German automaker BMW announced it will shut its factory in Munich, Bavaria for six weeks to modernize the facility in preparation for producing a new electric vehicle (EV) model, the BMW i4.
Production of cars at the facility will come to halt from July 23 through September 6. With a claimed output of 1,000 cars per day, this could lead to a loss of 42,000 units in the company’s stockpile. The facility currently employs 7,800 workers.
The move is abrupt but not surprising as EVs continue to gain traction in the automotive sales sector across the EU, attributable to the purchase incentives currently being offered to new buyers. The decision can be explained by the fact that the EU’s June car sales were buoyed by EV and hybrid car sales.