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Munich. The fine-dining restaurant THE CLOUD by Käfer at BMW Welt has been awarded with two Michelin stars by the “Michelin Guide”. Just one year after opening, this prestigious accolade celebrates the culinary signature of chef de cuisine Jens Madsen, restaurant manager Mona Röthig, sommelier Luigi Pecchia and the entire team. With its concept of “CULINARY NOMADISM”, THE CLOUD by Käfer brings together international influences, meticulous craftsmanship and an exclusive dining experience under the roof of BMW Welt.

“The Michelin Guide” defines a two-star restaurant as “Table excellente, mérite un détour”; in English: “excellent cooking, worth a detour”. This definition now also officially applies to THE CLOUD by Käfer at BMW Welt. Also winning the “Opening Of The Year” award, the fine-dining restaurant demonstrates that its concept has struck exactly the right note: “CULINARY NOMADISM” – a culinary journey.

“The two Michelin stars are a great honour for our entire team. We are delighted by this recognition, yet we remain focused on what matters most to us every day: working creatively and with concentration, treating high-quality products with respect, and creating a special experience for our guests,” commented Jens Madsen, chef de cuisine of THE CLOUD by Käfer, following the announcement.

“We warmly congratulate Jens Madsen, Luigi Pecchia, Mona Röthig and the entire team at THE CLOUD by Käfer on this very special honour. The two Michelin stars recognise the team's outstanding culinary achievement and confirms the high standards that have shaped an exceptional fine-dining experience at BMW Welt in collaboration with Käfer and Designworks. We are really looking forward to Season II, as THE CLOUD by Käfer continues its culinary journey,” added Sandra Wittemer, head of BMW Welt.

From 8 July 2026, THE CLOUD by Käfer at BMW Welt will embark on its second culinary journey, entitled “SEASON II – WHISPERS OF THE RAINFOREST”. The new menu draws inspiration from a journey supported by the BMW Group, during which chef de cuisine Jens Madsen travelled deep into the Amazon region. There, he immersed himself in ancestral techniques, indigenous produce and a deeply respectful approach to resources. At THE CLOUD by Käfer, he translates these impressions into a distinctive culinary signature – characterised by local ingredients, masterful execution and a profound respect for origins and context.

The fine-dining experience at THE CLOUD by Käfer is complemented by exclusive services offered by BMW Welt – the so-called “BMW Welt Signatures”. These include a private shuttle service in a BMW 7 Series across the Munich area, valet parking and the opportunity to book an exclusive guided tour of BMW Welt.

The team at THE CLOUD by Käfer has already received several distinctions this year. Jens Madsen was recognised for his vision by German-language restaurant guide “Der Große Guide” as Best Newcomer. Culinary magazine “DER FEINSCHMECKER” also named sommelier Luigi Pecchia among Germany’s most promising young talents in its "Top 30 Under 30” special. THE CLOUD by Käfer at BMW Welt also featured in the “Condé Nast Traveller Hot List 2026” as part of a highly international and creative selection of restaurants.

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Lisa Meindl
Spokesperson BMW Museum and BMW Welt
Telephone: +49-89-382-31668
Email: lisa.meindl@bmw.de

Simone Bauer-Linster, Communications BMW Welt

Telephone: +49 151 601 414 52

Email: Simone.Bauer-Linster@bmw.de

Internet: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

E-Mail: presse@bmwgroup.com

About Käfer

In October 2012, the world of Käfer arrived at BMW Welt, where it operates the CooperS bistro, the Biker’s Lodge café, the Bavarie restaurant, and the fine-dining restaurant THE CLOUD by Käfer. Käfer developed a bespoke culinary concept for this new partnership, designed to cater to the diverse visitor groups frequenting Bavaria’s most popular attraction. From BMW Welt staff and customers collecting their new cars to Munich families, international tourists, and discerning gourmets, the various dining venues offer a wide range of options to suit every taste. Particular emphasis was placed on ensuring that regional and international elements—befitting the Munich-based brands BMW and Käfer—go hand in hand to create a unified concept rooted in sustainability.

About BMW Welt

With its iconic, award-winning architecture, BMW Welt is one of Bavaria’s most visited attractions and symbolizes the BMW Group’s innovative strength. Since its opening in 2007, it has welcomed over 2 million visitors annually. Together with the BMW Museum and BMW Group Classic, it forms an important part of the brand experience in Munich.

BMW Welt unites all BMW Group brands – BMW, BMW M, MINI, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, and BMW Motorrad – under one roof. Visitors will find exhibitions and brand presentations and can pick up new vehicles in a unique setting. Since its opening, more than 280,000 vehicles have been delivered.

The event program includes a year-round program of cultural, artistic, sporting, and entertainment events. BMW Welt’s spaces are also available for external events. The offerings are complemented by guided tours, product consultations, and the educational program at THE CAMPUS for children and families. Several restaurants, including the fine-dining restaurant THE CLOUD by Käfer, provide culinary options.

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The BMW Group

With its four brands, BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2025, the BMW Group sold 2.46 million passenger vehicles and more than 202,500 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2025 was € 10.2 billion on revenues amounting to € 133,5 billion. As of 31 December 2025, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,540 employees.

The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products – from the supply chain through production to the end of their useful life. 

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Munich/Zagreb. The BMW Group and the Croatian University of Zagreb’s Regional Centre of Excellence for Robotic Technology (CRTA) continue to advance joint research in battery cell production. The “Insight” research project will develop and implement practical AI models to optimise battery cell production at the BMW Group. The research project covers the entire battery cell value chain: from electrode production to end-of-line testing and in-house developed direct recycling.

How the research project saves raw materials, costs and time

At the Battery Cell Competence Centre (BCCC) in Munich, the BMW Group is developing battery cells for future generations of high-voltage batteries. As part of this process, numerous test series are conducted, which by their very nature require significant time and material investment. At the same time, these tests tie up manufacturing equipment and laboratory capacity. This is where the “Insight” research project comes in: Its artificial intelligence network uses existing test data, as well as real-time data from ongoing production, to accurately predict battery cell process parameters and performance data. As a result, the duration and number of test series can be significantly reduced, while maintaining or improving quality. In this way, the newly developed AI systems reduce the material and time required in individual process steps by more than 50 percent.

Other cell production use cases

The research project’s prediction models not only reduce the number of test series but also support final approval of battery cells. Following initial charging at the end of production, the cells must be stored for a defined period at precisely specified temperatures before they can be installed in a battery housing. This phase, also referred to as the “quarantine”, requires corresponding storage capacity. However, the research project’s AI systems are able to conduct a full analysis of the battery cells in advance, potentially eliminating this process step in the future.

Research collaboration combines theory and practice

Since the project was launched in 2024, the BMW Group and the University of Zagreb have been developing joint solutions using artificial intelligence to improve battery cell production. To this end, doctoral candidates and students at the University of Zagreb are collating and structuring available production data and using it to create AI models that can identify specific patterns. These AI models then make predictions that further optimise production performance, quality and costs. “We are working on scaling the newly developed AI models from the prototype environment,” explains Christian Siedelhofer, head of Technology Development Lithium-Ion Battery Cells at the BMW Group. One option would be to enable cell manufacturers. “We are also examining to what extent these models are suitable for additional use cases within our production network.”

Win-win through knowledge sharing

The University of Zagreb contributes expertise in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science to the project. Ongoing knowledge sharing benefits both partners: The University of Zagreb provides the BMW Group with access to the latest research findings, while its doctoral candidates and students have the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice.

Development of young talent

Another aspect of the cooperation is the development of young talent. “Our joint project gets doctoral candidates and students interested in AI and battery cells and the exciting work we do at our Battery Cell Competence Centres,” says Stefan Kerscher, head of Technology Development Battery Cells at the BMW Group. “We are delighted when young talents decide to embark on a career with our company.” The cooperation offers students intensive mentoring and the opportunity to expand their professional network across the industry, enhancing their attractiveness on the job market and opening up outstanding career opportunities. The cooperation between the BMW Group and the University of Zagreb strengthens the innovation capability and competitiveness of both partners.

Battery cell expertise along the entire value chain

The BMW Group consolidates its battery cell know-how at its Competence Centres in Munich, Parsdorf and Salching. The Battery Cell Competence Centre (BCCC) in Munich houses research and development for the battery cells of the future. The best battery concept from the BCCC will be produced under near-series conditions at the Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre (CMCC) in Parsdorf. Close cross-divisional collaboration between Development, Purchasing and Production integrates product and process in a unique way. In addition to producing sample cells, the BMW Group is also focusing its efforts on the reuse of materials. As part of this process, the company has put into service a Cell Recycling Competence Centre (CRCC) in Salching, Lower Bavaria, together with Encory GmbH, which will implement the innovative direct recycling concept. The intellectual property for the recycling method is owned by the BMW Group.

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Munich. BMW Group Plant Munich is approaching the biggest milestone in the transformation process: series production of the BMW i3, the second model in the Neue Klasse range, gets underway here in August. This marks the start of the rollout of the Neue Klasse within the BMW Group’s global production network.

“We have been making rigorous preparations. With the BMW iFACTORY we have devised a consistent, strategic framework for our production,” explains Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Production. “We have paved the way for the upcoming start-ups in all our plants and have invested heavily in technologies, digitalisation and AI.”

BMW Group Plant Munich has undergone extensive modernisation in recent years. The result is a plant that now works even more efficiently, flexibly and digitally, and is optimally positioned for the requirements of electric mobility and the Neue Klasse.

But that’s not all: as of 2027, the Munich plant will exclusively produce all‑electric vehicles and thereby achieve a further boost in efficiency. This is assisted by proactive planning, close collaboration with development teams and suppliers, as well as modern production technology in the new structures. “We have considerably reduced production costs over recent years. With the start of production of the BMW i3, we will reduce overall production costs at the Munich plant by a further 10 per cent, bringing them below the level of the current vehicle generation,” says Peter Weber, Head of BMW Group Plant Munich. In addition to optimised production processes and targeted automation and digitalisation, the new vehicle architecture of the Neue Klasse also ensures efficiency.

Plant Munich is investing around 650 million euros in its transformation into a fully electric production site.

Highly efficient production at historic site

Plant Munich has been consistently reinventing itself for more than 100 years – from a location outside the city to today’s site surrounded by it. The facility has undergone a fundamental process of redevelopment for the Neue Klasse – with production of up to 1,000 vehicles a day continuing during this period. A new body shop and state-of-the-art vehicle assembly including new logistics areas were set up on an area spanning around a third of the plant’s footprint. Extensive updates have also been made to existing technologies.

Plant manager Peter Weber highlights what the workforce has achieved: “The people at the factory played an essential role in making this transformation a success. With their high level of expertise, enthusiasm and tremendous dedication, our employees have shown that world-class industrial production is possible even under the toughest conditions. The BMW i3 is just the beginning – several Neue Klasse models will be manufactured in Munich in the future, including the BMW i3 Touring.”

A vision for all technologies: the BMW iFACTORY

The BMW iFACTORY focuses on the areas of efficiency, sustainability and digitalisation. Within this framework, the company’s plants around the world are implementing site-specific solutions and, in so doing, strengthening the company’s resilience as well as its ability to deliver reliably at any time and worldwide. This vision has now also been consistently implemented across all technologies at BMW Group Plant Munich.

“We have rethought the entire value stream from supplier to finished customer vehicle. We have looked at every single process in detail and made optimisations. Now our plant is even more efficient, more flexible and even more digitised than ever before. We are thereby safeguarding the future viability of the plant,” adds Peter Weber.

In the press shop, steel and aluminium boards are turned into tens of thousands of components on highly automated press lines daily. Uniform press and tool standards across the global production network result in efficiencies on many levels: installation and integration of the systems are standardised, tools for the presses can be swapped within the network, and employees can work at various locations and help each other. An AI-assisted camera system supports quality control before an underground transport system moves the parts to the body shop. Output has increased significantly compared with previous structures. Cuts of steel and aluminium are collected, sorted and then used to manufacture new steel or aluminium coils.

Plant Munich has set up a new body shop for the Neue Klasse featuring systems planned and realised using a virtual twin. A total of 800 new industrial robots take care of the joining processes here; decreasing the number of joining processes to five reduces process complexity. With an automation rate of around 98 per cent, robots perform the majority of standardised processes. Automated surface inspection (ASI) assists with quality assurance.

In the paint shop at Plant Munich, digital and AI-assisted systems control central quality processes. Automated surface inspection (ASI) uses cameras and artificial intelligence to detect even the most minor deviations on the surface and documents them digitally. Automated surface processing (ASP) works on the variations detected directly during the running process. To purify the exhaust air, the paint shop uses the energy-efficient, electrically powered eRTO process. This is complemented by heat and energy recovery as well as water-saving cycles.

What once was the home of engine manufacturing at BMW Group Plant Munich has become a new assembly area for the Neue Klasse. The assembly area is set up for end-to-end digital processes: vehicles, systems and tools are interconnected and digital live tracking and automated inline quality checks support employees in the assembly line process. During assembly already, the BMW i3 digitally transmits the status of up to 20,000 features to the production system. Ergonomic workstations, height-adjustable systems and simplified processes lighten the load for employees, while targeted training supports new digital fields.

Aspart of the transformation, logistics at BMW Group Plant Munich has focused squarely on efficiency and direct integration of production. The logistics department at the Munich plant moves around 2.5 million parts every day; in future around 70 per cent of these parts will be delivered directly to the assembly workstations. This will reduce internal transport distances, save space and accelerate supply to the production lines. This is made possible by a multi-storey building structure developed specially for the plant’s city location. Delivery is at ground level and then conveyor technology transports the parts to the right levels, where they are distributed directly to the assembly workstations. This enables the principle of direct delivery to be applied systematically even in a multi-storey plant. At the same time, the level of automation in logistics has been significantly increased. Automated supply systems, smart transport robots and driverless transport systems will handle around 60 per cent of supply tasks in the future. A digital logistics control station manages all processes centrally, ensuring transparency and data-driven optimisation.

Unique to Plant Munich is the in-house seat manufacturing facility. It is a “plant inside a plant” and takes on a central role for quality assurance and expert evaluation within the production network. The seats for all versions of the models produced in Munich are manufactured here and delivered to vehicle assembly directly and “just in sequence”. The in‑house seat manufacturing facility is regarded as the benchmark for quality assurance across the BMW Group. Modern, largely automated processes ensure seamless quality control. This is complemented by fully automated end-of-line checks, including for safety-relevant components. The seat manufacturing facility also systematically strengthens the BMW Group’s in-house expertise. It serves as a competence centre and innovation hub, tests new materials, technologies and manufacturing concepts, and supports the evaluation of costs, quality and production processes – making an impact far beyond the Munich location.

Global network, regional value creation: high-voltage batteries and e-drive

With the new assembly plant for high-voltage batteries in Irlbach‑Straßkirchen (Lower Bavaria, Germany) around 90 minutes away, the BMW Group is significantly boosting value creation in the Bavaria region. In keeping with the “local for local” approach, Irlbach-Straßkirchen will deliver high-voltage Gen6 batteries to the Munich plant as well as other German locations. Here, the batteries will be installed in the BMW i3. Manufacture of the high-voltage batteries combines a rigorous zero-defect approach with the latest production technologies, which were developed at Bavarian pilot plants. With seamless inline quality controls, digital twins and the systematic use of artificial intelligence, the BMW Group is setting new standards in battery production.

The Gen6 e-motor for the BMW i3 is produced at BMW Group Plant Steyr in Austria – a location that has been manufacturing drivetrains for over 40 years. With the first e-motor in the portfolio, the plant is developing its role as a prime example of technology openness. All core components of the highly integrated e-drive – from the rotor and stator to the inverter and transmission – are produced on-site. New production lines and state‑of‑the‑art clean room environments have been set up for this. The aluminium foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut supplies the e-motor housing for Plant Steyr.

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Munich. The BMW Group is consistently advancing the digitalisation and use of artificial intelligence in production. A key element in this effort is “Physical AI”, which combines digital artificial intelligence (AI) with real machines and robots. This enables intelligent systems such as humanoid robots to be integrated into real-world production processes.

For the first time, the BMW Group is now bringing Physical AI to Europe and launching a pilot project with humanoid robots at the Leipzig plant. The project aims to integrate humanoid robotics into existing series production of cars and to explore further applications in the production of batteries and components.

“Digitalisation improves the competitiveness of our production – here in Europe and worldwide. The symbiosis of engineering expertise and artificial intelligence opens up entirely new possibilities in production,” said Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Production.

Last year, the BMW Group successfully implemented a pilot project with humanoid robots at its Spartanburg plant in the United States. The insights gained from this project are being leveraged to further develop and scale Physical AI applications.

Unified IT and data model in the production system

Artificial intelligence is already an integral part of the BMW Group’s production system. From the virtual factory with digital twins and AI‑enabled quality controls to intralogistics with autonomous transport solutions, intelligent systems are used in almost all production steps.

A prerequisite for the effective use of artificial intelligence in production is a unified IT and data model across the entire production system. The BMW Group has consistently transformed isolated data silos into a unified data platform in its production system meaning that all data is consistent, standardised, and available at all times. This enables digital AI agents to take on increasingly challenging tasks autonomously and in complex environments while continuously learning and becoming available for additional areas of application. The introduction of intelligent and autonomous decision‑making agents marks a paradigm shift in production. In combination with robots, these digital AI agents are what make up Physical AI.

“Our aim is to be a technology leader and to integrate new technologies into production at an early stage. Pilot projects help us to test and further develop the use of Physical AI – that is, AI‑enabled robots capable of learning – under real-world industrial conditions,” said Michael Nikolaides, Senior Vice President Production Network, Supply Chain Management at BMW Group.

Digitalisation and artificial intelligence are core elements of BMW iFACTORY and are the foundation for future‑proof, flexible, and competitive production.

Humanoid robotics complements existing automation

The BMW Group is strategically expanding its automation portfolio to include Physical AI and humanoid robotics. Humanoid robots are viewed as a value‑adding complement to existing automation. Particularly, they demonstrate potential in monotonous, ergonomically demanding, or safety‑critical tasks. The goal is to relieve employees and further improve working conditions.

Center of Competence for Physical AI in Production consolidates expertise

Its consistent data platform in production makes the BMW Group an attractive partner for technology companies seeking to test the possibilities of Physical AI – particularly humanoid robotics – in an industrial environment under real-world conditions. By setting up the new “Center of Competence for Physical AI in Production”, the BMW Group is taking the next step in consolidating its expertise and ensuring that the full range of knowledge can be leveraged across the organisation.

The BMW Group is following a clearly structured approach. Technology partners are evaluated according to defined maturity and industrialisation criteria and tested in pilot projects under real-world production conditions. Following a theoretical assessment, an evaluation is carried out at the manufacturer’s site in the laboratory using real use cases from the BMW production system to test integration capability. If this phase is successful, it is followed by an initial test deployment under real-world production conditions at a BMW Group plant and subsequently the actual pilot phase.

First pilot project with humanoid robots in Europe

In collaboration with Hexagon, a long‑standing, established partner of the BMW Group in the field of sensor technology and software, the first pilot project in Europe is now underway. Hexagon’s organisational unit located in Zürich, Hexagon Robotics, specialises in Physical AI and presented its first humanoid robot, AEON, in June 2025. Following an initial theoretical evaluation phase and successful laboratory tests, there was an initial test deployment at BMW Group Plant Leipzig in December 2025. A further test deployment is planned from April 2026 to ensure full integration for the actual pilot phase starting in summer 2026.

The deployment in Leipzig is focusing on testing a multifunctional application of the robot. It is based on AEON’s design, whose human‑like body allows a wide range of hand and gripper elements or scanning tools to be flexibly attached and enables dynamic use on wheels. During testing and later in the pilot phase, the robot will be used in the assembly of high‑voltage batteries and in component manufacturing.

Successful pilot at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg provides key insights for use of humanoid robots in production

The world’s first deployment of humanoid robots at a BMW Group plant took place at the Spartanburg plant in the United States in 2025, in collaboration with the technology company Figure AI. The results demonstrated that Physical AI can deliver measurable added value under real-world conditions. Within ten months, the robot Figure 02 supported the production of more than 30,000 BMW X3, working ten-hour shifts daily from Monday to Friday. Figure 02 handled the precise removal and positioning of sheet metal parts for the welding process – a task that is particularly demanding in terms of speed and accuracy while also being physically exhausting. In total, it moved more than 90,000 components and covered approximately 1.2 million steps in around 1,250 operating hours.

