Bavarian village to decide future of key BMW factory

A sleepy Bavarian village could decide the future of BMW's drive towards electromobility as it goes to the polls on Sunday over the German automobile giant's plans to build a huge battery factory.

The residents of Strasskirchen, around 90 minutes' drive from Munich with a population of around 2,700, are being called upon to vote in a referendum on the construction of the factory.

With German industry in a slump amid slowing global demand and high energy costs, the project is billed as a vote of confidence in the future of products "made in Germany".

It also comes at a crucial time for BMW as the car industry transitions from combustion-engine vehicles to electric-powered ones.

But in Strasskirchen, some residents fear the factory will transform their leafy village on the edge of the Bavarian forest into an industrial zone with roaring trucks.

"More than 100 hectares of prime arable land would be destroyed forever," a mistake "in view of climate change", said Thomas Spoetzl, 44, a spokesman for local residents who are opposed to the plans.

Martin Goetz, a 45-year-old native of Strasskirchen and spokesman for the other side, disagrees.