Tag Archives: Austria

BMW

Milestone at BMW Group Plant Steyr: Production amenities for electrical drives accomplished

Steyr, Austria. The new halls for future e-drive manufacturing reached completion on the BMW Group web site in Steyr. Construction started in September 2022, with the topping-out ceremony happening precisely one 12 months later. With some 60,000 sq. metres of manufacturing area, the 105 by 150-metre constructing was erected to a decent schedule. But now it’s standing. “The construction and installation of this production facility for Neue Klasse e-drives is running totally to plan. Now comes the next important stage, which is no less ambitious than the construction of the halls themselves,” defined Helmut Hochsteiner, head of electrical drives on the BMW Group web site in Steyr.

Approx. 300 gadgets of plant and gear price over 500 million euros

Over the subsequent few months, round 300 gadgets of plant and gear – many made to specification – will should be put in, prepared for pre-series manufacturing to launch as deliberate in July of this 12 months. “The 300 machines are all shapes and sizes, from small, individual items to the over 30 metre-long ‘marriage’ station. Here, four robots and other systems will work in concert to fit the transmission to the main motor,” stated Hochsteiner.

Klaus von Moltke, Senior Vice President of Engine Production at BMW AG and Plant Director of Steyr, outlined the financial dimensions of the venture: “We are investing a total of more than 500 million euros in plant and equipment for Steyr, offering further confirmation of the BMW Group’s commitment to the site. Series production of e-drives for the Neue Klasse is scheduled for launch in the autumn of 2025.”

The first piece of plant was introduced into the brand new meeting corridor in the long run of January. The ‘inaugural inhabitant’ is a crane that may elevate energy electronics elements from the primary ground – the place inverter shall be assembled in a clean-room – right down to last meeting on the bottom ground. Once the digital elements have arrived, the inverter and e-drive shall be ‘married’.

By 2030 the BMW Group will make investments some 1 billion euros in whole in e-drive manufacturing at its Steyr facility. The plant will manufacture over 600,000 e-drives a 12 months alongside diesel and petrol models. Production of those will stay excessive as nicely, with combustion engines forming an necessary a part of Steyr’s product portfolio nicely into the longer term.

News

KTM Welcomes Chase Sexton, the Newest Supercross Star, to its Motorsports Headquarters

KTM’s motorsports headquarters in Austria recently hosted Chase Sexton, the reigning 450 Supercross Champion. On his visit, Sexton was given a tour of KTM’s racing HQ in Munderfing.

During his visit, Sexton not only got to see the ins and outs of the motorsports HQ but also met the technical team and staff responsible for creating the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. This bike will be used by Sexton in the upcoming 2024 AMA 450SX racing series, the AMA Pro Motocross 450 Class championship, and the SuperMotocross contest, which combines both indoor and outdoor disciplines.

As one of the bright stars in the racing scene in the United States, Sexton is now part of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team. His impressive performance in the 2023 Super Cross season earned him the championship title. Before his packed schedule begins, Sexton had the opportunity to fully experience the KTM culture in Austria by touring the 9,500 square-meter (about 102,257 square-foot) motorsport building of Red Bull KTM.

The motorsports HQ is where KTM builds, stores, and prepares all their Motocross, Enduro, Rally, and MotoGP bikes for their racers. Sexton joins a roster of almost 70 riders and will have access to the brand’s fleet of support vehicles and accompanying equipment.

In addition to viewing the historical displays and FIM world titles earned by Red Bull KTM over the years, Sexton also had the chance to test the KTM X-BOW GT-XR with Hubert Trunkenpolz, Member of the Board. He also witnessed the production of the 2024 KTM 450 SX-F on the factory floor, the same bike he will ride next year with Team Orange.


2023 Chase Sexton factory visit

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When asked about his factory tour experience, Sexton expressed, “It was very cool! It’s been special to come here and meet everybody, see how the heart of the KTM racing program and also where my race bike is born. Then in the Motohall learning all the history and the racing story of KTM is very motivating; it makes me want to get on the bike and ride right now. KTM is a very successful, winning manufacturer, and my plan is to get them back on top and keep that momentum going. At the factory, I had never really seen anything like the assembly lines before and the variety of motorcycles being built and how fast they are done by hand. I won’t forget this day.”

News

Legends Of The Dakar Special Exhibition Open Now At KTM Motohall Museum

Are you planning to be in or near Mattighofen, Austria during summer, 2023? If you’re a Dakar Rally fan, a KTM fan, or both, then you should definitely make plans to check out the KTM Motohall museum in Mattighofen if you’re in the area. The museum recently opened its Legends of the Dakar exhibit in May 2023, featuring 10 different bikes that played pivotal roles in KTM’s rich Dakar history. 

The exhibition, as the best such exhibitions tend to do, features both the most memorable parts of the history it’s imparting on visitors, as well as untold, behind-the-scenes stories that every moto history nerd loves to experience. Multiple eras of the Dakar Rally are represented, from the Paris-Dakar years to the South America years, not to mention the current era in Saudi Arabia. 

Bikes and stories from KTM legends including Heinz Kinigadner, Fabrizio Meoni, Marc Coma, Matthias Walkner, Toby Price, and Kevin Benavides are all on proud display for visitors to enjoy up close and in person. Fabrizio Meoni took that very first Team Orange win back in 2001, and since that time, KTM Factory riders have managed to scoop up 19 victories—including the most recent one courtesy of Kevin Benavides in 2023. 


KTM Motohall - Legends of the Dakar Exhibition 15

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“Winning this year‘s Dakar was really the best feeling of my life. And now, to be a part of KTM‘s Legends of the Dakar makes me very proud. I am still overwhelmed, it‘s amazing,” Benavides said in a statement. 

“There is no other race like it, and no feeling like winning it. I am so proud to have been an Austrian rider, on an Austrian bike with an Austrian sponsor and it is really cool that the KTM Motohall is telling these stories – especially those ones in history that we did not always get to know about in detail,” added 2018 Dakar winner Matthias Walkner. 

“To talk about the history of KTM and the Dakar really makes me a bit proud. Back when I started in 1994, I could not believe the media coverage – it was so much more than I got for my world titles, and I knew it could be good for the brand. While the style and professionalism of racing has changed since then, the fundamentals of the race remain the same. It’s a big adventure,” said Heinz Kinigadner. 

“There is no bigger adventure than the Dakar; the momentum and motivation it provided us back in those early years, which proved to be pivotal in the promotion of the KTM name and development of our motorcycles, has never wavered,” Pierer Mobility AG CEO Stefan Pierer added. 

If you’re planning to attend, the KTM Motohall is open from Wednesday to Sunday each week, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. Starting on July 1, 2023, the Museum moves to its summer hours, which means that it will be open from Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except for national holidays. 

Tickets are available online via the KTM Motohall official website, which we’ll link to in our Sources for easy access. Children under the age of 14 get in free with paying adults. Adult day passes are 13 Euros (about $14.24 at the time of writing on June 16, 2023).  

Discounted tickets are available for high school students over the age of 14, college students, senior citizens, disabled visitors, and groups of 10 or more. The cost for those discounted tickets is 9.10 Euros (about $10). Additionally, family passes are available at a cost of 28 Euros (about $31) for families of two adults and up to three children, but those must be purchased in person at the KTM Motohall and cannot be purchased online. Guided tours, audio guides, and more are also available for additional charges via the KTM Motohall website.