The pilot confirmed that humanoid robots can safely perform precise, repetitive work steps – such as positioning components with millimetre precision – and provided important insights for the further deployment of Physical AI in production.

During the initial test phases with Figure 02, it was essential to involve all areas of the production IT infrastructure, occupational safety, production process management, and shop floor logistics at an early stage.

One key finding was that the transition from the laboratory to the actual production environment was faster than expected. Motion sequences trained in the laboratory could be quickly transferred into stable shift operation. To ensure smooth coexistence with existing systems, integration into the BMW Smart Robotics ecosystem was implemented via standardised interfaces.

The body shop was deliberately selected for the test phase in Spartanburg, as it already has a high degree of automation. BMW Group employees in this area have extensive experience in integrating new technologies and processes. For example, material supply on the line is already carried out almost exclusively via automated smart transport robots (STR). The project team’s early communication ensured transparency from the outset and promoted acceptance. The deployment of humanoid robots was met with great interest among employees and quickly became a natural part of everyday work during the course of the project.

The BMW Group and Figure are currently evaluating additional use cases for deploying the Figure 03 robot.

Additional quotes for use:

Michael Nikolaides, Senior Vice President Production Network, Supply Chain Management at BMW Group:

“Our aim is to be a technology leader and to integrate new technologies into production at an early stage. Pilot projects help us to test and further develop the use of Physical AI – that is, AI‑enabled robots capable of learning – under real-world industrial conditions. The successful first deployment of humanoid robots at our BMW Group plant in Spartanburg in the USA proves that a humanoid robot can function not only under controlled laboratory conditions but also in an existing automotive manufacturing environment.”

Michael Ströbel, Head of Process Management and Digitalisation, Order to Delivery at BMW Group:

“We are delighted to deploy a humanoid robot for the first time in a pilot project at a plant in Germany. Following evaluation by our Center of Competence for Physical AI in Production, tests were carried out in the laboratory and at Plant Leipzig at the end of last year. This year, our focus is on step‑by‑step integration into our production system to explore a wide range of applications. The emphasis is on researching multifunctional use of the robot in various production areas such as battery manufacturing for energy modules and component production for exterior parts. With Hexagon, we have found a proven long‑standing partner with a highly innovative approach to humanoid robotics for this project.”

Felix Haeckel, Team Lead CoC Physical AI for Production:

“At our new Center of Competence for Physical AI in Production, we are pooling our expertise to make knowledge on AI and robotics widely usable within the company. In recent years, we have built up an international team of experts that, in addition to in‑house research and programming, is dedicated to the gradual integration of AI into the existing production system. At the same time, our team in Munich is driving its own robotics research to set up, support, and further develop pilot projects in the field of Physical AI at our plants.”

Arnaud Robert, President of Hexagon Robotics:

“We are very pleased to be working with the BMW Group to advance the use of humanoid robots in real‑world environments.”

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Hams Hall, UK. BMW Group’s Hams Hall plant, located in the UK, has reached a major milestone: For exactly 25 years, the plant near Birmingham has produced highly efficient internal combustion engines for a variety of BMW Group vehicle models. More than 7.6 million engines have shipped from Hams Hall since 2001. The facility supplies numerous production sites worldwide with highly efficient petrol engines for the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands, including drive trains for plug-in hybrid models – making the plant an integral part of the BMW Group’s technology-open approach. Today, Plant Hams Hall produces three and four-cylinder petrol engines to high performance V8 engines, powering vehicles across both BMW and MINI. Separately, the V12 engine is produced at Plant Hams Hall exclusively for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Its assembly follows a distinct, bespoke production process, carried out by specially trained engineers and technicians, before final delivery to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood.

Plant Hams Hall – an integral part of the global production network

"This anniversary is a special milestone for our site," says Dirk Dreher, Head of the BMW Group's Hams Hall plant. "We are a competitive plant and there’s always been a real passion among our workforce to continually improve our manufacturing processes and site. Building on our strong foundation, we are looking forward to remaining a successful plant in the future."

“The Hams Hall plant is an integral part of our global production network,” explains Harald Gottsche, Head of Engine Production at BMW AG. “The site combines technological expertise with high flexibility. It reliably supplies our vehicle plants with efficient, powerful engines of premium quality. This includes the V12 engine – a masterpiece from Hams Hall!”

61% reduction in energy use per engine built since the start of full production

The British engine plant is systematically implementing the principles of the BMW iFACTORY. The strategic vision of the BMW iFACTORY focusses on sustainability, electrification, digitalisation and profitability. From the first concept of the plant to the present day, the Hams Hall team has made sustainability a key consideration. Since the first full year of production, the plant has made a 61% reduction in energy required per engine built, meaning the overall energy to operate the site has remained level even though there has been a considerable increase in production. The plant purchases 100% of its external electricity from renewable energy sources today. It has also worked to reduce its consumption of natural gas.

SpOTTO robotic dog scans and monitors manufacturing equipment

A four-legged autonomous robot named “SpOTTO” joined the Hams Hall team in 2024. The autonomous robotic dog scans the plant, supports maintenance and ensures production processes run smoothly. Equipped with visual, thermal and acoustic sensors, SpOTTO collects valuable data for the plant’s digital twin. It also serves as a watchdog, monitoring the maintenance of production facilities. SpOTTO was developed by Boston Dynamics under the product name “Spot”, an agile robot capable of climbing stairs and traversing rough terrain with ease. At Hams Hall, “Spot” was fondly renamed SpOTTO, paying tribute to the engine plant’s proud heritage: Gustav Otto, one of the founders of BMW, was the son of Nicolaus Otto, inventor of the four-stroke engine.

Fully connected digital twin: Big data on three levels

At the core of the Hams Hall plant’s digital transformation is the fully connected digital twin, which consists of three levels: On the first level, 3D representations of the entire plant are generated. The second level comprises a large data layer, continuously updated with all relevant information from the SpOTTO robotic dog, the plant’s manufacturing equipment and its IT systems. On the third level – the application level – dedicated programmes organise the collected data into comprehensible units. Using special apps, experts at Plant Hams Hall can leverage this information for tasks such as production planning and quality assurance.

A history of continuous growth

Over the past 25 years, BMW Group Plant Hams Hall has continuously evolved, establishing itself as a key pillar of the company’s production network. Relying on state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies, it provides drive trains for numerous BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce models.

Selected historic milestones:

• 2001: Plant Hams Hall launches series production with new four-cylinder engines, using innovative Valvetronic technology in large-scale manufacturing for the first time.
• 2006: An additional engine family is introduced; Plant Hams Hall produces engines for the MINI brand for the first time.
• 2013: Plant Hams Hall becomes the exclusive manufacturer of the award-winning three-cylinder engine for the iconic BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. The plant also integrates additional production lines for three- and four-cylinder petrol engines. At the same time, the processing hall for crankshafts, crankcases and cylinder heads is expanded.
• 2022: The plant takes over production of V8 and V12 engines. With this step the plant generates even greater business value for the company.
• 2026: Plant Hams Hall celebrates 25 years of production.

The BMW Group’s drive train production network

The BMW Group’s engine production network comprises several plants alongside Hams Hall: Its largest engine facility is in Steyr, Austria, where diesel and petrol engines, as well as sixth-generation electric motors, are developed and produced. The fifth generation of electric motors is produced in Dingolfing. Plant Munich handles mechanical production of V8 and V12 engine components, while Plant Landshut manufactures special engines. The Chinese joint venture BMW Brilliance builds engines for the local market in Shenyang. Collectively, these locations support the BMW Group's technology-open powertrain strategy.

Regensburg/Ljubljana. Tovarna v Regensburgu je leta 2025 dosegla nov proizvodni rekord 356.901 vozil, s čimer je postala tovarna z največjo količino proizvedenih avtomobilov BMW Group v Evropi. Od odprtja tovarne leta 1986 je s proizvodne linije zapeljalo 8,7 milijona vozil. »S to rekordno proizvodnjo nismo dosegli le novega rekorda v 40-letni zgodovini tovarne, temveč smo – tako kot v prejšnjem letu – nemškim tovarnam skupine BMW leta 2025 pomagali ponovno izdelati več kot milijon vozil,« pravi direktor tovarne Armin Ebner, »Tovarna je že 40 let osrednje razvojno središče vzhodne bavarske regije.«

BMW Group tovarna v Regensburgu svojo konkurenčnost gradi na stalnih izboljšavah učinkovitosti, digitalizaciji in inovacijah. Z uvedbo naprednih proizvodnih procesov in umetne inteligence so od leta 2019 stroške zmanjšali za več kot četrtino, hkrati pa omogočili tudi avtonomno premikanje vozil znotraj tovarne.

Več kot 150.000 vozil, izdelanih v Regensburgu leta 2025, je bilo elektrificiranih – torej bodisi popolnoma električnih bodisi priključnih hibridov. BMW X1 je bil model z največjo količino proizvedenih vozil, saj je bilo proizvedenih več kot 266.000 vozil, medtem ko je BMW X2 predstavljal več kot 90.000 vozil. Na domačem nemškem trgu je ostalo več kot 55.000 vozil. Več kot polovica avtomobilov, proizvedenih v Regensburgu leta 2025, je šla strankam v druge evropske države. Več kot 100.000 vozil je bilo poslanih v tujino.

BMW X1 je eden ključnih modelov znamke BMW tudi na slovenskem trgu. Leta 2025 je postal najbolje prodajan model, saj je predstavljal kar 23,8 % vseh prodanih vozil BMW v Sloveniji. Posebej izstopa tudi med poslovnimi strankami, kjer je BMW X1 zasedel prvo mesto med najbolje prodajanimi modeli. Uspeh pa se odraža tudi na področju električne mobilnosti – popolnoma električni BMW iX1 je bil najbolje prodajan električni model znamke BMW v Sloveniji in je v letu 2025 predstavljal kar 43 % celotne prodaje električnih vozil BMW Slovenija.

Ebner je optimističen glede jubilejnega leta tovarne: »Z našima privlačnima modeloma BMW X1 in BMW X2 proizvajamo točno to, kar si naše stranke želijo, hkrati pa še naprej delujemo v treh izmenah 24 ur na dan.« Vsakih 57 sekund novo vozilo zapelje s tekočega traku. To trenutno znaša več kot 1400 vozil na delovni dan, ki jih nato dostavijo strankam po vsem svetu. Na eni sami proizvodni liniji se fleksibilno izdelujejo različni tipi pogonskih sklopov – od modelov z motorji z notranjim izgorevanjem do priključnih hibridov in popolnoma električnih vozil.

Ob 40-letnici obstoja ostaja tovarna Regensburg tudi pomemben gospodarski steber regije in velik zaposlovalec, saj danes zaposluje okoli 9.000 ljudi iz kar 71 držav, med katerimi so tudi Slovenci. Z nenehno rastjo proizvodnje, tehnološkim razvojem in usmerjenostjo v prihodnost mobilnosti predstavlja enega ključnih proizvodnih obratov BMW Group v Nemčiji in v širši Evropi.

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Več informacij o 40-letnici tovarne je na voljo v sporočilu za javnost: Tovarna BMW Group v Regensburgu praznuje 40. obletnico z rekordno proizvodnjo 

^{BMW iX1 v Sloveniji je fotografirala Ksenija Starič.}

^{Več informacij na voljo spodaj in v priponki v angleščini.}

Regensburg. Plant Regensburg achieved a new production record of 356,901 vehicles in 2025, making it the BMW Group’s highest-volume car plant in Europe. Since the plant opened in 1986, 8.7 million vehicles have rolled off its production line. “With this record production, we not only reached a new all-time high in the plant’s 40-year history but also – as in the previous year – helped the BMW Group’s German plants build more than one million vehicles again in 2025,” says Plant Director Armin Ebner. “For 40 years, the plant has been a central development powerhouse for the eastern Bavarian region.”

Continuous efforts to increase competitiveness as key success factor 

“Continuous and consistent efforts to increase our competitiveness remain the key to our success. Every single day in Regensburg, we demonstrate that competitive production is possible in Germany,” adds Ebner. By implementing efficiency measures within its production system, BMW Group Plant Regensburg has lowered costs by more than a quarter since 2019.

“Digitalisation is an important lever for this,” says Ebner. Examples include the use of artificial intelligence in automated surface processing in the paint shop and for quality controls during vehicle assembly, or a cloud-based traffic control system for supplying parts. Since early 2025, new vehicles have also been able to navigate autonomously, without a driver, from the assembly line to the loading area.

More than 150,000 electrified models in 2025

More than 150,000 of the vehicles manufactured in Regensburg in 2025 were electrified – that is, either fully-electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids. The BMW X1 was the highest-volume model, with over 266,000 vehicles produced, while the BMW X2 accounted for more than 90,000 vehicles.

Over 55,000 vehicles remained in the company’s domestic market of Germany. More than half of the cars produced in Regensburg in 2025 went to customers in other European countries. More than 100,000 vehicles were shipped overseas.

Ebner is optimistic about the plant’s anniversary year: “With our attractive BMW X1 and BMW X2 models, we are producing exactly what our customers want, while continuing to operate three shifts around the clock.” Every 57 seconds, a new vehicle rolls off the assembly line. This currently adds up to more than 1,400 vehicles per workday, which are then delivered to customers around the world. Different types of drive train are flexibly manufactured on a single production line – from models with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids and fully-electric vehicles.

BMW Group Plant Regensburg – powering jobs across the region

As part of the settlement agreement with the City of Regensburg in the 1980s, BMW pledged to produce 400 vehicles per day and create 3,500 jobs. With the ramp-up and expansion of the plant in subsequent years, both employee numbers and production capacity increased: In 1991, the plant exceeded the 100,000-vehicle threshold for the first time, with around 128,000 cars manufactured. By 1999, it was building about 750 vehicles daily and more than 200,000 annually. In 2005, annual production surpassed 300,000 vehicles for the first time – with a daily output of around 1,000 units. Having assembled its one-millionth vehicle back in 1995, Plant Regensburg is set to produce its nine-millionth vehicle this year.

Employee numbers have also continued to climb: In 1988, the plant employed around 3,300 people. By 1991, that number had risen to about 7,300. Today, the BMW Group’s core staff at its Regensburg and Wackersdorf locations in eastern Bavaria comprises around 9,000 employees, including approximately 380 apprentices.

This makes the plant a significant economic factor and employer across the region. Ebner: “Our employees’ commitment, their innovation mindset and their forward-looking decisions have shaped BMW Group Plant Regensburg into what it is today: a driving force and economic engine for the entire region.”

40 years of BMW Group Plant Regensburg – overview of milestones:

1983      Decision, contract signing for establishment of Regensburg site

1984      Groundbreaking with Minister-President Franz-Josef Strauß;
              construction of production halls begins

1985     Topping-out ceremony

1986     Start of production for BMW 3 Series (E30); around 1,300 employees

1987      Paint shop commissioned;
first networked computers in assembly usher in the computer age

1988     Around 3,300 employees

1990      Body shop commissioned

1991      Annual production: around 128,000 vehicles, surpassing the 100,000 mark;
around 7,300 employees

1995      Production milestone: 1,000,000 vehicles manufactured in Regensburg

1997      Press shop completed

1999      Annual production exceeds 200,000 vehicles for the first time;
              more than 8,700 employees

2001      Groundbreaking for plant expansion: paint shop and body shop

2005      Annual production exceeds 300,000 vehicles for the first time

2007      Groundbreaking for press shop expansion

2010      Assembly/finish refurbishment

2013      New press system commissioned

2014      Completion of automated small parts warehouse

2015      EFQM Excellence Award; BMW X1 series launch

2017      West expansion of assembly commissioned

2018     Start of BMW X2 series production

2025      Additional body shop commissioned in Neutraubling

2026      Around 9,000 employees, including approx. 380 apprentices

40 years of BMW Group Plant Regensburg – vehicle models produced:

*Updated: Dec. 2025

BMW Group Corporate Communications
Saskia Graser, head of Communications Regensburg and Wackersdorf +49 151 6060 2014, Email: Saskia.Graser@bmw.de

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmw.de

BMW Group Plants Regensburg and Wackersdorf
BMW Group Plant Regensburg has been in operation for more than four decades. After construction of the production halls was completed in 1984, series production of the BMW 3 Series (E30) began in autumn 1986. As part of the settlement agreement with the City of Regensburg, BMW pledged at that time to produce 400 vehicles per day and create 3,500 jobs.

Today, Plant Regensburg is one of more than 30 BMW Group production locations worldwide. More than 1,400 BMW X1 and BMW X2 model vehicles roll off the assembly line each day, destined for customers around the globe. Different types of drive train are flexibly manufactured on a single production line – from models with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids and fully-electric vehicles.

Within the framework of the BMW iFACTORY, the BMW Group is also setting standards at its Regensburg location in the fields of digitalisation, circularity and competitiveness – as confirmed by recent awards. For example, in 2025, the plant was named “FACTORY OF THE YEAR” in the category “Excellent Large-Series Assembly”. In addition, the BMW X1 from Regensburg was once again voted Best in Class in “Best Cars 2025”. It is already possible to experience, in virtual form, what the factory will look like in the coming years. Production of the “Neue Klasse” – BMW’s next model generation – is set to ramp up in Regensburg in the second half of this decade.

BMW Group Plant Wackersdorf is home to cockpit production and parts supply for overseas plants, and also serves as the door and flap production centre for Rolls-Royce. With its battery testing centre, the site also makes a significant contribution to electromobility.

The BMW Group's core staff at its Regensburg and Wackersdorf locations in eastern Bavaria comprises around 9,000 employees, including approximately 380 apprentices.

www.bmwgroup-werke.com/regensburg/de.html

München/Ljubljana. BMW Group je v letu 2025 ponovno dokazal, da je dosledno zmanjševanje emisij CO₂ združljivo z rastjo in tehnološko odprtostjo. Na ravni Evropske unije (EU27+2: EU, Norveška in Islandija) so povprečne emisije voznega parka znašale 90,0 g CO₂/km (WLTP), kar predstavlja 9,5-odstotno izboljšanje v primerjavi z letom 2024 in hkrati preseganje zakonsko določenega cilja EU za skoraj 3 grame CO₂ na kilometer.

»Ponovno smo presegli ambiciozne evropske cilje za CO₂ za leto 2025, in sicer brez uporabe fleksibilnih mehanizmov za doseganje podnebnih ciljev ali združevanja z drugimi proizvajalci z nizkimi izpusti. To poudarja, da naš tehnološko nevtralen pristop in sistematično zmanjševanje CO₂ nista protislovna, ampak gresta z roko v roki. Odločilni dejavnik je učinkovitost vseh pogonskih tehnologij, ki jih ponujamo našim strankam,« je dejal Oliver Zipse, predsednik upravnega odbora BMW AG.

Nadaljevanje elektrifikacije BMW Group je bil ključni dejavnik pri zmanjšanju emisij celotnega voznega parka v lanskem letu. Leta 2025 je podjetje strankam v Evropski uniji (EU27+2: EU, Norveška in Islandija) dobavilo več kot 316.000 elektrificiranih vozil. Delež prodaje BMW Group, ki ga predstavljajo elektrificirana vozila v Evropski uniji (EU27+2: EU, Norveška in Islandija), se je lani povečal na 41,1 %.

Zmanjšanje emisij celotnega voznega parka podpira dolgoročne podnebne cilje BMW Group. Na ta način BMW Group izvaja celovito strategijo dekarbonizacije skozi celoten življenjski cikel, s ciljem doseči „neto nič“ najpozneje do leta 2050. To predstavlja trdno zavezo podjetja k ciljem Pariškega podnebnega sporazuma. Do leta 2035 namerava skupina zmanjšati svoje emisije CO₂e za vsaj 60 milijonov ton v primerjavi z ravnmi iz leta 2019.

»Vsaka tona CO₂, ki jo lahko preprečimo, šteje. Zato smo sprejeli celovit razvojni pristop k dekarbonizaciji, ki sega daleč prek emisij voznega parka. Zmanjšujemo CO₂ v celotnem življenjskem ciklu naših vozil – od dobavne verige do proizvodnje in skozi njihovo delovanje,« pojasnjuje Joachim Post, član uprave BMW AG, razvoj.

