company intends to keep core sedan production anchored at home even as electrification changes what those lines will eventually build.

On the North American side, Nissan has set a target of building 80% of the vehicles it sells in the US within the country by the end of 2030. That is a localization goal with real consequences for supplier networks, logistics and plant utilization, and it places Nissan alongside other OEMs rethinking where vehicles are assembled for the American market.

Labour relations also moved this week. Volkswagen has served notice to end several collective agreements effective 31 December 2026, as it reopens negotiations with IG Metall. The move adds another layer of uncertainty to a European manufacturing sector already juggling cost pressure, shifting demand and the retooling required for electrified production.