BMW Group’s Plant Araquari in Santa Catarina, Brazil, marks a significant milestone, celebrating its 10th anniversary with the production of over 100,000 vehicles. As a vital part of BMW’s global production network, the Araquari plant plays a crucial role in supplying the Brazilian market with premium BMW models, helping secure BMW’s leadership in the luxury car segment for the sixth consecutive year.
Since its inception in 2014, the Araquari plant has been fully integrated into BMW’s global production system. The plant manufactures a range of vehicles, including the BMW 3 Series and BMW X1, the top-selling models in their segments in Brazil. The plant also produces the BMW X3 and BMW X4, with the BMW X5 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) set to begin production in a few weeks, making it the latest BMW site to build electrified vehicles.
Local production is a cornerstone of BMW Group’s strategy, which began in 1957 with the UK production of the BMW Isetta. This approach has expanded to seven locations across Asia, North Africa, and South America, with Araquari serving as a key site in South America. The flexible production capabilities allow the plant to manufacture various models on a single production line, including petrol, hybrid, and flex-fuel models.
“Brazil offers potential for local production of other new models and for development of new technologies,” said Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG Board of Management member responsible for Production. BMW has already invested BRL 1.8 billion in the Araquari site since 2014, with plans for an additional BRL 1.1 billion investment between 2025 and 2028 to expand production and R&D efforts.
The Araquari plant’s success is part of BMW Group’s broader commitment to local production across emerging markets, ensuring high flexibility in production while maintaining the same quality standards as its full-scale plants worldwide. “Our local production is essential for helping emerging markets grow and is a profitable component of our business,” said Michael Nikolaides, head of BMW’s production network and logistics.
As the plant continues to grow, the BMW Group is poised to further strengthen its presence in Brazil, tapping into new market potential and expanding its offerings of mid-range to luxury-class vehicles.