Slovenija nad globalnim povprečjem

Trendu elektrifikacije z izrazito pozitivnimi rezultati sledi tudi BMW Slovenija. V letu 2025 so električna in elektrificirana vozila znamk BMW in MINI v Sloveniji skupaj predstavljala 33 % vseh prodanih vozil, pri čemer so popolnoma električna vozila dosegla 21-odstotni delež, kar presega globalno povprečje BMW Group in tudi krepko presega povprečje na celotnem slovenskem trgu. Na globalni ravni so namreč elektrificirana vozila v letu 2025 predstavljala približno 26 % celotne prodaje BMW Group, pri čemer so popolnoma električna vozila dosegla okoli 18-odstotni delež. V letu 2025 pa je v celotni Sloveniji delež novo registriranih povsem električnih vozil prvič dosegel več kot 10-odstotkov, v primerjavi z letom 2024 ko je bil delež le 5,9 %.

Električna vozila BMW danes v Sloveniji predstavljajo 20 % celotne prodaje, električna in priključno hibridna vozila skupaj pa že skoraj tretjino vseh registracij. Posebej izrazit je premik v segmentu športnih terencev, kjer so popolnoma električni modeli dosegli 22 % delež, ter v poslovnem segmentu, kjer je bilo 28 % vseh poslovnih registracij električnih.

»Električna in elektrificirana vozila danes predstavljajo že tretjino celotne prodaje BMW Slovenija, kar presega globalno povprečje BMW Group in potrjuje odprtost slovenskih strank za trajnostno mobilnost. Z novo generacijo vozil Neue Klasse in prihodom novega BMW iX3 vstopamo v naslednje obdobje z veliko mero optimizma,« je poudaril Aleš Suhorepec, generalni direktor BMW Group Slovenija.

BMW tako v Sloveniji zaseda vodilno mesto med nemškimi premijskimi proizvajalci na področju elektrificiranih vozil z 52-odstotnim deležem med električnimi in priključno hibridnimi modeli.

Skupni cilj: trajnostna mobilnost

Primer Slovenije jasno kaže, kako lahko lokalni trgi s hitro rastjo elektrificiranih vozil konkretno prispevajo k doseganju ambicioznih okoljskih ciljev BMW Group. Z nadaljnjo širitvijo elektrificirane ponudbe, tehnološko nevtralnim pristopom in visoko stopnjo sprejemanja med kupci BMW Group po vsem svetu, tudi v Sloveniji, tudi v prihodnje ostaja pomemben akter pri zmanjševanju CO₂ emisij in uresničevanju ciljev Pariškega podnebnega sporazuma.

Ljubljana. Izzivi so se za avtomobilsko leto nadaljevali tudi v 2025: od umirjanja rasti na nekaterih ključnih trgih, vključno s padcem povpraševanja na Kitajskem in prilagajanjem strategij elektromobilnosti. Kljub globalnim izzivom je BMW Group Slovenija v letu 2025 dosegla dobre prodajne rezultate in utrdila svojo pozicijo v ključnih segmentih, še posebej na področju elektrificiranih vozil in inovacij v premium razredu.

»Električna in elektrificirana vozila danes predstavljajo že tretjino celotne prodaje BMW Group Slovenija, kar presega globalno povprečje BMW Group, in potrjuje odprtost slovenskih strank, ki se odločajo za naša vozila. Z novo generacijo vozil Neue Klasse ter izjemnim začetnim zanimanjem za novi BMW iX3 vstopamo v naslednje obdobje z veliko mero optimizma. Ob nadaljnji širitvi elektrificirane ponudbe in prihodu novih modelov verjamemo, da bo leto 2026 zaznamovano z nadaljnjo rastjo in še uspešnejšimi rezultati,« je dodal Aleš Suhorepec, generalni direktor BMW Group Slovenija.

BMW Group je v tem letu nadaljeval z ambiciozno produktno strategijo in trgu ponudil pomembne novosti, ki odražajo usmeritev znamke v prihodnost mobilnosti. Neue Klasse, nova arhitektura in tehnološka platforma, predstavlja temelj za naslednjo generacijo električnih vozil znamke BMW in že s prvim modelom postavlja nove standarde na trgu. V ospredju je novi BMW iX3, prvi serijski predstavnik platforme Neue Klasse, ki s sodobno električno tehnologijo, naprednimi digitalnimi vmesniki in inovativnimi funkcionalnostmi močno nagovarja povpraševanje po popolnoma električnih športnih terencih in predstavlja eno najpomembnejših modelnih predstavitev tega desetletja za BMW.

Najbolje prodajani modeli vozil BMW in MINI.

Stranke znamke BMW je v 2025 najbolj množično prepričal BMW X1, ki predstavlja 23,8 % vseh prodanih vozil BMW v preteklem letu, s 14,2 % prodanih vozil mu na drugem mestu po številu registracij v 2025 sledi serija 5, tretje mesto pa zaseda BMW X3 z 10,6-odstotnim prodajnim deležem.

Trend prodaje športnih terencev se je nadaljeval, saj so v letu 2025 predstavljali kar 56 % celotne prodaje vozil BMW. Slovenski kupci so se najpogosteje odločili za BMW X1, ki z vnosom dinamike, okretnosti in natančnosti gradi na spontanem užitku v vožnji, BMW X3 in BMW X5. V segmentu športnih terencev se kupci vse pogosteje odločajo za elektrificirane modele. Popolnoma električna športna terenska vozila so znotraj segmenta športnih terencev predstavljala kar 22 % prodanih vozil.

Močno zanimanje za člane družine X je opazno tudi v poslovnem segmentu, kjer se poslovneži najpogosteje odločajo za BMW X1, sledijo pa X3 in X5. Drugo mesto v poslovnem segmentu pa pripada najbolje prodajani poslovni limuzini BMW serije 5. V poslovnem segmentu opažamo tudi vedno večji premik k trajnosti, saj je bilo kar 28 % vseh poslovno registriranih vozil znamke BMW električnih.

Leto 2025 je zaznamovala uvedba modela direktne prodaje vozil MINI, ki je prinesla mnoge prednosti za vse deležnike, torej za trgovce in stranke. Uspešno lansiranje je prineslo znatno povečanje prodaje v primerjavi z letom poprej (+15,6 °). Pri znamki je delež registriranih električnih vozil dosegel kar 44 %. V tem letu je bil najpogosteje registriran model Cooper (56 % vseh prodanih vozil), ki je na voljo kot 3-vratni, 5-vratni in kabriolet. Na drugem mestu sledi popolnoma električni model Aceman, takoj za njim pa Countryman, največji član družine MINI. Znotraj modela Cooper je bilo 31 % vseh registracij popolnoma električnih, pri modelu Countryman pa 23 %.

BMW Group ohranja mesto vodilnega v deležu prodaje električnih in priključno hibridnih vozil med najbližjima nemškima konkurentoma.

Na slovenskem trgu BMW v primerjavi z nemškima konkurentoma v premijskem razredu z 52 % deležem med električnimi in priključno hibridnimi vozili trdno zaseda vodilno mesto. Priključni hibridi BMW znotraj premium segmenta nemških proizvajalcev dosegajo kar 62 % delež, električna vozila BMW pa si v segmentu popolnoma električnih vozil lastijo 47 % delež in skupno s priključno hibridnimi vozili predstavljajo 32 % vseh registriranih avtomobilov BMW.

BMW Group kljub zahtevnim tržnim razmeram v letu 2025 globalno ohranja usmeritev v rast popolnoma električnih vozil. Povečano povpraševanje po elektrificiranih modelih se je odrazilo v rasti prodaje in novih naročil, zlasti na evropskih trgih, kjer elektrifikacija ostaja eden ključnih stebrov razvoja avtomobilske industrije.

Na globalni ravni so elektrificirana vozila v letu 2025 predstavljala približno 26 % celotne prodaje BMW Group, pri čemer so popolnoma električna vozila dosegla okoli 18-odstotni delež. Slovenski trg pri tem izstopa z nadpovprečnim deležem elektrificiranih vozil. V letu 2025 so električna in elektrificirana vozila znamk BMW in MINI skupaj predstavljala 33 % vseh prodanih vozil BMW Group Slovenija. Znotraj tega so popolnoma električna vozila dosegla 21-odstotni delež, kar presega globalno povprečje in potrjuje visoko stopnjo sprejemanja električne mobilnosti med slovenskimi kupci. V letu 2025 je v celotni Sloveniji delež novo registriranih povsem električnih vozil prvič dosegel več kot 10-odstotkov, v primerjavi z letom 2024 ko je bil delež le 5,9 %.

Med popolnoma električnimi modeli so se slovenski kupci v letu 2025 najpogosteje odločali za BMW iX1, ki je predstavljal 43 % prodaje električnih vozil, sledila pa sta BMW i4 in BMW i5, kar odraža raznolikost povpraševanja po električnih modelih v različnih segmentih.

BMW Group utrjuje vodilni položaj v segmentu visokozmogljivih vozil.

Kupci, ki se odločajo za visokozmogljiva športna vozila nemških premium proizvajalcev, v segmentu vozil BMW M posegajo po širokem naboru modelov. V letu 2025 je bil najbolje prodajani model BMW M3 Competition CS z 28 registracijami, drugo mesto pa sta si delila BMW XM in BMW M5, vsak s po 24 registracijami. Sledil je BMW M2. V segmentu BMW M Performance se nadaljuje izrazit trend športnih terencev, saj je bil najbolje prodajani model BMW X3 M50 xDrive. Vozila BMW M in BMW M Performance so tako v segmentu visokozmogljivih vozil med najbližjima nemškima konkurentoma s kar 52 % deležem zasedla zavidljivo prvo mesto.

BMW Motorrad.

BMW Motorrad je v letu 2025 nadaljeval z izjemnimi prodajnimi rezultati na slovenskem trgu. Na celotnem trgu motociklov od 250ccm do 1800ccm je bilo registriranih kar 462 motociklov znamke, kar je BMW omogočilo vzpon na drugo mesto po tržnem deležu v Sloveniji. Med posameznimi modeli je BMW R 1300 GS Adventure, z 118 registracijami, postal najbolje prodajan motocikel v Sloveniji v letu 2025, takoj za njim pa se je s 116 registracijami uvrstil BMW 1300 GS. V razredu nad 750ccm je BMW s 427 registriranimi motocikli ohranil vodilni položaj ter dosegel 33,5-odstotni tržni delež.

^{Vir podatkov: IHS - interna poročila BMW Group.}

^{Več informacij na voljo spodaj in v priponki v angleščini.}

Munich. Last year, the BMW Group once again produced more than one million vehicles at its German plants. This means that one in four vehicles built in Germany comes from a BMW Group plant. According to the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), a total of 4.15 million vehicles were manufactured in Germany during the same period.

“Our plants provide impressive proof of how competitive German industry is. Producing more than one million vehicles in 2025 is a strong testament to Germany’s innovative strength. To achieve this, we are systematically leveraging innovation and digitalisation. Going forward, policymakers must ensure competitive framework conditions for Germany as an industrial location,” explains Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production.

The German automotive industry possesses unique expertise, extensive knowledge and a passionate car culture that few locations worldwide can match. The BMW Group vehicle plants in Dingolfing, Leipzig, Munich and Regensburg represent strong pillars of the company’s international production network. The foundation for this is a clear strategic direction aligned with the BMW iFACTORY, with streamlined structures, efficient processes and maximum flexibility at all plants. The BMW iFACTORY offers a vision for manufacturing across all locations in the global production network.

At all German plants, vehicles with internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and fully-electric drive trains are produced on a single line. With this flexible structure, BMW Group production can respond in an agile manner to fluctuations in demand and changing market conditions. It is therefore an important pillar supporting the company’s cross-functional resilience and a key competitive advantage in a dynamically evolving industry.

Vehicles from the German plants are primarily destined for the European market, in line with the principle of globally distributed value added. In the Americas and China, production volumes also roughly correspond to the number of vehicles sold in those regions.

Overview of BMW Group production in Germany

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Detailed BMW Group production figures for 2025 will be released with the Integrated BMW Group Report in March 2026.

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Munich. BMW Group Plant Munich is ready for the production of the next vehicle generation. The manufacturing equipment has been installed in the new body shop and assembly line, and functional checks have been successfully completed. During this so-called "Common Function Test," every system undergoes dry runs, in which production planners and plant technicians put the machinery through its paces. All production steps are executed without any parts in the system. Cycle by cycle, an invisible vehicle takes shape. Although no actual car is produced, this process provides the certainty that everything operates seamlessly and as planned.

Peter Weber, head of BMW Group Plant Munich, is delighted: “Just in time for the holidays, we have reached an important milestone: All manufacturing technologies and equipment are ready to go, and we are already training our associates for production of the BMW i3. We are taking major strides towards production of first pre-series vehicles, which will then come completely from our plant.”

However, plant employees will have to remain patient a little longer until then. BMW i3 assembly, which has so far been carried out at the nearby Research and Innovation Centre, will be relocating to Plant Munich in January. With this move, all technologies at Plant Munich are then in place to continue rigorous testing of the complete production system. Series production of the new BMW i3 will then ramp up in summer 2026.

Typical iFACTORY: digitally planned and tested

Plant Munich is consistently aligned with the guiding principles of the BMW iFACTORY. Both the new body shop and new assembly line were digitally planned and built from the outset. Existing installations in the press shop and paint shop are also integrated into the BMW Group’s Virtual Factory. This made it possible to conduct functional testing of all technologies for the new vehicle generation virtually and well in advance.

Extensive remodelling completed in just 18 months

In just 18 months, about a third of the plant grounds has undergone extensive remodelling. Old halls were dismantled, and a new assembly, logistics centre and body shop were built – all while still manufacturing up to 1,000 BMW 3 Series and 4 Series vehicles per day. Series production of the new BMW i3 is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026.

Ljubljana. Prenovljeni salon AutoWallis v Ljubljani je prvi v Sloveniji, zasnovan v skladu z najnovejšo globalno arhitekturo Retail.NEXT. Koncept temelji na odprti in modularni prostorski zasnovi, naprednih digitalnih rešitvah ter procesih, ki omogočajo popolno posvečenost kupcu. Nova nakupna pot združuje fizično doživetje salona z individualiziranimi digitalnimi storitvami ter tako ustvarja hitrejšo, preglednejšo in bolj prilagojeno uporabniško izkušnjo.

Retail.NEXT ni zgolj prenova prostora – prinaša celovito reinterpretacijo vsake interakcije med svetovalcem in stranko. Od prvega pozdrava do prevzema vozila se procesi na novo oblikujejo s ciljem doseči najvišjo raven premium storitve, ob hkratnem poudarku na trajnosti in diferenciaciji v primerjavi s konkurenco.

Aleš Suhorepec, generalni direktor BMW Group Slovenija, je poudaril, da z odprtjem prvega salona BMW po standardih Retail.NEXT v Sloveniji vstopamo v novo poglavje, v katerem je izkušnja kupca v središču prav vsakogar od nas. »Naš cilj je jasen – združiti najboljše iz fizičnega in digitalnega sveta ter ustvariti okolje, kjer se inovacije, estetika in osebni pristop povezujejo v popolno zgodbo. Nova arhitektura salona, napredna digitalna orodja in svež, odprt koncept so rezultat naše ambicije, da kupcem omogočimo izkušnjo, ki je pregledna, intuitivna in navdihujoča. Ta prenova ni zgolj posodobitev prostora, temveč nov standard, ki ga želimo postopoma razširiti po celotni Sloveniji. Verjamem, da bomo s tem pristopom kupcem ponudili izkušnjo prihodnosti, našim ekipam pa orodja, da stopijo še bližje strankam in ustvarijo nove, dolgotrajne odnose.«

AutoWallis v Ljubljani že od leta 2020 deluje kot prodajno-servisni partner BMW Group Slovenija in je hčerinsko podjetje Skupine AutoWallis – enega najmočnejših avtomobilskih koncernov v regiji, prisotnega v 17 državah Srednje in Vzhodne Evrope. AutoWallis je največji trgovec BMW in MINI na Madžarskem, v Sloveniji pa se je v zadnjih letih okrepil s prevzemi prodajno-servisnih dejavnosti v osrednjeslovenski, gorenjski in primorski regiji. Z uvedbo enotne blagovne znamke AutoWallis, tudi slovenske poslovalnice začenjajo pomemben prehod v popolnoma integrirano evropsko mrežo, ki ima ambicijo postati eden vodilnih ponudnikov mobilnosti v regiji.

Blaž Urbanija, izvršni direktor AutoWallis v Sloveniji, je dejal da z Retail.NEXT ne ustvarjajo le novega salona temveč gradijo novo poglavje izkušnje znamke BMW, zasnovane na osebnem pristopu, odgovornosti in digitalni povezanosti. Ob odprtju salona je izpostavil: »Danes uvajamo tudi postopno združitev blagovnih znamk Wallis Motor Ljubljana in Avto Aktiv pod enotno blagovno znamko AutoWallis. Ljubljanska poslovalnica je prva, ki že nosi novo ime, ostale lokacije pa ji bodo sledile do sredine prihodnjega leta. S tem korakom sledimo strateški usmeritvi ter krepimo enotno identiteto Skupine AutoWallis v regiji. Združitev prinaša večjo konsistentnost, prepoznavnost in povezanost delovanja ter ustvarja trdne temelje za nadaljnjo rast.«

Orsolya Györke, direktorica marketinga Skupine AutoWallis, je ob odprtju poudarila dolgoletno tradicijo znamke BMW v skupini in strateški pomen slovenskega trga: »BMW je bil vedno ključni element portfelja AutoWallis, poleg tega pa se je celotna zgodba Wallisa in avtomobilizma začela pred več kot 30 leti s pridobitvijo distribucijskih pravic in odprtjem prvega prodajnega salona BMW v Budimpešti na Madžarskem. Skozi leta je AutoWallis postal največji prodajalec BMW na Madžarskem, od leta 2020 pa se ta zgodba o uspehu nadaljuje tudi v Sloveniji. To je največji in odslej najsodobnejši prodajni salon BMW v Sloveniji, ki uvaja izkušnjo strank na višji ravni in hkrati dodatno krepi naš položaj na regionalnem maloprodajnem trgu.«

Odprtje prenovljenega salona AutoWallis v Ljubljani predstavlja prvi korak v širšem načrtu BMW Group Slovenija. Ta prelomni mejnik bo zagnal postopno prenovo vseh BMW salonov po Sloveniji, kar bo zagotovilo enotno, sodobno in trajnostno naravnano izkušnjo kupcev po celotni državi. Z Retail.NEXT BMW Group ustvarja prihodnost, v kateri bo vsak obisk salona več kot le nakup – postal bo navdihujoče doživetje vrhunske mobilnosti.

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Munich/Parsdorf. With the publication of its Environmental Impact Statement 2024, all BMW Group operations in Parsdorf are now part of the European environmental register, EMAS. In addition to the BMW Group Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre (CMCC) and test-parts logistics, the pilot plant for high-voltage batteries in Parsdorf has been included in the environmental impact statement and EMAS registration for the first time. EMAS stands for the “Eco-Management and Audit Scheme”, which claims to be the most stringent environmental management system in the world. “We are very pleased with the EMAS registration of all our operations in Parsdorf, which underlines that our processes operate at a very high level – both economically and environmentally,” says Hansjörg Schilp, director of the CMCC and pilot plant for high-voltage batteries in Parsdorf. “The entire team has done an outstanding job.”

EMAS: Strict requirements and high environmental standards

To be listed in the EMAS Register, companies must fulfil strict requirements and adhere to rigorous environmental standards. EMAS is a globally recognised framework that enables organisations to manage and continuously improve their environmental impact. A key element of the EMAS environmental management system is the international environmental management standard ISO 14001. EMAS also focuses on measurable improvements, transparency and legal certainty. Auditing aims to support companies in continuously improving their environmental performance – for example, by using energy and material more efficiently and reducing emissions, wastewater and waste from their sites. Beyond these direct environmental impacts, EMAS also addresses and evaluates indirect aspects, including the sustainability of products, procurement and supply chains, contractor practices and the environmental impact of employees commuting to work. (Source: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/wirtschaft-konsum/wirtschaft-umwelt/umwelt-energiemanagement/emas-umweltmanagement-guetesiegel-der-europaeischen#systematisches-umweltmanagement-mit-emas)

Efficient operations and concepts for the circular economy

The validated environmental impact statement and the resulting inclusion in the EMAS Register by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) for Munich and Upper Bavaria underscore the rigorous environmental standards upheld by the BMW Group in Parsdorf. Battery cell production at the CMCC, one of the three Parsdorf facilities, is powered entirely by electricity from 100% renewable energy sources. Hot water for process ventilation is generated using waste heat recovered from various primary processes, and all three Parsdorf facilities utilise heat pumps in their operations. “On our pilot lines for battery cells and high-voltage batteries, we are focusing on reducing the use of critical raw materials and energy, avoiding solvents and developing innovative circular economy approaches,” explains Schilp. Raw materials represent a significant cost factor for battery cells and high-voltage batteries. Efficient and responsible use of these resources is therefore necessary and also makes economic sense. The BMW Group is gaining valuable insights in this area in Parsdorf. Residual materials from the production process are collected and, wherever technically feasible, reintegrated into the value-creation cycle at the BMW Group’s Competence Centres through direct recycling. This innovative procedure enables residual materials from battery cell production, as well as whole battery cells, to be mechanically dismantled into their components.

