No sooner has it become known that the car manufacturer BMW probably wants to build its new assembly plant for high-voltage batteries in Irlbach near Straßkirchen (Straubing-Bogen district), when a citizens’ initiative (BI) criticizes the project. “Our towns are small and rural,” says Thomas Spötzl. “Should the battery factory actually come here, they will only be an appendage to the factory, the factory will result in upheavals that we can’t even imagine right now.” Spötzl is one of the three spokespersons for the BI, which has given itself the name “Livable Gäuboden”.
Above all, BI opposes the immense use of space for the new factory. According to reports, the settlement involves a total package of up to 160 hectares of farmland. “These are the most fertile soils for food production,” says Spötzl. “They must not be lost under any circumstances” – especially with a view to climate change. The Gäuboden must be preserved for agriculture, says Spötzl, “that is a matter close to our hearts”.
BI also fears that competition on the labor market will intensify, which would pose an existential threat to local businesses. The population will also suffer – because the apartments in the region are scarce and more expensive and at the same time schools, daycare centers and other local facilities are overburdened. Above all, however, BI expects an enormous traffic load – both in terms of heavy goods traffic to and from the new plant and the flow of commuters.
BMW’s new battery plant is an important building block for the automotive group in the electrification of its vehicle fleet. The high-voltage batteries for the Bavarian BMW locations in Munich, Dingolfing and Regensburg are to be assembled there from as early as 2026. A good transport connection to the three locations is considered an important criterion for BMW’s choice of location. Since Irlbach and Straßkirchen meet this criterion, they are traded as favorites for the project.