There is joy right up to the top of the state government about the positive outcome of the referendum on the automobile manufacturer BMW’s plans for its new battery factory in Straßkirchen, Lower Bavaria. “The result is a good signal for the region and Bavaria as a business location,” wrote Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) on news channel X. “Bavaria is and remains a car country.” Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) thanked the people of Straßkirch for “making the right choice”. This means that Bavaria remains “a car-friendly country”. Construction Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) spoke of an “excellent result for Lower Bavaria” because: “We need sustainable jobs in the region.”
On Sunday, Straßkirchen voters cleared the way for the car manufacturer’s new battery plant in their community with a three-quarters majority. From 2026 onwards, 600,000 high-voltage batteries for electric cars will be installed there every year. In the referendum on the plans, 75.3 percent of participants supported the project and 24.7 percent rejected it. A citizens’ initiative against the battery factory, which the “Livable Gäuboden” initiative had put to the vote at the same time, only received 29.6 percent yes votes and 70.4 percent of those who voted rejected it. The voter turnout was 76.9 percent. The Straßkirchen local council had previously clearly supported the settlement, which is expected to create up to 3,200 jobs.
The mayor of Straßkirchen, Christian Hirtreiter, thanked all supporters of the BMW plans on Monday. “With their commitment, they made the result possible for BMW,” said the CSU local politician. In the last few days it has been clear that there is a high level of support for the project – especially in the clubs, volunteer fire departments and local companies. Nevertheless, the vote result is not a given and is “a signal for all of Germany”. The mayor of Irlbach, Armin Soller, was also “overjoyed”. Parts of the new BMW factory will extend into the countryside of his community. “We have put everything in place on the municipal side so that the project can move forward quickly,” said Soller. “There was no delay due to the referendum.”
For BMW Human Resources and Real Estate Director Ilka Horstmeier, the clear vote shows “that many citizens are in favor of investments in future-friendly technologies and jobs.” At the same time, one can see “that with good solutions, a transparent process and open dialogue, reliable decisions can be made for a common future.” BMW production director Milan Nedeljković explained that his company can now “take advantage of the opportunities here in Bavaria that the transformation to electromobility offers.” The new plant secures the future of the BMW plants in Dingolfing, Regensburg and Munich.
BMW used this argument to promote the new plant from the beginning of the dispute over the Straßkirchen location. It will one day supply the group’s three large car factories in Bavaria with high-voltage batteries. Straßkirchen is very convenient for all three. At the end of February, BMW acquired 105 hectares of farmland in the previously very rural Straßkirchen and Irlbach. In the first phase, around 60 hectares are to be developed, and 1,600 employees will work in the factory. There are expansion scenarios for the remaining 45 hectares, but no decisions yet. At the same time, BMW has secured the right of first refusal for a further 36 hectares of arable land. Two thirds of the employees at the new plant will come from existing BMW locations. BMW currently employs 7,500 people within a 20-kilometer radius of Straßkirchen.
Economic interests were “placed above the preservation of our livelihoods”
The citizens’ initiative “Livable Gäuboden” fought against the project. Their main argument: “The arable land here in the Gäuboden should definitely be preserved for the production of food,” says BI spokesman Thomas Spötzl. “Because they are among the most fertile in the world.” The consumption of land is not the only reason why Spötzl and his colleagues mobilized against the major project. They are convinced that the planned factory will completely overwhelm the 3,400-inhabitant town of Straßkirchen – because of the expected influx, but also because of the traffic. The initiative was initially well received and easily cleared the formal hurdles for the citizens’ initiative. Spötzl was correspondingly disappointed with the outcome of the votes.
As does the Federal Nature Conservation Union (BN). He accuses the state government of failing in its search for “the best possible location” for the new BMW plant. “E-mobility is important for low-CO₂ individual transport and that is why a battery factory is also important for Bavaria as an industrial location,” says BN boss Richard Mergner. “But with the help of Economics Minister Aiwanger, BMW was rolled out the red carpet for concreting the best arable land.” Economic interests were clearly “placed above the preservation of our livelihoods”.