Transparent reporting: Environmental impact statement now online

The environmental impact statement for the BMW Group’s Parsdorf  operations (CMCC, pilot plant for high-voltage batteries and test-parts logistics) has been independently reviewed by TÜV SÜD Umweltgutachter GmbH and is now available online at: www.bmwgroup-werke.com/produktionskompetenz/de.html

How the cell is created: Production steps for sample manufacturing at the CMCC

Cell manufacturing at the CMCC in Parsdorf begins with electrode production: Here, the base material, comprising, for example, graphite for the anode and nickel oxides for the cathode, with binders and solvents, is metered and mixed in a precisely measured ratio. This creates the so-called “slurry” – which means wafer-thin metal foils are coated and then compressed after drying. In technical jargon, this is referred to as “calendering”. The highest level of precision is required: The foil is just a few micrometres thick – in other words, thinner than the threads of a spider web – while the coating is in the micrometre range. During cell assembly, the coated foils, referred to in the jargon as calendered electrodes, are coiled into so-called “jelly rolls” using the separator and inserted into the cell housing. The cells are filled with electrolyte, then charged for the first time and finally checked for functionality and quality.

Parsdorf pioneers: How the BMW Group builds Gen6 high-voltage batteries

Parsdorf is also home to the BMW Group’s largest pilot plant for Gen6 high-voltage batteries, where production processes are developed and tested before large-scale production begins at the series plants in Debrecen (Hungary), Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Lower Bavaria), Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and Woodruff (USA). More than 350 employees have been building initial high-voltage battery prototypes here since 2023. In the meantime, these batteries have also been delivered to the vehicle plant in Debrecen, Hungary, where they were installed in test vehicles for the Neue Klasse. For series production, the BMW Group sources battery cells for its high-voltage batteries from leading cell manufacturers, who produce the cells to the company's specifications. The highest technical standards apply. Upon receipt of goods, additional measurements – such as voltage checks – are carried out. Next comes cell clustering, where the battery cells are connected to coolers. This step ensures optimal insulation and cooling of the cells. The cell clusters and cell contact system are then laser-cleaned and welded with pinpoint precision. The in-line inspection continuously monitors each weld seam in real time. An innovative foaming process follows, ensuring that all elements are protected as a mechanical unit. The foam thus guarantees the safety, stability and durability of the high-voltage battery. The housing is then closed, sealed and riveted. In the final assembly step, the Energy Master – the central control unit – is installed onto the high-voltage battery. A permanently elastic sealing adhesive is applied to ensure a reliable seal. Finally, each high-voltage battery undergoes a 100% end-of-line inspection to ensure quality, safety and function.

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Irlbach-Straßkirchen. Construction of BMW Group’s new high-voltage battery assembly plant in the municipalities of Irlbach and Straßkirchen (Straubing-Bogen district) is progressing at high speed.

“With the completion of the Energy Centre building and the fire station, we have reached the next important milestone on the road to serial production for the new generation 6 high-voltage batteries here in Lower Bavaria,” says Sabrina Kugler, Project Manager for Plant Construction Irlbach-Straßkirchen. “The Energy Centre supplies the new plant with all the essential utilities. In addition, there are around 3,000 square metres with optimal conditions for the fire department.”

For safety: Fire service on duty 24/7

In June, the BMW fire brigade began its around-the-clock duty on the BMW Group Irlbach-Straßkirchen site. With five service vehicles and 26 people working in shifts, the fire service will ensure the safety of employees at the site. The accreditation process as a plant fire brigade is currently underway.

The team comprises experienced colleagues from other BMW Group sites in Bavaria as well as newly trained plant firefighters recruited from the region. Two of the new employees are also active in the volunteer fire departments in Irlbach and Straßkirchen. Training events and exercises continue to be closely coordinated with the nearby municipal fire brigades.

Central control unit for all essential resources

For Silvia Meyer, Head of Real Estate Management at the Irlbach-Straßkirchen plant, the Energy Centre is the “heart” of the new high-voltage battery assembly plant. “Here future production and the ancillary buildings are supplied with all necessary media – electricity, cooling, heat, cooling water and compressed air.” The utility media are controlled in the so-called Operations Centre. The building’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting are controlled automatically and resource-efficiently via the energy control technology installed there. With the help of sensors, all key production facilities and rooms are continuously monitored and visualised in real time on the control room screens.

Waste heat from production used for heating

Waste heat from the production processes is used to heat the canteen, storage and ancillary buildings at low temperatures. To do this, heat pumps in the Energy Centre convert the roughly 23°C chilled water heated by the production plants into heating energy at about 60°C. Four heat pumps, each with 1.8 MW, guarantee fault-tolerant heating capacity.

The entire piping system of the Energy Centre extends over 3.8 kilometres and is initially filled with 500,000 litres of water. The production and assembly process for high-voltage batteries requires no water. Drinking water at the site is used only for kitchens and washbasins. Rainwater collected on the roofs is used for toilets.

Highly automated production process requires compressed air

The highly automated material-handling technology in the production process for high-voltage batteries continuously requires compressed air. The energy center supplies compressed air at 6 bar to the systems in the production. Two redundant compressors cover base load, and a variable compressor covers peak load. The waste heat from the compressors is also fed into the cooling-water circuit and again available for heating the factory via the heat pumps.

Plant runs exclusively on renewable electricity

Although a natural gas pipeline runs across the site, the energy supply for the BMW Group Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen in regular operation relies entirely on non-fossil energy sources. The plant is not connected to the natural gas pipeline.

At the new site, electricity is generated from solar energy to cover part of the total power demand. A photovoltaic installation will be installed on a roof area of around 62,000 square metres. The extent is more than a third of the roof area of the future production building, i.e. about the size of nine football pitches. The PV system will be installed and operated by the energy supplier VERBUND. Construction will begin in spring 2026, allowing it to be commissioned in time for the start of serial production. Nearly 14,000 photovoltaic modules can deliver over 6 MW peak (MWp) and thus generate more than 6,000 MWh per year. Any additional external electricity required will come entirely from renewable sources.

The electrical supply of the assembly plant will be provided via underground 110 kV cables connected to a substation operated by Bayernwerk Netz GmbH in Irlbach, which is currently under construction. Until the substation is completed in 2028, a provisional 34 MW connection to the existing 110 kV high-voltage lines will ensure a stable power supply for the current construction site and the future production operation.

In addition, two own transformers with a maximum reference capacity of 68 MW have been installed on the site near the Energy Centre. They initially convert the 110 kV supply to 20 kV for distribution on the site. Transformers located close to consumption provide the 230 V and 400 V supplies.

Radio mast secures mobile phone coverage 

The Energy Centre also plays a key role in the plant’s mobile phone coverage: a radio mast on the roof of the Energy Centre provides mobile coverage for the outdoor areas of the site. Inside the plant, around 220 antennas have already been installed in various buildings, and more than 9.5 kilometres of RF cable and 3.5 kilometres of fibre optic cable have been laid to ensure coverage across the entire site.

Digital planning tool BIM accelerates construction progress

The approximately 10,400 square metre building for the Energy Centre and Fire Station was completed in just under 14 months.

A key contributor to this short construction period was Building Information Modelling (BIM), a digital planning method. BMW Group applies the BIM approach consistently in all planning and realisation processes for the new Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen. The system networks data and workflows of all project participants from planning through construction to operation.

The use of BIM ensures that all project participants have access to the current planning status. The method helps identify and optimise interfaces between all project participants at an early stage.  An autonomous drone is used to continuously compare the current construction progress (as-built) with the digital building model (as-planned). Deviations are identified quickly so that corresponding measures can be taken. BIM is thus a fundamental component for a smooth commissioning, acceptance and handover (IAÜ process) of the buildings and systems.

Further information on the BMW Group plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen can be found on the project website – www.bmwgroup-werke.com/irlbach-strasskirchen.

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Debrecen. With an impressive ceremony that artistically combined Hungarian culture and modern automotive production, Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, today officially opened the BMW Group plant in Debrecen. The BMW Group’s newest and most innovative production site marks the beginning of a new era for the company. In late October, the new BMW iX3 will enter series production in the Hungarian university town of Debrecen as the first vehicle of the Neue Klasse. Plant Debrecen was planned virtually and realised in practice fully in line with the principles of the BMW iFACTORY, becoming the first BMW Group car plant to rely entirely on electricity from renewable energy during normal operation.

In addition to Oliver Zipse, high-ranking representatives from Hungarian politics, such as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Mayor of Debrecen, László Papp, as well as Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management for Production, Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources and Real Estate, and Hans-Peter Kemser, President and CEO BMW Manufacturing Hungary Kft., attended the grand opening.

“In our global production network, our new plant in Debrecen is a pioneer: It is our first fully-electric plant, the first production site to operate entirely without fossil fuels – and the first to build vehicles for the Neue Klasse. This makes our plant in Debrecen a decisive factor in the BMW Group's future success,” said Oliver Zipse. “The opening also sends a strong signal: We are expanding our footprint on our home continent and reaffirming our commitment to Europe as a strong and competitive location for industry.”

Hans-Peter Kemser added at the ceremony: “This is not only a new BMW Group plant – it is a cornerstone of progress. We are a partner to culture, to education and to the University of Debrecen, where together we foster the talents that will shape the future. And above all, it is a community – deeply embedded in the life of Debrecen and Hungary.”

Strengthening the industrial base and expanding training

The official opening ceremony began with a look back at the plant’s construction, following a 2018 decision that launched one of Hungary’s largest greenfield investments. The BMW Group’s first Central European location has firmly placed Debrecen on the region's automotive map, creating more than 2,000 direct jobs – and many more along the supply chain, at regional suppliers and service providers that have recently established themselves in Debrecen, alongside national and international companies. The new plant has also strengthened the industrial park and driven additional investment in transport and infrastructure.

At the same time, through collaborations with institutions such as the local university and the Vocational Training Centre of Debrecen, DSZC, Plant Debrecen has also become one of the largest training hubs for dual education programmes in Hungary.

Only the best of the best for Debrecen

Plant Debrecen is the first BMW Group production site not tied to a specific primary plant. Instead, it serves as a network plant, combining best practices from different locations worldwide. For example, the press shop is modelled on the systems used in Spartanburg (USA) and Swindon (Great Britain), with their know-how and technologies further refined for Debrecen. In the body shop, the positioning of nearly 1,000 industrial robots, along with their processes, was digitally simulated in detail beforehand. The number of joining methods was also significantly reduced, with further streamlining allowing design features for the Neue Klasse to be integrated early in development.

Paint shop key to largest reduction in CO₂e emissions

At BMW Group Plant Debrecen, the paint shop plays a critical role in significantly reducing the BMW iX3’s CO₂e footprint. Production of the new BMW iX3 will generate a total of about 80kg CO₂e (scope 1/2 emissions). This figure covers CO₂e emissions from Plant Debrecen, as well as in-house parts production at other BMW Group facilities, including components manufactured in Landshut, for example. This represents a reduction of approx. two-thirds compared to production of existing BMW derivatives. For Plant Debrecen alone, this approach will reduce CO₂e emissions from the manufacture of a vehicle, including its high-voltage battery, by around 90% – to about 34 kg CO₂e (when operating at full capacity, compared with other BMW Group facilities).

About a quarter of the plant's annual power needs will be supplied by the 50‑hectare on-site photovoltaic system, one of the largest in Hungary. Surplus solar energy, such as that generated on non-working days, is stored in a 1,800 m³ thermal storage system with a capacity of 130 MWh.

Digitalised assembly processes and smart “finger structure”

Complete digitalisation of production processes further boosts assembly efficiency – for example, sensors and camera systems along the production line are used to automate quality processes. AI evaluates the data and provides real-time feedback to employees on the assembly line. The building's “finger structure” – an optimised version of BMW Group Plant Leipzig – allows 80% of parts to be delivered directly to the correct point of assembly on the line. In-house logistics are fully electric.

High-voltage battery assembly in line with “local for local” principle

High-voltage batteries are assembled directly on site, allowing for short distances in line with the “local for local” principle. Plant Debrecen will be the first of five plants worldwide to begin series production of Gen6 high-voltage batteries at this location. Seamless in-line quality inspections and 100% end‑of‑line monitoring enable a consistent zero-defect approach.

Final photo with employees and two BMW iX3s

The opening ceremony concluded with a music and dance performance celebrating Hungarian culture and traditions, which the BMW Group also supports through local events and organisations. To wrap up, numerous employees joined Viktor Orbán and Oliver Zipse on stage, alongside two new BMW iX3s.

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Munich. The high-voltage battery is a vital component of every electric vehicle. With the high-voltage batteries for the sixth generation (Gen6) of BMW eDrive, the BMW Group has made a big step in technology, delivering major improvements in energy density, charging speed and range. In readiness for series production, the BMW Group is currently building five assembly sites across three continents: in Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Lower Bavaria), Debrecen (Hungary), Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and Woodruff (USA). Before the series launch, production processes will be developed and tested at the BMW Group’s pilot plants for high-voltage batteries in Parsdorf and Hallbergmoos, and at the Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) in Munich. As a data scientist and IT project manager, Patrick Zimmermann is responsible for implementing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and data analytics in the high-voltage battery production of the BMW Group. His role is to weave all relevant software strands together.

Patrick, what do you do as a data scientist and IT project manager in high-voltage battery production?

Patrick Zimmermann (PZ): I coordinate an interdisciplinary team that oversees the entire data processing chain: from data provision at the manufacturing facilities to edge applications that transfer our production data to the cloud and to analytics platforms.

What kind of expertise do you need for that?

PZ: First and foremost, the job requires a solid understanding of the technologies used to manufacture our high-voltage batteries. For this latest generation, which uses the new cylindrical round cells, we’ve developed a completely new production process. Of course, strong IT knowledge is also essential – with a clear focus on the software architectures behind the data analytics and artificial intelligence. Understanding the individual software modules and interfaces is crucial for choosing the right solutions for our production from the wide range of technologies and applications available.

This means you always have your finger on the pulse and can anticipate IT trends?

PZ: Data analytics and AI for production are evolving at a tremendous pace right now. That's why it’s important to keep an eye on new approaches and evaluate whether they’re suitable for BMW. Or whether they could even replace existing solutions – perhaps by offering lower costs or enhanced features. Not every analysis or AI solution that performs well in a particular industry or use case can be directly applied to battery production.

Production of Gen6 high-voltage batteries is groundbreaking for the BMW Group. What, in your opinion, makes this project unique?

PZ: One unique aspect is the end-to-end responsibility – from data provision and data transfer to the cloud, all the way through to selective and even continuous analyses. We process both numerical data and visual representations from the equipment. Throughout the process, we maintain a consistent zero-defect approach to producing our high-voltage batteries. Highly intelligent, AI-supported quality checks are integrated into the production process to help us achieve this. We rely on OPC UA interface technology for plant connectivity. This enables us to model standardised digital twins directly at our plants, eliminating the need for additional data processing. Data is transferred to the BMW Group's clouds, using the same data structure across all production sites. This allows us to roll out standardised analysis dashboards worldwide and, for example, implement process optimisations more rapidly. We’ve already established this IT architecture at our high-voltage battery pilot plants. We have now been able to transfer our analysis dashboards to the first series production plants with minimal effort.

Entire new plants and assembly halls are being built for production of the new Gen6 high-voltage batteries. Is this beneficial for the IT structure?

PZ: Absolutely! Building several plants for Gen6 high-voltage batteries on greenfield sites gives us a whole new level of design freedom. This allows for much bigger leaps in IT, compared to integrating new solutions into existing plants – a so-called brownfield. I, for one, find it really exciting to help shape the Industrial Internet of Things and data analytics on such a large scale right from the start.

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Dingolfing. A new Centre for Special and Individual Paintwork is about to be built at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing. Over the next two years, an investment of more than 30 million euros will enable a new, southern extension to the existing paintshop. Construction will commence in September 2025, with the new facility scheduled to go on stream in the spring of 2027.

The forthcoming extension will offer over 2,000 square metres of space across two levels for adding customers’ desired finishes and special paintwork options to even more cars in ever more efficient processes. “It will enable us to meet the growing wishes of customers for something special, and help us develop a lucrative area of business for the BMW Group,” says Plant Director Christoph Schröder.

The paintshop at Dingolfing already offers a particularly wide array of colours, paint types and customisation options, with up to 300 different shades for customers to choose from – plus the two-tone and complex special finishes available for exclusive small series such as the BMW 3.0 CSL (Fuel consumption combined: 11.0 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 249 g/km according to WLTP; details according to NEDC: –) or BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 (Fuel consumption combined: 10.2 l/100 km [27.7 mpg imp]; CO₂ emissions combined: 232 g/km in the WLTP cycle, CO₂ class: G).

A defining feature of this area of manufacturing is always the combination of automated processes in series production with individual elements of manual painting. According to Sven Selaskowki, responsible for Painted Bodies at Plant Dingolfing, the new paintline in the forthcoming extension will be equipped to enable exactly that: the first coat of coloured paint will be applied automatically in series production, with special touches – such as stripes or contrast colours on the doors and body for two-tone or custom finishes – added by hand afterwards in the forthcoming extension. Bodies will then return to the series production line for a final coat of clear varnish.

Depending on demand and the number of units needed, the team in the new centre for special paint finishes will comprise upwards of ten people.

Throughput times will fall by about a quarter compared to the current process, and costs per body made will fall noticeably. The drying furnaces in the new extension will run on electricity rather than gas – via power-to-heat.

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+++ Faster, more efficient transition from gas to alternative energy sources possible +++ Pilot project will save around 480 tons of CO2e per year +++

Regensburg. As it transitions from natural gas to renewable energy, the BMW Group is gradually electrifying its paint shops as part of its efforts to decarbonise vehicle production. A recently concluded pilot project at Plant Regensburg demonstrates how this transition can be simplified and accelerated. The key lies in the installation of a thermal oil system. Using thermal oil as a heat transfer medium enables heat generation to be decoupled from the rest of the system’s components. This allows the energy supply to the coating lines to be adapted flexibly at any time.

“One advantage of switching to thermal oil is the flexibility to choose the energy source for heat generation in our paint shops. For example, thermal oil can be heated using electricity, geothermal energy, solar thermal energy – or even a hydrogen-powered heating system. The ability to change fuels quickly at any time makes our paint shops more resilient. If an energy source becomes scarce or unavailable, we can respond at short notice,” explains Samuel Flieger, project manager for technical planning in the Regensburg paint shop.

This means paint shops can already be set up to run on renewable energy – even if gas-free heating is not yet an option. The power grid is not currently equipped at all locations to handle the high energy demands of a fully electrified paint shop, largely due to its extremely energy-intensive drying processes. A thermal oil-based system can also be operated with gas as an interim solution.

Testing successfully concluded in Regensburg

The Regensburg pilot project team took advantage of the production downtime over the New Year period to install the thermal oil technology. Within just a few days, they replaced the gas-powered drying equipment used for one of the three top coat lines with an electrically heated thermal oil system – complete with an innovative electric-powered eRTO exhaust air unit.

The key innovation lies in using the new electric heating unit to transfer heat to the thermal oil, instead of directly heating the air around the car bodies in the drying chamber after paint application. The heated oil circulates in a closed loop and, in a second step, heats the air in the drying chamber via heat exchangers. The circulating thermal oil reaches temperatures of several hundred degrees Celsius. Unlike water, it remains stable even at these high temperatures.

