Washington State that makes carbon fibers as the company moves to use more of the lightweight material in cars and meet demand for a new electric vehicle.
The German carmaker operates the factory in Moses Lake in a joint venture with the SGL Group, another German company, which will share in the investment. BMW said it would hire 120 new workers as part of the expansion, which is to be completed early next year and bring the total number of employees to about 200.
The move reflects the effort of BMW and other automakers to make cars lighter and more fuel-efficient, as well as increased interest by German companies in manufacturing in the United States, partly because of lower energy costs.
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