Retrofitting boosts energy efficiency

Wherever waste heat is generated, it is recovered and reused as process heat. This reduces the temperature of the exhaust air released through the hall's roof. As a result of these retrofitting measures, the drying equipment’s total energy consumption has been reduced by approximately 40 percent. Switching to thermal oil heating, combined with the system's improved energy efficiency, will reduce the carbon footprint of BMW Group Plant Regensburg’s paint shop by approximately 480 tons of CO₂e per year.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Christian Dürrschmidt, Communications Regensburg
Cell phone: +49 151 6060 5194,
Email: Christian.Duerrschmidt@bmw.de
 
Saskia Graser, head of Communications Regensburg and Wackersdorf
Cell phone: +49 151 6060 2014,
Email: Saskia.Graser@bmw.de
 
Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en
Email: presse@bmw.de

BMW Group Plants Regensburg and Wackersdorf
 
The BMW Group vehicle plant in Regensburg has been in operation since 1986 and is one of more than 30 BMW Group production locations worldwide. Every workday, around 1,400 vehicles of the BMW X1 and BMW X2 models roll off the production line at Plant Regensburg, destined for customers around the globe. Different types of drive trains are flexibly manufactured on a single production line – ranging from vehicles with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids and fully-electric models.

BMW Group Plant Regensburg was recognised as “FACTORY OF THE YEAR” 2024 in the category “excellent large-series assembly” of the prestigious industrial competition. As it implements the so-called BMW iFACTORY, the BMW Group is focused on digitalisation of the Regensburg plant site to create a digital and intelligently connected factory. It is already possible to experience in virtual form what the factory will look like a few years from now. Production of models for the NEUE KLASSE, BMW’s next generation of vehicles, will ramp up in Regensburg in the second half of the decade.

The BMW Group plant in Wackersdorf is home to cockpit production and parts supply for overseas plants. With the opening of a new battery testing centre and commissioning of the first phase in autumn 2024, the location also makes a significant contribution to electromobility. An entirely new area of expertise is the door and flap centre for Rolls-Royce.

The BMW Group core staff at the Regensburg and Wackersdorf locations in eastern Bavaria consists of around 9,250 employees, including about 350 apprentices.

www.bmwgroup-werke.com/regensburg/de.html

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Munich/Steyr (Austria). The BMW Group Plant Steyr today began series production of the e-engine for the Neue Klasse. “Today, we are laying the foundations for the future of the BMW Group,” explained Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production. “As the first production site for the Gen6 electric engine, Plant Steyr is central to the Neue Klasse and the continued development of our global production network.” The electric engine for the sixth generation of BMW eDrive (Gen6) is the first fully-electric drive train to be produced at the Steyr location in Austria. From there, it will be shipped throughout the production network, providing the drive train for the Neue Klasse. “Three years ago, we announced that we would build this electric engine in Steyr. Today, we are proud to deliver it,” said Klaus von Moltke, SVP of Engine Production for BMW AG and plant director of the Steyr facility. “What we are launching here today is more than just a production ramp-up. It is a firm commitment to Europe, to technology and to the future.”

Technology openness: Plant Steyr as centre of drive train expertise
Between the project launch in 2022 and 2030, the BMW Group is investing over a billion euros in expanding development and production expertise for e-drives at the Steyr location. This capacity expansion will ensure the plant remains the BMW Group's leading location for drive trains. For over 40 years, the plant has developed and manufactured internal combustion engines for the BMW and MINI brands. This extensive experience and wealth of expertise in drive trains make the engine plant the ideal facility to produce the Gen6 electric engines. The site will continue to manufacture diesel and petrol engines in parallel. “Technology openness is our strength – it gives us the necessary flexibility to secure long-term jobs,” said von Moltke. Around 1,000 employees will work in the new electric engine assembly. Depending on global demand, half of the Steyr location’s total workforce could be employed in e-mobility by 2030. von Moltke: “Steyr will remain the heart of our drive train expertise – both for combustion engines and electromobility.”

Powertrain components produced in Steyr, aluminium housings from Landshut
Rotor, stator, transmission and power converter – all core components of the innovative, highly integrated e-drive – will be manufactured at Plant Steyr. The housing for the electric engine will be cast at Plant Landshut's aluminium foundry and further processed in Steyr. The power converter will be produced in a new in-house clean-room environment, marking the Austrian engine manufacturer’s entry into the field of electrical engineering. E-drive components from Steyr will be assembled on two new lines. The overall production concept for the Gen6 e-drive follows the principle of a modular system, making it possible to produce different highly flexible electric drive train derivatives for the entire range of Neue Klasse models. The modular concept generates positive economies of scale and cost savings in both development and production. It also improves the scalability of production volumes. The modular approach keeps production, supply networks and procurement highly flexible.

Comprehensive improvements to electric engine
The electric engine has undergone significant further development for Gen6: The rotor, stator and power converter have all been holistically designed for the Gen6 technology’s new 800-volt architecture, maximising performance capabilities and the efficiency of the drive system. Improvements in geometry and cooling, along with reduced friction, optimise the two-stage spur gearbox. Customer-friendly acoustics have also been further refined. In the e-drive's electric “brain” – the power converter – 800-volt technology and silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor technology are now being used to boost efficiency. Fully integrated into the electric engine housing, the power converter converts direct current from the high-voltage battery into alternating current for the electric engine.

Lower weight, costs and energy loss lead to greater vehicle efficiency
Overall, the intelligent use of new technologies in the e-drive and systematic further development of existing systems produce remarkable results. Comparing one of the future models of the Neue Klasse with a Gen5 xDrive model shows the following improvements in the electric engine: “Energy loss is reduced by 40 percent, costs by 20 percent and weight by 10 percent. All this makes a significant contribution to the approximately 20-percent increase in overall vehicle efficiency”, explains Martin Kaufmann, SVP of global Powertrain Development at BMW AG., The efficient design of the powertrain together with the high energy content of the high-voltage battery, enable a range of up to 800 km (WLTP) in the BMW iX3, the first model of the Neue Klasse.


If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications
Christian Marxt
Press spokesperson, Production Network, Drive Trains and High-Voltage Batteries
Cell phone: +49-151-601-79158
Email: Christian.Marxt@bmwgroup.com

Sandra Schillmöller
Head of Communications Production Network BMW Group
Cell phone: +49-151-601-12225
Email: Sandra.Schillmoeller@bmwgroup.com

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en
Email: presse@bmwgroup.com

Bled, 4. julij 2025 - Osnovno zdravstvo Gorenjske OE Zdravstveni dom Bled je od BMW Slovenije in fundacije Karl-Monz prejel donacijo v višini 22.000 evrov, s katero so kupili reševalni motor BMW F 900 GS-P.Ta bo pomembna pridobitev zlasti v poletnih mesecih, ko se promet na območju Bleda z okolico močno zgosti, zastoji pa podaljšajo čas dostopa nujnega reševalnega vozila do pacientov. Z novim reševalnim motorjem, ki so ga slavnostno prevzeli na današnjem dogodku, bodo reševalci nujne medicinske pomoči Zdravstvenega doma (NMP ZD) Bled hitreje in lažje reševali življenja prebivalcev in turistov na območju občin Bled, Bohinj, Gorje in Radovljica.

Vključitev reševalca na motornem kolesu v NMP ZD Bled je v okviru javnega zavoda Osnovno zdravstvo Gorenjske pilotni projekt. Ob tem je direktorica ZD Bled Lidija Pretnar Pristov povedala: »V poletni sezoni se zaradi številnih turistov obremenjenost naših storitev več kot podvoji, a turistični pritisk v sistematizaciji delovnih mest ni upoštevan. Kljub temu naše zdravstveno osebje tudi v času turistične sezone zagotavlja zdravstveno oskrbo vsem, ki jo potrebujejo - pogosto preko normativov, z omejenimi kadri, s številnimi nadurami skoraj vseh zaposlenih. Žal sistematiziranega delovnega mesta za reševalca-motorista še nimamo, a verjamemo, da bomo z angažiranostjo naše ekipe kos tudi temu izzivu. Iskrena hvala BMW Slovenija za donacijo motornega kolesa, ki nam bo pomagala hitreje dostopati do pacientov.«

BMW Group ni le proizvajalec vozil, temveč je sestavni del globalne družbe, ki svoje korporativno državljanstvo jemlje enako resno kot svoje poslovanje. V prihodnosti se uspeh podjetja ne bo meril le po finančnih rezultatih, temveč tudi po družbenih spremembah, ki jih spodbuja. Aleš Suhorepec, generalni direktor BMW Slovenije, je ob predaji poudaril:»Pri BMW verjamemo v moč mobilnosti, ki spreminja življenja. Ljudem radi prinašamo užitke v življenju, obenem pa lahko naši izdelki pozitivno vplivajo na dobrobit skupnosti. Reševalno motorno kolo BMW ZD Bled tako ne zagotavlja le prevoznega sredstva, ampak izboljšuje njihovo sposobnost odzivanja na nujne primere in zagotavlja, da lahko pomoč hitro in učinkovito doseže tiste, ki jo potrebujejo. V trenutkih krize šteje vsaka sekunda. Ponosni smo, da smo del rešitve, ki bo reševala življenja.«

Enota NMP ZD Bled zagotavlja nujno medicinsko pomoč na 640 km² velikem območju, poleg tega pa je tudi najbolj s turizmom obremenjena regija v državi. Reševalci se dnevno soočajo z izzivi nujne vožnje v gostem prometu in zastojih pa tudi z razpršeno poselitvijo prebivalstva na območjih, ki so težko dostopna ali nedostopna za reševalno vozilo, npr. sprehajalna pot okoli Blejskega in Bohinjskega jezera, nova kolesarska steza Bled – Bohinj, ceste proti planinam itd. »S ponosom in hvaležnostjo obeležujemo donacijo novega reševalnega motorja, ki ne pomeni le tehnološke pridobitve, ampak predvsem pomemben korak k še hitrejši, bolj učinkoviti in prilagodljivi nujni medicinski pomoči - zlasti na težje dostopnih območjih, ali v času prometnih zastojev, ko je vsaka minuta odločilna,« je izpostavil vodja reševalne postaje ZD Bled Mitja Kosić.

BMW Motorrad je z več kot 90 let izkušenj pri izdelavi specialnih vozil za specifične namene vodilni proizvajalec tovrstnih motornih koles. BMW intervencijska motorna vozila, kot so policijski, reševalni, vojaški in gasilski motorji, prihajajo iz BMW tovarne v Berlinu, kjer so v celoti sestavljeni neposredno iz le njim namenjene proizvodne linije. Samo Trpin, vodja BMW Motorrad v BMW Slovenija je ob predstavitvi reševalnega motorja dodal: »V letu 2024 smo po vsem svetu v kar 34 držav prodali 3200 specialnih motornih koles. Od razvoja do testiranja, usposabljanja in servisa – ponujamo vse, kar stranke, s posebnimi zahtevami, kot jih imajo, na primer, reševalci, potrebujejo. Reševalno motorno kolo BMW F 900 GS-P bo pri uporabi na cesti reševalcem olajšalo manevriranje med zastoji do cilja s svojim izjemnim smerno stabilnim podvozjem ter s hitrostjo in močjo. Pri uporabi izven ceste pa jim bo z enostavnim upravljanjem ponudilo ogromno rezervo moči za premagovanje zahtevnejšega terena. Prav te lastnosti so to motorno kolo odlikovale pri policijskih in reševalnih akcijah po vsem svetu in sedaj bodo koristile tudi na območju reševalne postaje Bled. Ob vseh že tovarniško vgrajenih nadgradnjah za intervencijske namene, je motorno kolo opremljeno tudi s sodobno opremo za oskrbo nujnih stanj na terenu.«

Thomas Germ, predsednik Sekcije reševalcev v zdravstvu Slovenije, pa je dodal, da so motoristi reševalci pogosto prvi stik in tudi prva nujna medicinska pomoč, saj navadno lovijo sekunde in minute, ki jih reševalno vozilo lahko zamudi, zaradi svoje velikosti in doseganja manjše hitrosti. Velik vpliv je tudi cestna infrastruktura, ki je za današnji promet podhranjena. Dejstvo je, da hitrejši dostop do poškodovanih ali obolelih, ki ga motor omogoča, lahko odločilno vpliva ne le na preživetje, ampak tudi na kakovost kasnejšega življenja pacienta. In po besedah predsednika sekcije reševalcev v zdravstvu, bi v Sloveniji reševalnih motornih koles potrebovali več, tudi zato je donacija reševalnega motornega kolesa BMW reševalni postaji ZD Bled, ki ga doslej še ni imela, toliko pomembnejša.

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Irlbach-Strasskirchen. The production facilities are moving into the largely completed new BMW Group assembly plant for high-voltage batteries. A major milestone just over a year after construction began in April 2024. The BMW Group is relying on expertise from Germany: All construction companies and more than three quarters of plant manufacturers come from Germany and in particular from Bavaria. During a visit, Bavarian Prime Minister Dr. Markus Söder, together with the board members of BMW AG Ilka Horstmeier and Milan Nedeljković, saw for himself the progress of the innovation project in the Straubing-Bogen district. Markus Söder: "Bavaria is a car country! BMW is building a giga-factory for high-tech batteries in Irlbach and Straßkirchen in Lower Bavaria. This is where the electromobility of the future is being created. The entire rural region will benefit from this. High technology and the future fit perfectly with Bavaria: the automobile is our most important industry, and BMW is a global brand ambassador for the Free State. When BMW thrives, Bavaria thrives. We believe in the automobile and our companies." 

In future, high-voltage batteries for the Neue Klasse will be manufactured at the BMW Group Plant Irlbach-Strasskirchen. Dr. Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board Management of BMW AG, Production, explained: “The Neue Klasse is full of innovations, and this is also reflected in manufacturing technologies. In future, German vehicle plants will be supplied with sixth-generation high-voltage batteries from this location.” The BMW Group has made a conscious decision to invest in Bavaria. Nedeljković continues: “This work proves that high-tech has a future in Germany.” A prerequisite for technological progress is close cooperation between research, industry and politics.

Ilka Horstmeier, member of the Board Management of BMW AG responsible for People and Real Estate, Labour Relations Director: “Our new Plant Irlbach-Strasskirchen is an example of how successful industrial settlements are possible in Germany. A prove-point is our successful collaboration with our partners. This was possible in close cooperation with the Bavarian state government, committed local politicians, local authorities and local people. And this in “Bavarian Speed” — faster than any other construction project in Germany in recent years. With this new plant, we are securing thousands of jobs in Bavaria in times of rapidly growing electric mobility and are shaping the future of individual mobility.”

State-of-the-art technology from Germany

In the coming months, BMW Group employees will assemble and set up the production facilities together with partner companies. More than three quarters of production system installers come from Germany, and every third company out of over 30 partners comes from Bavaria. The BMW Group is thus relying on German state-of-the-art technology when selecting its installers and is also following the local for local approach in the area of production technology.

The first high-voltage batteries are to be produced for testing purposes by the end of this year. Series production at the new location is planned to start at the end of 2026.

Local expertise in construction and commissioning

Construction of the high-voltage battery assembly plant is going according to plan. The BMW Group relies on local expertise: All directly contracted construction companies come from Germany, two thirds from Bavaria and every third contracted company comes from within 100 kilometers of the new plant. At the same time, the BMW Group is thus providing an important impetus to the domestic economy.

At the end of June 2024, the first of 1,066 pillars was installed in the central production building. Twelve months later, technical building equipment has progressed so far that the installation of production systems is now being started.

Qualification campaign secures jobs in transformation

1,600 jobs will be created at the new plant. Through internal selection and application processes, the BMW Group is currently recruiting interested parties to operate the Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen. Many future employees have experience in battery manufacturing. At the competence center for e-mobility in Dingolfing, just 40 kilometers away, they now produce the fifth generation of high-voltage batteries. But employees from other production areas are also applying internally for the new location.

Numerous programs have been launched to retrain and further qualify employees. The teams are characterized by a willingness to learn and change. In addition, in September 2025, for the second year in a row, 50 young people will start their apprenticeship in Dingolfing and Regensburg, who will work at the Irlbach-Strasskirchen location in the future.

The demanding, promising jobs at the new — for many nearby — location add value to the rural region and provide a powerful economic impetus.

Further information about the new location in Irlbach and Strasskirchen can be found on the project website — at www.bmwgroup-werke.com/irlbach-strasskirchen. The next opening date for the information container on the construction site is on June 28 from 3 pm to 5 pm.

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Munich. Tomorrow, the new fine-dining restaurant at BMW Welt will welcome its first customers. Since the start of the year, head chef Jens Madsen – who follows in the footsteps of Bobby Bräuer in the exclusive surroundings of BMW Welt – has been working together with BMW Group Designworks, the BMW Group's innovation studio, on a unique new concept: THE CLOUD by Käfer. Here, Madsen, restaurant manager Mona Röthig, sommelier Luigi Pecchia and their team will introduce guests to the “CULINARY NOMADISM” vision successfully trialled at a pop-up event in April.

The restaurant’s opening season will explore the theme “NOMADIC EARTH”, as Madsen escorts his guests on a culinary voyage.

“With Nomadic Earth, we are writing the first chapter in our new travelogue. We want to offer our guests a special experience of elite-level cuisine that expands their horizons and blends aromas and textures from around the world with the finest produce from our local region – with surprising yet cohesive results. In Jens Madsen, Mona Röthig and Luigi Pecchia, we have assembled a team who are turning this ambitious vision into masterful reality with exceptional skill and passion,” explains Michael Käfer.

“To bring Käfer’s vision to life, Designworks developed the spatial concept and storytelling for THE CLOUD. Materials, forms, and details come together to create an atmosphere that is sensual, full of contrast, and emotionally engaging. In this way, the design becomes an integral part of the overall culinary experience,” says Anders Warming, Head of BMW Group Designworks.

“With THE CLOUD by Käfer, we are adding a new dimension to the BMW Welt experience. In addition to vehicle handovers, we can now also offer our guests an inspirational culinary journey in a unique setting created by BMW Group Designworks Munich. Here, in the upper reaches of BMW Welt on its third level, guests enjoy an impressive view over the inside of the building, while immersed in a fine-dining experience,” adds Sandra Wittemer, Head of BMW Welt.

The experts at BMW Group Designworks and Käfer have worked together closely since 2023 to create a space for all the senses and make a visit to THE CLOUD by Käfer truly unforgettable. Light, music, visual and haptic features flow into one another; every light and every piece of furniture contributes to the experience as a whole. For the execution of the project, BMW Group Designworks collaborated with renowned partners including architectural and design studio hildmannwilke, German lighting design brand Occhio, the artist Oscar Zabala – known for his generative audio-visual performances and installations – and innovative Swiss fabric manufacturer Jakob Schlaepfer, supplier to haute couture fashion houses around the world.

The eight-course menu with complementary side dishes brings regional produce – such as goat’s milk from Lenggries, char from Kinsau and venison from the Poltinger Forest – together with dukkah, black pepper soup and pearl emmer pilaf. And the milk-fed veal brochette is inspired by snacks typically served with a beer in African bars. Jens Madsen takes prime cut of veal, skewered on a spike, and serves it with tiger nut, chapati and habanero pepper.

The philosophy behind Madsen’s cuisine is very much his own and is rooted in movement, memory and origin. This new concept new brings together culinary traditions, skills and spices from around the world with top-quality local produce to create highly distinctive cuisine. In Season 1 at THE CLOUD by Käfer, this features aromas and ingredients from eastern and southern Africa, combined with the delicacies and rhythm of Bavaria. Each course reflects a particular stop on a culinary journey, in some cases inspired by faraway shores, at other times recalling pastures closer to home. It all goes into making cuisine that exudes a curiosity for global influences yet embraces its local roots, appealing to the senses, sparking wonder and surprise, and staying open to new perspectives.

Elegant and inviting, with a technically refined aesthetic, the restaurant displays clear references to the design language of BMW. After ascending to the third level of the “floating” structure conceived by COOP Himmelb(l)au, the guests embark on their journey after leaving the elevator. Arriving on Moon Island, they can take a moment to tune into the feel of the evening. They are greeted in understated style by a digital artwork featuring a quarter moon, which gradually morphs from the golden hour through soft twilight to the deep blue tones of the night.

At the Biophilic Bar, made from Perlino marble, artistically presented ingredients from the menu arouse the guests’ curiosity about the dining to come as they enjoy an aperitif. They then move on to the Slim Bar, where a personalised cocktail will be served – and where they can also round off their journey later on with a concluding drink. Here, the golden hour transitions into the blue hour. The guests then move on through the Chef’s Atelier, decorated with travel photos and exotic examples of kitchenware, until they finally reach the Dining Cloud, taking their seats at tables with panoramic views over BMW Welt. Floating over the centre of this space is the amorphous cloud-like installation from which it takes its name. Made from a transparent, featherweight fabric material, and brought to weightless, constantly changing life by a projection, it reprises both the golden colour of sunset and the deep blue of midnight.

Between the kitchen and the Dining Cloud stands a five-ton monolith made of titanium stone. On this impressive stage, the kitchen team put the finishing touches to the plates, before the servers take them to their recipients. The guests are given another hint of what is happening in the kitchen by a one-way mirror with 15 per cent transparency, which provides glimpses without revealing the whole picture.

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Lisa Meindl, Spokesperson BMW Museum and BMW Welt

Telephone: +49-89-382-31668

E-mail: lisa.meindl@bmw.de

Simone Bauer, Communications BMW Welt

Telephone: +49 151 601 414 52

E-mail: simone.bauer@bmw.de

Internet: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

E-mail: presse@bmwgroup.com

About BMW Group Designworks

Designworks is the BMW Group's innovation studio and a global creative consultancy at the intersection of design, technology and innovation. The "Architects of Future" focus on mobility, product and digital life design as well as strategic design consulting.

The creative studio was acquired by the BMW Group in 1995. Designworks acts as a driving force for all brands of the parent company and as an innovation driver for a large number of clients in a wide range of industries, such as IT and consumer electronics, aviation technology, the medical and environmental sectors, and the lifestyle and sports industries.  The studio was founded in 1972 in Malibu, California by Chuck Pelly. Holger Hampf has been at the helm of the consulting agency since 2017.

About Käfer at BMW Welt

Käfer arrived at BMW Welt in October 2012,  and now operates the Cooper's Garden bistro, Biker’s Lodge café, Bavarie restaurant and THE CLOUD by Käfer fine-dining restaurant. A bespoke culinary concept was developed by Käfer for the new partnership that takes into account the wide variety of guests visiting Bavaria’s most popular attraction. From the people who work at BMW Welt and customers collecting their new cars, to families from the Munich area, tourists from around the world and discerning aficionados of gourmet cuisine – the various eateries offer a broad spread of options for every taste. Particular emphasis has been placed on bringing together regionality and internationality – reflecting the Munich-based heritage of BMW and Käfer – with sustainability front and centre.

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce of 159,104 employees.

The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life. 

www.bmwgroup.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bmwgroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmwgroup

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Munich. The BMW Museum in Munich is using a special exhibition taking place as part of the international BMW Art Car World Tour to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of both the legendary BMW Art Car Collection and the iconic BMW 3 Series. The exhibition will open its doors to visitors from 17 June, hot on the heels of the Le Mans 24 Hours race weekend. Fittingly, it was at Le Mans in 1975 that the first BMW Art Car – created by Alexander Calder – staged its glittering premiere. The exhibition, which runs until 1 February 2026, will see the BMW Museum present a trio of Art Cars based on the BMW 3 Series: Sandro Chia’s BMW M3 GTR and the BMW M3 (Group A) cars designed by Michael Jagamara Nelson and Ken Done respectively.

The exhibition at the BMW Museum – the home of the BMW Art Cars when they are not on display at destinations around the globe – is one of the attractions of the ongoing BMW Art Car World Tour, the largest exhibition project yet in the 50-year history of the collection. The Tour has so far visited 12 markets on five continents, and will continue to showcase the legendary BMW Art Cars across numerous art and car platforms, and at institutes worldwide, over the coming year. The BMW Museum will use the special exhibition to provide insights into the artistic brilliance and history of the BMW Art Car Collection, as well as inviting visitors to explore the technical excellence of the 3 Series and the innovative power of the BMW brand.

50 years of driving pleasure: the BMW 3 Series 
Since it first hit the roads in 1975, the BMW 3 Series has served as a byword for driving pleasure and a cornerstone for the success of BMW. Across five decades, it has reimagined the concept of the sports sedan, set new standards for performance and put smiles on the faces of millions of drivers around the world. From the groundbreaking first generation to today’s innovative models, the 3 Series has been an enduring, style-defining feature of the automotive landscape.

50 years of “rolling sculptures”: the BMW Art Car Collection
Since 1975, renowned artists from countries the world over have gone to work creating BMW Art Cars. The idea was the brainchild of French racing driver and art lover Hervé Poulain, who teamed up with BMW’s then Head of Motorsport Jochen Neerpasch to invite friend and artist Alexander Calder to paint a design onto a car. The result was a BMW 3.0 CSL that competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975, becoming a darling of the crowd – and marking the birth of the BMW Art Car Collection. Famous names including Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Esther Mahlangu, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer and Ólafur Elíasson have since added further BMW Art Cars bearing their own individual style to the collection. More recently, the American John Baldessari and Chinese multimedia artist Cao Fei used the BMW M6 GTLM and BMW M6 GT3 respectively as a canvas for their takes on the BMW Art Car concept in 2016 and 2017. They therefore joined Jeff Koons and Julie Mehretu in applying their creativity to dynamic racing cars in the last 15 years.

BMW Art Cars at the BMW Museum from 17 June
BMW M3 Group A by Ken Done (1989):
Australian artist Ken Done created a vibrant and richly coloured design that captures the energy and dynamism of motor racing. His work represents a homage to the speed and power of the BMW M3.

“It was a great honour to be asked to be part of this fabulous Art Car collection. I wanted to express the joy of speed and the brilliance of the machine itself.” Ken Done

BMW M3 Group A by Michael Jagamara Nelson (1989):
Michael Jagamara Nelson, also from Australia, brought the traditions of Aboriginal art to the bodywork of the BMW M3. His complex motifs using dot painting techniques tell Dreaming stories that are deeply rooted in the culture of his people.

“A car is a landscape as it would be seen from a plane – I have included water, the kangaroo and the opossum.” Michael Jagamara Nelson

BMW M3 GTR by Sandro Chia (1992):
Italian artist Sandro Chia transformed a BMW M3 GTR into a painting on wheels that depicts human figures and emotions in vivid colours. His work symbolises the connection between man and machine, and invites us to reflect on the role of the car in modern society.

“I have created both a picture and a world. Everything that is looked at closely turns into a face. A face is a focus, a focus of life and the world.” Sandro Chia

The 10th BMW Art Car, a BMW 730i designed by Spanish artist César Manrique in 1990, is also on show at the BMW Museum as part of its permanent exhibition.

For more information, please visit:
BMW Art Cars im BMW Museum
BMW Art Car World Tour

If you have any questions, please contact:
Lisa Meindl
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Spokesperson BMW Museum und BMW Welt
Phone: +49-89-382-31668 
E-Mail: Lisa.Meindl@bmw.de

Ilya Baryshev
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Spokesperson, BMW Art Car World Tour
Telefon: +49-151-601-544-36
E-Mail: Ilya.Baryshev@bmwgroup.com

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Munich. The three-millionth electrified vehicle rolled off the assembly line today at the BMW Group’s main plant in Munich – a BMW 330e* Touring in Portimao Blue, destined for the UK market. In 2024, one in four vehicles sold by the company was already either fully electric or a plug-in hybrid. At BMW Group plants, vehicles with electrified drive trains and internal combustion engines are produced alongside one another on the same production line.

“With its highly flexible production, the BMW Group is able to respond to customer requirements in line with market trends and demand,” explains Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management responsible for Production. “All plants in our global production network are enabled for electromobility, paving the way for continued growth in this segment.”

Start of BEV series production with BMW i3 in Leipzig in 2013

The company launched series production of fully electric vehicles with the BMW i3, back in 2013. The electric city car was manufactured for nearly ten years at Plant Leipzig, alongside the BMW Group’s first plug-in hybrid, the BMW i8. At that time, due to its unique vehicle architecture, the BMW i3 was still being built in Leipzig in a dedicated area for electric cars, in parallel with production of vehicles with conventional drive trains.

Since then, the BMW Group has integrated electric cars into production at all its plants worldwide. Many of the plants initially assembled plug-in hybrid models on a single line, mixed in with their diesel and petrol counterparts, on a flexible basis. Electromobility accounts for a steadily growing share of production volumes, surpassing 25 percent in 2024, with around three-quarters of those vehicles fully electric. A total of one and a half million BEVs from the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands have already been delivered.

Global production network enabled for e-mobility

With the start of MINI Cooper SE production in Oxford in 2019, the BEV range was extended to the BMW Group’s second brand. The rollout continued from 2020 with the latest generation of e-drives. The BMW iX3 was built in China, while the BMW iX and i4 ramped up in Dingolfing and Munich in 2021. Within a year, all BMW Group plants in Germany had been enabled for production of fully electric vehicles. The company remains committed to systematically integrating electrified vehicles into existing production.

In China, electrification has already been introduced at all plant sites. In the US, Plant Spartanburg is preparing for production of fully electric vehicles from 2026, while Plant San Luis Potosí in Mexico will add BEV models for the Neue Klasse to its production portfolio in 2027. Both facilities already produce plug-in hybrid models. The plant in Rosslyn, South Africa, has been manufacturing plug-in hybrids since 2024. The BMW Group’s sites for local production in Brazil, India and Thailand also already build electrified vehicles.

Competence Centre for E-Drive Production 

Production of electric powertrain components is expanding beyond Germany. Since the launch of the BMW i3, battery modules, high-voltage batteries and electric motors have been produced in Dingolfing. As part of the electrification of the production network, the Competence Centre for E-Drive Production was established at the site. By 2022, it had already reached an annual capacity of over 500,000 e-drives. Other locations gradually ramped up capacity to support the rapid growth in e-mobility. As a result, alongside Dingolfing, fifth-generation high-voltage batteries are now also assembled and installed in vehicles in Regensburg, Leipzig and Spartanburg. The expertise gained since then is now being applied to the sixth generation of e-drives, which will be introduced towards the end of this year with the NEUE KLASSE at the new plant in Debrecen, Hungary.

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Landshut. The BMW Group is consistently improving digitalization in the production of its components. From AI-driven production management and smart logistics processes to data-based quality controls – the Landshut plant, the company's largest component manufacturing site, utilizes state-of-the-art technologies and thus plays a central role as an innovation hub within the automotive and supplier industries.

At the BMW Group plant in Landshut, for example, the company uses AI-supported data analysis to detect anomalies in data traffic at an early stage and ward off cyberattacks. In addition, digital process control and networked production facilities are used to increase productivity and improve quality.

Thomas Thym, Head of the BMW Group Plant Landshut: "We not only implement technical progress, but also actively shape it in order to secure our competitiveness in the long term. Behind every digital car there must also be a digital factory."

Shopfloor Digital in Component Manufacturing: Connected Production for Greater Transparency
A key component of the BMW Group's digitalization strategy is the "Shopfloor.Digital" transformation program. The goal is to harmonize manufacturing processes and IT systems worldwide across all 30 production sites. To achieve this, the company is building a modern, cloud-based IT architecture and relying on process automation and AI solutions. As a component manufacturing site, the Landshut plant is a key component of this transformation program. "We view complexity as an opportunity and use the data we gain to continuously improve our processes," explains Franz Heigl, Head of Digitalization of Component Manufacturing.

Lean Management: Digital Tools for Lean Processes
At the same time, the BMW Group is driving forward the digitalization of its lean management approaches. This includes a digital process map in the production areas, a digital disruption process, and value stream management. To ensure the organization's common alignment, the goal development process serves as an effective leadership and steering tool, enabling goals to be broken down to their basics and translated into concrete challenges. "Our goal is to focus on the essentials in our day-to-day business and prioritize value-creating activities," says Heigl.

Smart production, smart logistics: Connected supply and production chains for greater flexibility and efficiency
The BMW Group is also consistently pursuing its digitalization initiative in logistics and manufacturing. With the help of sensors, real-time data, and AI-driven processes, the Landshut plant is optimizing its supply chains, material flows, and production processes. This will enable the production sites to be even more closely connected with suppliers to avoid bottlenecks and conserve resources.

One example of this is the production of the BMW Energy Master, the central control unit of the high-voltage battery for the Neue Klasse vehicles. Comprehensive inline monitoring, including AI-based camera systems, as well as 100% end-of-line system testing in a cleanroom environment meet the highest quality standards. The Landshut plant will supply all battery assembly plants worldwide with the BMW Energy Master in the future, where the control unit will then be mounted on the high-voltage battery in a final assembly step.

The Landshut plant also relies on automation and digitalization in the production of cockpits. During the final quality control, around 50 quality features are checked in just 30 seconds. This is followed by fully automated packaging and transport of the parts. This involves autonomous transport systems that move independently from the starting point to the destination without relying on an external control system.

In the Landshut plant's light metal foundry, the automaker is currently producing aluminum housings for the Neue Klasse electric engines in a pre-series production run. High quality standards are applied in the manufacture of our products. To ensure these standards are consistently met, modern technologies are used, such as inline computed tomography (CT). Every single electric motor housing manufactured at the Landshut plant undergoes a fully automated CT scan. Within just 42 seconds, 2,400 individual images are captured and reconstructed into a 3D model of the component. In contrast to the majority of applications in the medical field, quality control here is fully automated using artificial intelligence. This allows the powerful CT technology to be integrated extremely efficiently into the production process while simultaneously ensuring the quality of the parts.

Quality in the Supply Chain: Supplier Qualification
To ensure high quality standards in production, the BMW Group is also focusing on digitalization in its supply chain. At the ZDSC (Zero Defect Supply Chain) Campus, suppliers receive interactive training on topics such as shop floor management, production systems, and digitalization. The goal is to work with partners to establish a stable production system with a "zero-defect mentality." In this way, the BMW Group actively involves its partners and suppliers in the digital transformation.

AI LAb
The AI ​​LAb is a new innovation and collaboration space that enables all employees at the BMW Group Landshut Plant to try out and learn new AI-based technologies using application-oriented examples. The application examples cover a broad spectrum of AI applications: The Technology Trend Radar provides a structured overview of direct and indirect AI applications, sorted by technology and maturity level. With PowerApps, employees can create their own digital applications without programming knowledge, thus digitizing processes and automating tasks. The AIQX (Artificial Intelligence Quality Next) computer system enables the automation and optimization of quality assurance in production using AI.

On May 14 and 15, 2025, the Landshut plant presented its already implemented, networked and data-driven production of components at the "Smart Factory Day".

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Regensburg. Can artificial intelligence (AI) make quality control in vehicle production more efficient, faster and more reliable? A software solution developed at BMW Group Plant Regensburg as part of the “GenAI4Q” pilot project is making this a reality. At its core is an AI that delivers tailored inspection recommendations for the approximately 1,400 vehicles manufactured each day.

“The use of artificial intelligence supports the digital transformation of BMW Group production towards an intelligently connected factory – for example, we are using AI for quality control in vehicle assembly. In this way, we are optimizing our production processes and creating added value for our products and, ultimately, for our customers” says Armin Ebner, head of BMW Group Plant Regensburg.

BMW vehicles meet the highest standards of product quality. To ensure this, Plant Regensburg conducts numerous quality tests throughout the production process. Shortly before leaving the plant, vehicles undergo a final inspection: Trained specialists examine each finished vehicle once more to ensure it meets premium quality standards.

A new vehicle rolls off the Regensburg assembly line every 57 seconds. Each vehicle is built to individual customer specifications for the global market. Different types of drive trains are flexibly manufactured on one production line – ranging from vehicles with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids and fully-electric models, as well as countless model and equipment variants. Virtually no two vehicles are alike. “Our AI tool generates an individual inspection catalogue for each specific customer vehicle,” explains Rüdiger Römich, responsible for Test Floor and Finish in Regensburg’s vehicle assembly.

The AI analyses vast amounts of data to create these custom specifications. This includes not only vehicle data, such as model and equipment variant, but also real-time production data for each specific vehicle. By recognising patterns and correlations, the AI system quickly and automatically determines the scope of the inspection and organises it intelligently, in the right order, within a smartphone app. Römich: “Intuitive usability makes it easy to record findings. Employees can also access additional functions when needed – for example, a microphone icon in the app activates voice recording.” The AI also manages speech recognition and transcription using standardised coding.

AI-based quality inspection was developed at BMW Group Plant Regensburg in collaboration with Munich startup Datagon AI.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Christian Dürrschmidt, Communications Regensburg
Cell phone: +49 151 6060 5194, Email: Christian.Duerrschmidt@bmw.de 

Saskia Graser, head of Communications Regensburg and Wackersdorf

Cell phone: +49 151 6060 2014, Email: Saskia.Graser@bmw.de

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmw.de

BMW Group Plants Regensburg and Wackersdorf
The BMW Group vehicle plant in Regensburg has been in operation since 1986 and is one of more than 30 BMW Group production locations worldwide. Every workday, around 1,400 vehicles of the BMW X1 and BMW X2 models roll off the production line at Plant Regensburg, destined for customers around the globe. Different types of drive trains are flexibly manufactured on a single production line – ranging from vehicles with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids and fully-electric models.

BMW Group Plant Regensburg was recognised as “FACTORY OF THE YEAR” 2024 in the category “excellent large-series assembly” of the prestigious industrial competition. As it implements the so-called BMW iFACTORY, the BMW Group is focused on digitalisation of the Regensburg plant site to create a digital and intelligently connected factory. It is already possible to experience in virtual form what the factory will look like a few years from now. Production of models for the NEUE KLASSE, BMW’s next generation of vehicles, will ramp up in Regensburg in the second half of the decade.
The BMW Group plant in Wackersdorf is home to cockpit production and parts supply for overseas plants. With the opening of a new battery testing centre and commissioning of the first phase in autumn 2024, the location is also a key facilitator for electromobility. An entirely new area of expertise is the door and flap centre for Rolls-Royce.

The BMW Group core staff at the Regensburg and Wackersdorf locations in eastern Bavaria consists of around 9,250 employees, including about 350 apprentices.

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Regensburg. Today, BMW Group Plant Regensburg commissioned a new body shop at Plant Site 6.12 (Neutraubling), attended by Regensburg’s local commissioner, Tanja Schweiger, and Neutraubling mayor, Harald Stadler. Plant Director Armin Ebner: “The BMW X1 and BMW X2 produced in Regensburg remain extremely popular with customers worldwide. In the new production hall in Neutraubling, we currently manufacture over 120 vehicle bodies per day, helping us meet high market demand.” Once completed, the bodies from Neutraubling are transported to the vehicle plant in Regensburg, where they are assembled into finished cars around the clock in three-shift operation.

Local Commissioner Tanja Schweiger: “In these increasingly challenging times, BMW continues to be a key player in the automotive industry. The decision to expand the body shop for these two best-selling models represents a clear strategy for the future and marks a significant positive development for the Regensburg district’s status as a location for industry.” Neutraubling Mayor Harald Stadler added: “The fact that you are expanding your plant here is a strong commitment to the location and shows that the economy feels at home with us. As mayor, I am also very proud when BMW vehicles with bodies 'made in Neutraubling' are on the roads all over the world.”

Regensburg: the BMW Group’s highest-volume European vehicle plant

Every 57 seconds, a new vehicle rolls off the Regensburg assembly line – adding up to more than 1,400 vehicles per day. With an annual production of 342,521 cars, Plant Regensburg was the BMW Group’s highest-volume vehicle plant in Europe in 2024, exceeding its 2023 production (238,301 units) by more than 100,000 vehicles. Over a third of the vehicles manufactured in Regensburg in 2024 were electrified, either as plug-in hybrids or fully-electric models. “We build our vehicles for the global market and contribute to the growth of electromobility,” emphasised Ebner.

Body shop expanded to approx. 40,000 m² – with about 150 employees

An approx. 40,000-square-metre hall on Berliner Straße was remodelled to accommodate the new body shop in Neutraubling. To the north, four smaller extensions were built, covering nearly 1,000 square metres. Around 150 employees currently work in the hall in a single shift. The production hall, which was built in 2003, is located on premises owned by the firm Preymesser. BMW previously rented this facility, using the space for logistics purposes. In April 2024, the company successfully applied for a change of use from the town of Neutraubling and the Regensburg County Administration Office. “I would like to say a big thank to the authorities for approving this request and for the excellent support from the town and County Administration Office,” underlined Ebner.

Implemented in record time of less than 12 months – thanks to “tremendous team effort”

The new body shop was constructed in a record time of less than 12 months. “What we have achieved here in recent months is not only impressive because of the speed. The cooperation with all internal and external partners has been outstanding,” said Ebner, praising the “tremendous team effort of everyone involved”. Dismantling of the previous logistics facilities and construction of the new body shop went hand in hand. The first test bodies rolled off the assembly line in January and production ramped up in early March. A total of 294 robots are in use. 238 welding guns set up to 4,771 welding points per vehicle body. As part of the capacity expansion, BMW X1 bodies will no longer be produced solely in the existing body shop in Regensburg, but also in Neutraubling.

Preparations for next model generation

With an investment of over 550 million euros in the past two years, the BMW Group has also secured the long-term future of both Upper Palatinate locations: Regensburg and Wackersdorf. Plant Director Armin Ebner: “This signals our firm commitment to Upper Palatinate as as location for industry.” At the same time as building current models, BMW Group Plant Regensburg is already preparing for production of the next model generation. “With the NEUE KLASSE, the company aims to set new standards for digitalisation, electrification and circularity – and we are gearing up for this in Regensburg as well,” said Ebner. During the production break over the New Year period, remodelling at the plant continued in the body shop, paint shop and vehicle assembly. Further, more extensive structural measures will follow during a five-week production downtime in summer 2025.

“FACTORY OF THE YEAR” award recognises outstanding performance

Numerous accolades for the plant and vehicle models built in Regensburg have confirmed the location's outstanding performance in recent years. Just a few days ago, the Plant Regensburg team was presented with the “FACTORY OF THE YEAR” 2024 award in the category “excellent large-series assembly” at a congress in Ludwigsburg. The award is regarded as one of Germany’s most prestigious industrial competitions. The judges noted that “the innovation and dynamism with which Plant Regensburg is implementing the transformation towards the iFACTORY, together with the entire workforce, is highly impressive. In particular, the flexibility in both the factory set-up and among its employees is exemplary and serves as inspiration for successful production in Germany.”

BMW Group Corporate Communications
Christian Dürrschmidt, Communications Regensburg
Cell phone: +49 151 6060 5194, Email: Christian.Duerrschmidt@bmw.de
Saskia Graser, head of Communications Regensburg and Wackersdorf +49 151 6060 2014, Email: Saskia.Graser@bmw.de

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmw.de

BMW Group Plants Regensburg and Wackersdorf

The BMW Group vehicle plant in Regensburg has been in operation since 1986 and is one of more than 30 BMW Group production locations worldwide. Every workday, around 1,400 vehicles of the BMW X1 and BMW X2 models roll off the production line at Plant Regensburg, destined for customers around the globe. Different types of drive trains are flexibly manufactured on a single production line – ranging from vehicles with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids and fully-electric models. 
BMW Group Plant Regensburg was recognised as “FACTORY OF THE YEAR” 2024 in the category “excellent large-series assembly” of the prestigious industrial competition. As it implements the so-called BMW iFACTORY, the BMW Group is focused on digitalisation of the Regensburg plant site to create a digital and intelligently connected factory. It is already possible to experience in virtual form what the factory will look like a few years from now. Production of models for the NEUE KLASSE, BMW’s next generation of vehicles, will ramp up in Regensburg in the second half of the decade.
The BMW Group plant in Wackersdorf is home to cockpit production and parts supply for overseas plants. With the opening of a new battery testing centre and commissioning of the first phase in autumn 2024, the location is also a key facilitator for electromobility. An entirely new area of expertise is the door and flap centre for Rolls-Royce.

The BMW Group core staff at the Regensburg and Wackersdorf locations in eastern Bavaria consists of around 9,250 employees, including about 300 apprentices.

www.bmwgroup-werke.com/regensburg/de.html

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Dingolfing. Today, the model update of the all-electric BMW iX celebrated its start of production at the BMW Group plant in Dingolfing. The electric pioneer, which has been manufactured at the site since 2021 and has since been sold over 130,000 units worldwide, receives a comprehensive update in March 2025 - offering increased performance, range and sportiness.

BMW's longest-range electric model.

The new BMW iX impresses with up to 25% higher drive power, significantly improved efficiency and a range of up to 701 kilometers in the WLTP cycle (BMW iX xDrive60: WLTP combined (EnVKV): Energy consumption 21.9 kWh/100 km; CO2 emissions 0 g/km; CO2 class A). The BMW iX is thus the most long-range electric model in the BMW Group's portfolio and the company's most important all-electric new model in 2025 - before the "New Class" makes its debut at the end of the year.

The new BMW iX also presents a more dynamic design than ever before: The vehicle is now available with the M Sport package and M Sport Pro package for the first time, which enhance the sporty appearance both inside and out. New exterior colours such as Arctic Race Blue metallic, Dune Grey metallic, Carbon Black metallic, BMW Individual Frozen Deep Grey metallic, BMW Individual Frozen Pure Grey metallic, Tanzanite Blue metallic and Space Silver are also offered.

Pioneering the All-Electric Era in Dingolfing.

Plant Manager Christoph Schröder states: "The BMW iX is a special vehicle for us. Four years ago, at its launch, it paved the way for many future technologies here on-site. And: It marked the beginning of the all-electric vehicle era in our plant." Meanwhile, a total of four electric models - the BMW iX, the BMW i7, and the all-electric versions of the 5 Series sedan and Touring - are being produced at the Lower Bavarian site, along with five plug-in hybrids. The BMW iX plays a crucial role in the model program of the entire company in the segment of all-electric mid-size and upper-class SAVs.

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Leipzig. On 1 March 2005 BMW Group Plant Leipzig went on stream – with series production of the fifth-generation BMW 3 Series Sedan. Its construction had been announced four years earlier, in July 2001, with the location chosen from among more than 250 applicants. Since then, some 3.75 million cars have rolled off the production lines, and the plant has been steadily extended and upgraded. The BMW Group has so far invested more than 5 billion euros in the site – and will continue to capitalise on its flexibility in the future.

BMW Group Plant Leipzig currently manufactures four models with three different types of drive by two different brands – all on the same production line: the BMW 1 Series, BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (including the plug-in hybrid version) and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé as well as the MINI Countryman in both its fully electric and conventionally powered variants. When the plant was in planning, output was expected to total 650 units a day. Now, 20 years down the line, capacity stands at up to 1,300 units a day. Since 2005 there have been 20 different product launches of BMWs and MINIs Made in Leipzig.

Extraordinary architecture and flexible structures

In its 20 years of existence, BMW Group Plant Leipzig has set standards time and again and clocked up a succession of milestones. The architecture of the central building alone remains impressive to this day. Designed by the renowned Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, it was awarded the German Architecture Prize in 2005, the year it opened. As the centrepiece and linking element of the plant, it provides the backdrop to the spectacular procession of vehicles that pass overhead through the offices on their way through the production process.

The flexible structures of the plant halls have also proven their worth to this day, throughout the various expansion stages of the facility. Leipzig was the first assembly plant in the world to feature a ‘finger’ arrangement in the production hall, for example, which offers ideal logistics solutions and can be flexibly adapted as needed. Developed specifically for this site, the finger layout allows trucks to deliver parts and preassembliesstraight to the production line. It also means extensions can be added as needed and new assembly stations integrated easily without having to rebuild the line from scratch. At the moment various further extensions are being added on the 240-hectare site.

For the last 20 years, BMW Group Plant Leipzig has demonstrated tremendous flexibility and adaptability, accommodating new products, processes and technologies. It has often played a pioneering role within the BMW Group production network. Its first upgrade consisted of the addition of a new press shop. This went into operation in 2009 and incorporated the first high-speed servo press in the world, able to produce pressed parts with unprecedented speed and efficiency. By 2014 three additional large-scale presses and two coil systems for body panels had also been installed, completing the press shop upgrade.

Pioneer in electromobility 

One particularly defining moment for Plant Leipzig was the decision to produce its first fully electric vehicle there, making it the birthplace of electromobility at the BMW Group. Between 2013 and 2022 more than 250,000 all-electric BMW i3 vehicles rolled off the production lines. Their carbon bodies were a world first in series production. In 2014 the BMW i8 followed: the first plug-in hybrid by the BMW Group, it featured an award-winning, futuristic design and progressive technologies, which together made it an icon among sportscars. With 20,500 units made – including the BMW i8 roadster launched in 2018 – the era drew to a close in 2020.

But the team’s expertise in electromobility continues: in 2021 BMW Group Plant Leipzig launched e-component manufacturing for high-voltage battery production. Having started with the production of battery modules for the BMW Group production network, facilities were expanded within four years to include further stages of manufacturing and additional production lines. Since the start of MINI Countryman Electric production in March 2024, Plant Leipzig has carried out the entire process of high-voltage battery manufacturing for the fifth generation of batteries, with its five cell-coating lines, three module assembly lines and two lines for high-voltage battery assembly. The batteries are used in the MINI Countryman Electric and fully electric BMW models at various BMW Group sites.

From rear-wheel to front-wheel drive 

It’s not just the BMW i8 that made 2014 a landmark year: it was also the year production of the first generation of BMW 2 Series Active Tourer began. This brought fundamental change to BMW Group Plant Leipzig: it was the first ever BMW with a front-wheel drive architecture and paved the way for this drive technology to become integrated into Plant Leipzig’s production lines. Thanks to Leipzig’s flexibility, the sports activity tourer was able to roll off the same line as the BMW 1 Series, 2 Series and first-generation BMW X1, all of which are rear-wheel drives.

Integrating the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer required just a few minor adjustments to the paintshop and assembly, but in the bodyshop, its new front-wheel drive concept and vehicle architecture meant a whole new production area was needed. About a year and a half later, production of a plug-in hybrid model was launched: the BMW 225xe. Like the BMW i8, this featured a combined combustion-engine and electric drive. Its successor, the second-generation BMW Active Tourer, in production since 2021, is also manufactured with either a plug-in hybrid drive or an internal combustion engine. In 2021, Leipzig’s rear-wheel drive era came to an end when the BMW 2 Series Coupé, BMW 2 Series Convertible and BMW M2 were phased out.

Production of the MINI Countryman is another USP of Plant Leipzig within the production network: it is the only full vehicle production facility in the BMW Group to produce BMW- and MINI-badged cars on one and the same production line.

Important employer in the region

With some 6,800 BMW employees and more than 11,000 people based locally, the BMW Group plant is a major contributor to the economy and a key employer in the region. When it first went on stream, it had roughly 2,600 BMW employees, with plans for around 5,500 jobs over the medium term.

In 2001, when Leipzig was chosen as the site for a new plant, the enthusiasm and welcome across the region were huge. Job applications poured in. On the day of the announcement alone, the specially established call centre took more than 4,000 calls. Over the next few days, the post bags were full, and by September 2001 thirty-five apprentices had become the first cohort to receive an employment contract with BMW Group Plant Leipzig. Since then, Leipzig has trained some 1,100 apprentices.

Last year Plant Leipzig opened its Talent Campus. This accommodates training and development spaces in a single new building on the plant premises, offering the perfect conditions for employee training.

In 2024 the MINI Countryman meant production volumes increased, marking another first for Leipzig: the introduction of nightshifts – unprecedented in the history of the plant.Today, BMW and MINI vehicles are manufactured round the clock, in three shifts. The additional shift has created jobs for another 900 employees.

Progressive energy management

Planning the BMW plant in Leipzig, efficient and sustainable processes played a crucial role – not just in vehicle production but in energy supplies as well. Visible from afar, the plant’s four wind turbines are among its landmark features and have been powering production with green energy since 2013. With a total capacity of 10 megawatts, they generate 26 gigawatt hours a year of electricity from wind energy – enough to cover about 15 percent of the plant’s total energy needs.

In addition, BMW Group Plant Leipzig is equipped for interim energy storage, with a battery storage farm that went into operation in 2017. This comprises up to 700 second-life high-voltage batteries from BMW i3 cars, enabling us to optimise local energy management and help stabilise the electricity network.

Looking to the future, BMW Group Plant Leipzig attaches great importance to hydrogen as a fuel. In pursuit of its vision of largely decarbonising production – by replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen – it will need sufficient supplies from a grid. A regional hydrogen network is currently under construction, and Plant Leipzig plans to tap into it.

BMW Group Plant Leipzig has extensive experience of working with hydrogen, having already used it for in-house plant logistics for more than a decade. A pioneer in the automotive industry, it opened Germany’s first indoor hydrogen filling station in 2013. It now operates five such facilities for refuelling forklifts and tug trains in intralogistics. Its hydrogen fuel cell-powered fleet currently consists of over 200 vehicles and is one of the largest in Europe.

Plant Leipzig was also the first car plant in the world to introduce a brand-new bivalent burner technology that can run on either natural gas or hydrogen. It can even switch between the two while operations are ongoing. In the paintshop, five such gas- and hydrogen-capable burners are currently used to dry the contrast roofs of the MINI Countryman, BMW 1 Series and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, and another six have replaced the previous systems in the PVC drying section.

BMW Group Plant Leipzig is currently undergoing further extensions and upgrades in preparation for forthcoming models – and for the next 20 years in its history.

BMW Group Plant Leipzig – Key milestones:

• 2001 Leipzig is chosen as the location for the new plant
• 2002 Zaha Hadid’s design is selected for the central building. The ground-breaking is celebrated
• 2003 The foundation stone is laid for the central building, and the topping-out ceremony is celebrated later that year

• 2005 Series production is launched with BMW 3 Series. Plant Leipzig is inaugurated. The central building wins the German Architecture Prize
• 2007 Production of the three-door BMW 1 Series and the BMW 1 Series Coupé begins
• 2009 Leipzig produces its 500,000^th car. Production of the first generation of BMW X1 begins. The press shop opens with the world’s first high-speed servo press
• 2011 Plant Leipzig delivers its 1,000,000^th BMW

• 2013 Four wind turbines go on stream. Production of the BMW i3 begins. Carbon is used in series production – a world first
• 2014 Production of the BMW i8 begins. Plant Leipzig is extended for production of the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (the first front-wheel drive BMW). The press shop is upgraded
• 2016 Plant Leipzig delivers its 2,000,000^th BMW
• 2018 The plant is upgraded
• 2021 Plant Leipzig delivers its 3,000,000^th BMW. Battery module production begins
• 2022 The BMW i3 is phased out
• 2023 Production of the MINI Countryman begins
• 2024 Production of three models begins: the MINI Countryman Electric, fourth-generation BMW 1 Series and second-generation BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé. Night shifts are introduced in assembly

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Munich. All locations in the BMW Group production network are able to manufacture different drive train types and model variants on a single line – from internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids to fully-electric drive trains. A combination of plant splits – where a model is produced at multiple locations, flexible substitution of drive train variants and smart distribution of vehicle concepts ensures good capacity utilisation at all sites.

The German plants lead the way on e-mobility in the BMW Group’s production network: The sites in Munich, Dingolfing, Regensburg and Leipzig all produce at least one model for the global market alongside traditional drive technologies. Even in a volatile environment, the BMW Group continues to grow at its domestic locations, manufacturing over a million vehicles there last year (2024: 1,087,067; +16% YOY). The BMW Group thus accounts for a quarter of the automotive industry's total production volume in Germany.

However, electromobility is not just making inroads at the company’s German plants. The BMW Group’s Chinese plants have fully-electric vehicles in their production portfolio and Plant Spartanburg (USA) is gearing up for electrification. From 2026, it will build fully-electric vehicles alongside its existing production portfolio. Starting in 2027, Plant San Luis Potosí in Mexico will also ramp up the fully-electric vehicles of the NEUE KLASSE.

As one of the pioneers of e-mobility, the BMW Group soon recognised that the ramp-up would not be linear but would progress at varying speeds. In the initial phase of the ramp-up, it primarily relied on “flex-plants”, which can manufacture both vehicles with internal combustion engines and electric drive trains. In this way the company is able to ensure its delivery capabilities in different market situations and maintain good capacity utilisation at individual locations. 

With increasing electrification of the product portfolio, the plant environment is also changing. By the end of the decade, the BMW Group expects a significant increase in the market shares of fully-electric vehicles. For this reason, the plant in Debrecen and, later, the main plant in Munich will be the first facilities dedicated exclusively to fully-electric vehicles, enhancing electrification capacities across the network. The fully-electric NEUE KLASSE will launch at the new plant in Debrecen, Hungary before the end of the year. Once refurbishment is complete, the main plant in Munich will also produce only fully-electric vehicles from 2027.

The ability to make flexible substitutions is also a feature at plants designed solely for electric vehicles: Shifts in drive train variant production can be managed within the network. This enables the production network to respond in an agile manner to different scenarios in the ongoing ramp-up of e-mobility.

In addition to flexible substitution, BMW Group production is also characterised by “flexibility elements”. Order flexibility enables customers to modify their vehicle configuration up until six days before production begins. Volume flexibility relies on the sites’ flexible work-time models, which are constantly being refined. Measures include short-term tools, such as shift extensions and breaks, as well as medium-term modifications to shift models. Last year, a third shift was added at both the Regensburg and Leipzig plants.

Production follows the market – globally balanced plant capacity allocation 
The main criterion for plant capacity allocation, i.e. determining which models are produced at which plants, is proximity to the market. For example, Plant Spartanburg is the Competence Centre for BMW X models, because the US is the main sales market for the BMW Group’s Sports Activity Vehicles. Production and sales volumes both totalled just under 400,000 units in 2024. Almost 50 percent of all BMWs sold in the US in 2024 were built at Plant Spartanburg.

The Chinese market accounts for more than a quarter of the BMW Group’s total sales. The region is so large that the BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) joint venture produces vehicles almost exclusively for the local market. Here, also, sales and production volumes are closely aligned (2024 sales: 715,159; 2024 production: 695,579). Almost 90 percent of vehicles produced locally in China are also sold there.

The German plants in Munich, Regensburg and Leipzig manufacture UKL and compact-class vehicles primarily for the European market. Other locations, such as South Africa and Mexico, benefit from established free trade agreements.

The BMW Group's global distribution of value creation forms an important foundation for the resilience of its overall system, strengthening its ability to navigate trade policy and geopolitics. It also mitigates risks associated with currency fluctuations.

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Munich. BMW Group Plant Munich is gearing up to launch the NEUE KLASSE in summer 2026. During ongoing series operation, three new production halls are currently being built for the body shop, assembly and associated production logistics. “For the production start of the NEUE KLASSE, we will have a state-of-the-art plant in Munich that is characterised by flexibility, innovation and, above all, efficiency,” says Plant Director Peter Weber.

Starting in 2027, the plant in Munich will exclusively produce fully-electric vehicles, further enhancing efficiency boost. Forward planning, close cooperation with development teams and suppliers, and the integration of modern production technology within new structures will all play a key role. “With the NEUE KLASSE, we will significantly reduce manufacturing costs at the Munich Plant,” says Weber. In addition to optimised production processes and targeted automation, the NEUE KLASSE’s new vehicle architecture will also leverage further efficiencies. Focusing on a single drive train variant reduces production steps and the number of parts – for example, for wiring harnesses, which previously varied according to engine type and can be complex to install.

Unusual process: Pre-series production at pilot plant
The timeline for the ramp-up in Munich is carefully synchronised – in part due to the plant’s refurbishment. The first pre-series vehicles will be built at the pilot plant of the BMW Group Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ), with support from Plant Munich’s production team, before the end of the year. “Alongside the pilot plant at the FIZ, we are also using virtual simulations to ensure a smooth ramp-up,” says Weber, describing the unusual situation in the decisive year ahead of the launch. He adds that Plant Munich’s experienced launch team is also working closely with colleagues at the new plant in Debrecen, Hungary, where the first NEUE KLASSE model will enter production late this year.

International production network: Cooperation, flexibility and innovative processes
BMW Group plants are capable of producing different model variants and drive train types on a single line. Since the ramp-up of electromobility is not linear and will progress at varying speeds, the company has relied on “flex-plants”, which can manufacture vehicles with both internal combustion engines and electric drive trains. “In this way, we can ensure our delivery capabilities in different market situations and maintain good capacity utilisation at our locations,” explains Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management responsible for Production.

By the end of the decade, the BMW Group expects a significant increase in the market shares of fully-electric vehicles. For this reason, the plants in Debrecen and, later, Munich will be the first facilities dedicated exclusively to fully-electric vehicles, enhancing electrification capacities throughout the network.

The German plants lead the way on e-mobility in the BMW Group’s production network: Alongside traditional drive technologies, each of them builds at least one fully-electric model for the global market. Even in a volatile environment, the BMW Group continues to grow its domestic locations, manufacturing over a million vehicles there last year – accounting for a quarter of Germany's total automotive production.

At the same time, the company’s production also depends on a balanced global distribution of value creation. “The strategic and flexible structure of our production network strengthens our resilience and makes us more competitive,” adds Nedeljković.

Focus on employees: Developing skills for e-mobility
The shift towards electrified vehicles also brings changes to employee roles and required skills. With the flexible ramp-up of e-mobility at BMW Group plants, employees can gradually be prepared for new job content.

“Despite technical and structural innovations, our focus is always on people. We take pride in our employees’ expertise and experience, and their dedication to continuous improvement. It is thanks to their commitment that we are able to consistently deliver premium-quality vehicles,” emphasises Weber. Additional expertise will be developed and retained at the company through extensive further training and workforce flexibility. Last year alone, nearly 25,000 employees completed e-mobility training. Plant Munich is currently holding its third industrial electrician qualification course, conducted in cooperation with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK).

In recent years, around 5,500 jobs have been created across the BMW Group production network for the current and upcoming generation of e-drives. More than three quarters of these positions were filled through internal reorganisation. 

For further information about flexibility in the BMW Group production network please also note the background document in the download section.

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Spartanburg, S.C. – BMW Manufacturing has confirmed that it was the leading automotive exporter by value in the United States in 2024, according to data released this month by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Plant Spartanburg exported nearly 225,000 BMW Sports Activity Vehicles and Coupes last year with an export value of more than $10 billion. Moreover, since 2014, the South Carolina plant has exported more than 2.7 million BMWs – about 63 percent of total production – with an export value of more than $104 billion.

“Plant Spartanburg has been an important location in our production network for over 30 years and is now the largest BMW Group plant globally,” explained Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Production. “The strong export share of our plant underlines the importance of free trade for the USA. Not only does this benefit our plant, but also the strong supplier network in the region.”

“When the first BMW rolled off the assembly line in 1994, it was the beginning of a great legacy for Plant Spartanburg in the United States. Our dedicated associates have assembled nearly seven million BMWs, and because of our export success, millions of customers around the world experience the innovative technology and premium quality of our X vehicles,” said Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. “Our achievement as the country’s leading automotive exporter demonstrates BMW’s trusted partnership with this state and our continued commitment to the United States.”

"South Carolina's position as a stronghold for the United States' automotive industry can be traced directly to BMW's success in our state. The BMW models assembled at Plant Spartanburg are in global demand — shipping to markets around the world,” said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. “We are proud to have a company as committed to the prosperity of its community, the success of its employees, and the innovation of its industry right here in South Carolina. We look forward to celebrating many more milestones with BMW in the years ahead."

The BMWs assembled at the South Carolina plant were exported primarily through the Port of Charleston, SC, as well as through four additional ports on the East Coast. The top export markets from Plant Spartanburg were Germany, South Korea, China, Canada, and Great Britain.

Plant Highlights from 2024

The team at BMW Manufacturing assembled 396,117 Sports Activity Vehicles and Coupes last year. As part of that total, more than 57,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles were assembled, which made up more than 14 percent of the plant’s total volume. Nearly 50 percent of all BMWs sold in the U.S. were assembled at Plant Spartanburg.

Other plant highlights from 2024 include:

• Associates successfully launched the fourth-generation BMW X3, one of the best-selling BMWs in America.
• While celebrating the 30th anniversary of Plant Spartanburg, BMW opened its first press shop in North America. The state-of-the-art press shop stamps parts for the BMW X3, including hang-on parts such as the vehicle’s four doors, fenders, lift gate, and exterior body sides.
• The expansion of the X3/X4 assembly hall continued as Plant Spartanburg prepares to assemble fully electric vehicles. Construction is complete, and most tooling and equipment has been installed. The first electric vehicle will be shipped in late 2026, and by 2030, the BMW Group will assemble at least six fully electric models in the U.S.
• Construction at Plant Woodruff, BMW’s new $700 million high-voltage battery assembly plant: Tooling and equipment is being installed with all work substantially completed by the end of March 2025. Associates at the one million square foot facility will assemble the sixth-generation batteries to supply fully electric vehicles at Plant Spartanburg.
• Construction on an expansion to the main body shop was completed, and an additional 300+ robots have been installed.
• Construction on a new eight-story body shop stacker for vehicle storage was completed.

Since 1992, the BMW Group has invested more than $14.8 billion in its South Carolina operations. BMW Manufacturing is the largest BMW Group plant in the world, assembling more than 1,500 vehicles each day. Nearly 57 percent of its vehicles are shipped to about 120 global markets, making BMW the largest automotive exporter by value in the United States for more than a decade. In 2024, nearly 50 percent of BMW vehicles sold in the U.S. came from Plant Spartanburg. It employs more than 11,000 people. 

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Dingolfing. Increasing efficiency through digitization: In a successful cooperation between BMW Group Plant Dingolfing and Landshut University of Applied Sciences, students have developed an innovative solution for plant logistics. The new digital tool automates the counting of empty containers using artificial intelligence (AI), saving time and avoiding errors.

Looking for simple automation
At the BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, around 1,600 different types of containers are in circulation every day, transporting parts for vehicle production. Until now, these containers were counted manually, which was time-consuming and prone to errors. “Our goal was to automate empties counting as efficiently and simply as possible,” explains Wolfgang Schratzenstaller, project manager at the BMW Group Plant in Dingolfing.

Cooperation with Landshut University
The idea of involving students from Landshut University of Applied Sciences in the project met with a positive response. “Students bring in new perspectives and unbiased approaches,” says Schratzenstaller. Prof. Dr. Abdelmajid Khelil, head of the IoT Innovation Lab at Landshut University, supported the project as part of a practical teaching module. The collaboration began with the summer semester 2024.

Mobile video instead of mental arithmetic 

Within three months, the eight-person team developed a cost-effective and efficient solution. A simple mobile phone video, taken while running through the rows with the containers, is sufficient to determine the exact number per container variant. “QR codes are placed above the block storage lanes, which link to a database of container data. The AI analyses the video and calculates the number of containers,” explains Dominik Dama, an IT master's student.

Outlook and development

The counting system is currently in the pilot phase to test its performance under real conditions. In the future, the solution will also be used in other areas of plant logistics. It is also planned to further automate the counting process by using autonomous Smart Transport Robots (STR) to record the videos.

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Munich. Following extensive renovation work, BMW Welt reopens its doors today and presents new highlights for an exciting brand experience. As part of the reopening, a major innovation is in the pipeline: The new BMW Welt app offers visitors an innovative experience by combining BMW Welt's offerings with virtual content.

“With the reopening of BMW Welt, our visitors can look forward to new worlds of experience and events. One of the highlights is the BMW Welt app, which will be available at the end of February and will allow visitors to discover our museum in a completely new, immersive way. Virtual tours, gamification and detailed information about our vehicles make it the ideal companion for a visit to BMW Welt. We have also made many technological and technical optimisations to improve existing attractions and offers,” says Sandra Wittemer, Head of BMW Welt.

BMW Welt App: New technology with personalised tour guide

The BMW Welt App, which will be available to download from the end of February, turns a tour of BMW Welt into an interactive and informative adventure. A virtual tour with 16 stations is available to guests. The BMW Welt app offers a digital AI avatar as a personal tour guide. The tour can be started at any time at the touch of a button, allowing visitors to freely determine both the starting point and the pace of their own tour. The international audience can also be guided through event areas and exhibits in two languages if required.

If a vehicle particularly catches your eye, the BMW Welt app offers the opportunity to marvel at it as a digital 360° model on your smartphone. All you need to do is activate the smartphone camera via the BMW Welt app and capture a QR code on the exhibit. If required, the corresponding data sheets with all vehicle specifications are available for download.

In addition to the new exploration functions of BMW Welt, the BMW Welt app also provides attractive offers and discounts for the shop, restaurants and car hire as well as other functions such as a quiz, a scavenger hunt and the MINI Arcade as part of a major raffle.

BMW Welt's reopening week also has a lot to offer beyond the app: In addition to its role as a photo point, the BMW Isetta on display will also be driven through BMW Welt several times a day to hand out free gingerbread hearts to all guests. And on Valentine's Day, the kiss cam in the red BMW X3 and the Valentine's photo backdrop in the MINI area will be available for couples to take photos together.

New exhibition areas and business space

Much has been changed and renovated in the exhibition areas of BMW Welt. With the M Clubhouse, BMW M presents a new experience that combines the inviting character of a living room with the motorsport fascination of a BMW M garage. Highlights include the new BMW M5* in a unique design by artist Fillin Guas and a special sound installation that brings the Nürburgring to Munich.

In the newly designed BMW area, an interactive and informative space was created for the topics Charging, My BMW App and RELAX. WE CARE. In addition, UNO Car Party can be played with the whole family via AirConsole.

The BMW Welt Business Center has also been redesigned and will welcome guests from 18 February. Still bookable for conferences, meetings or similar events, elegant earth tones and golden accents in the fabrics and materials used create a modern look and an inviting ambience.

Event highlights until spring

The reopening also marks the start of BMW Welt's event year. Due to high demand, the BMW Welt yoga programme will continue from 22 February. From the children's music theatre “Frank and Bert” by the Bavarian State Opera on 2 March to the PULSE opening event on 8 March in the double cone and the planned start of this year's Internationales Krimifestival München on 4 April in BMW Welt, where Prof. Dr. Hendrik Streeck will read from his new business thriller “Das Institut”, there is already a lot on offer early in the year.

Fans of unusual sounds can expect something very special on 27 April: “Sound Journey on Four Wheels - A Children's Concert at BMW Welt”, a musical collaboration between the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and BMW that focuses on the car.

Further highlights are already on the horizon for the rest of the year: the BMW Welt Campus will not only once again offer a holiday programme, but also the vr4kids road safety exercise. During this interactive 3D experience, children experience dangerous situations from everyday road traffic in a safe, digital environment and can train their behaviour accordingly. A new charging station for electric vehicles is also being built outside BMW Welt and will be officially unveiled in autumn.

Further information can be found on the BMW Welt website.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Lisa Meindl
Spokesperson BMW Museum and BMW Welt
Phone: +49 89 382 31668
Email: lisa.meindl@bmw.de

Simone Bauer

Communication BMW Welt

Phone: +49 151 601 414 52

Email: simone.bauer@bmw.de

Michael Stadler

Phone: +49 89 381 08 119

Email: bmwwelt@haebmau.de

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmw.de

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold over 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.

www.bmwgroup.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmwgroup

X: https://www.x.com/bmwgroup

Ljubljana. Navkljub letu, prežetem z mnogimi izzivi, od padca prodaje na nekaterih ključnih trgih po svetu, kot je Kitajska, ohlajanju povpraševanja po električnih vozilih pri nekaterih znamkah in padanju premium segmenta na slovenskem trgu, je BMW Group Slovenija dosegel dobre rezultate in ohranil prvenstvo v vseh ključnih segmentih v primerjavi s tradicionalno nemško konkurenco, in sicer v segmentu električnih in tudi elektrificiranih vozil, v segmentu visokozmogljivih športnih vozil, v najprestižnejšem segmentu premijskih vozil, svoje prvenstvo pa samozavestno ohranja tudi najuspešnejša prestižna limuzina BMW serije 7. »Strategija odprtosti do vseh tehnologij, ki odpira vrata širokemu, svežemu in prenovljenemu portfelju vozil z vsemi pogonskimi sklopi v praktično vseh segmentih, se je pokazala kot prava pot za stabilno in uspešno poslovanje.«, je dodal Aleš Suhorepec, generalni direktor BMW Group Slovenija.

BMW Group je v letu 2024 nadaljeval z intenzivno produktno ofenzivo in trgu ponudil številne nove in prenovljene modele, tako klasično gnane kot elektrificirane. Na svetovne trge je zapeljala druga generacija BMW X2, vključno s popolnoma električnim iX2. V prvem četrtletju je na ceste zapeljal BMW serije 5 Touring, v zadnjem četrtletju pa BMW M5 limuzina in Touring, tem sta se pridružila tudi novi BMW serije 1 in BMW X3. V 2024 so doživele prenove vse različice BMW serije 3 in M3 ter serije 4 in M4. Na svetovne trge pa je zapeljala tudi popolnoma prenovljena družina MINI z novim električnim članom MINI Aceman na čelu.

Najbolje prodajani modeli vozil BMW in MINI.
Stranke BMW je v 2024 najbolj množično prepričal BMW X1, ki predstavlja 17,8 % prodanih vozil BMW v preteklem letu, z 11,3 % prodanih vozil mu na drugem mestu po številu registracij v 2024 sledi serija 5, tretje mesto pa zaseda serija 2 z 10,8-odstotnim prodajnim deležem.

Trend prodaje športnih terencev se je nadaljeval tudi v 2024, ki so v letu 2024 predstavljali 53 % celotne prodaje. Slovenski kupci so se najpogosteje odločili za BMW X1, ki z vnosom dinamike, okretnosti in natančnosti gradi na spontanem užitku v vožnji, BMW X3 (10 % celotne prodaje) in BMW X5 (7,8 % celotne prodaje, v primerjavi z nemškima konkurentoma pa je dosegel kar 57 % v svojem segmentu).

Močno zanimanje za člane družine X je opazno tudi v poslovnem segmentu, kjer se poslovneži pogosto odločajo za BMW X5, X3 in X1, kljub vsemu pa v 2024 prvenstvo pripada najbolje prodajani poslovni limuzini na svetu BMW serije 5. V segmentu prodaje poslovnim strankam je BMW v primerjavi z nemškima konkurentoma zasedel prvo mesto s 45,8 % segmentnim deležem.

MINI je v letu 2024 predstavil celotno novo družino, vključno z novim popolnoma električnim članom MINI Aceman. V letu 2024 je ohranil stabilno prodajo primerljivo z letom poprej. Slovenski kupci so se v letu 2024 največkrat odločili za vozili MINI Countryman z 39 % deležem prodaje in MINI Cooper v 3-vratni izvedbi s konvencionalnim pogonom s 36 % prodaje, medtem ko je popolnoma električni 3-vratni MINI Cooper dosegel tretje mesto z 18 % deležem prodaje.

BMW Group ohranja mesto vodilnega v deležu prodaje električnih in priključno hibridnih vozil med najbližjima nemškima konkurentoma.
Na slovenskem trgu BMW Group v primerjavi z nemškima konkurentoma v premijskem razredu z 68 % deležem med električnimi in priključno hibridnimi vozili trdno zaseda vodilno mesto. Priključni hibridi BMW Group znotraj premium segmenta nemških proizvajalcev dosegajo kar 81 % delež, električna vozila BMW pa si v segmentu popolnoma električnih vozil lastijo 62 % delež in skupno s priključno hibridnimi vozili predstavljajo 28 % vseh registriranih avtomobilov BMW Group Slovenija.

BMW Group kljub zahtevnim tržnim razmeram globalno ohranja svojo usmeritev rasti za popolnoma električna vozila. To se odraža tako v znatni rasti prodaje popolnoma električnih vozil kot v jasnem porastu novih naročil BEV v Evropi. Globalno so elektrificirana vozila v 2024 predstavljala 24,2 % celotne prodaje BMW Group, popolnoma električna pa so predstavljala 17,4 % celotne prodaje, medtem ko je delež prodaje popolnoma električnih vozil v Sloveniji znašal 18 %.

Slovenski kupci so se v letu 2024 največkrat odločili za modele BMW i4, ki je predstavljal 35,7 % prodaje električnih vozil, sledili pa so BMW iX1 in BMW i5.

BMW Group združuje športno zmogljivost z ekskluzivnim prestižem.
Kupci, ki se odločajo za visokozmogljiva športna vozila in prestižna vozila nemških premium ponudnikov avtomobilov, večinoma posegajo po vozilih BMW M in BMW serije 7 (39 registracij), X7 (39 registracij) in XM (14 registracij vključno z modelom Red Label). Vozila BMW M in BMW M Performance so tako v segmentu visokozmogljivih vozil med najbližjima nemškima konkurentoma s kar 64 % deležem zasedla zavidljivo prvo mesto in v primerjavi s prejšnjim letom dosegla 13-odstotno rast.

BMW v najvišjem in najprestižnejšem segmentu osebnih vozil v premijskem razredu med nemškima konkurentoma zaseda prvo mesto z 59 % deležem. Najprestižnejša limuzina BMW serije 7 je v letu 2024 dosegla 39-odstotno rast v primerjavi z letom poprej in ima v primerjavi s konkurenco 67 % segmentni tržni delež, BMW X7 pa kar 75 %.

BMW Motorrad.
BMW Motorrad je v letu 2024 nadaljeval z izjemnimi rezultati, saj je s 429 motocikli BMW zadržal prvo mesto z 20,3 % tržnim deležem v segmentu motorjev nad 500 ccm. V primerjavi z letom poprej je rezultat predstavljal 10-odstotno rast. Novi BMW R 1300 GS, ki je po septembrski predstavitvi leta 2023 že takrat napovedoval ogromno povpraševanja in s tem uspešno obdobje za BMW Motorrad v 2024, je svoje napovedi upravičil. V letu je 2024 je bil tako najbolje prodajani model, za katerega se je odločilo kar 173 motoristov in motoristk.

Digitalizacija storitev in poslovanja.
BMW Group s svojo zavezanostjo k izboljšanju uporabniške izkušnje z izvajanjem najsodobnejših ukrepov digitalizacije in modernizacije postavlja nove standarde proaktivne skrbi za stranke. Na desetih lokacijah po vsej Sloveniji skrbi za stranke okrog 150 strokovnjakov.

BMW Group v okviru proaktivne skrbi za svoje stranke ponuja širok nabor digitalnih servisnih storitev, kot je npr. digitalni servisni sprejem z brezkontaktno oddajo avtomobilskega ključa na servisu, z aplikacijo My BMW ali MINI pa s storitvami, kot so spletna rezervacija servisnega termina, pregled stanja vozila, posodabljanje vozila na daljavo omogoča osrednjo točko komuniciranja, tudi ko se stranka ne nahaja neposredno v vozilu. Servisna mreža opaža porast spletnih rezervacij terminov, prav tako so stranke pričele uporabljati možnost plačila prek BMW Pay, ki jo BMW Slovenija uvedel v letu 2023. V letu 2024 so posodobitve na daljavo predstavljale 16 % vseh potencialnih obiskov servisov in strankam, ki so te posodobitve uredile enostavno v udobju svoje garaže, ni bilo treba obiskati servisa, njihov avto pa je venomer posodobljen in aktualen.

Stranke imajo možnost vzpostaviti klic s centrom za pomoč na cesti bodisi prek aplikacije bodisi iz vozila. Center tako v najkrajšem možnem času vozniku zagotovi potrebno asistenco, saj ima pregled nad vsemi ključnimi informacijami, vključno z morebitnimi okvarami, lokacijo in drugimi pomembnimi podatki, kar omogoča hitro in učinkovito nudenje pomoči. Poleg tega aplikacija sledi času od zadnjega servisnega pregleda in voznika opozori, ko je čas za naslednji pregled. Inovativni sistem dialoga prek pametne video komunikacije omogoča prejem dodatnih pojasnil o stanju njihovega vozila in potrebnih dodatnih posegih ter jim tako olajša odločitev o nadaljnjih servisnih postopkih. Stranke so si v povprečju ogledale kar 840 posnetkov na mesec.

Z uvedbo diagnostike vozila na daljavo se v določenih situacijah BMW strokovnjaki lahko neposredno povežejo na daljavo z vozilom, preverijo morebitne napake in nudijo nasvete o ukrepih, brez potrebe po obisku servisa. Diagnostika na daljavo tako lahko odpravi nekatere programske napake, za katere obisk servisa ni več potreben. V 907 primerih so servisni strokovnjaki lahko pomagali strankam na terenu z izvedbo diagnostike na daljavo.

BMW Financial Services utrjuje vodilni položaj: z inovativnimi finančnimi produkti do več kot 70-odstotnega tržnega deleža na področju financiranja v prodajni mreži BMW, MINI in BMW Motorrad.

BMW Financial Services želi vedno presegati pričakovanja strank, zato je v letu 2024 v sodelovanju z ekskluzivnim partnerjem GB Leasing lansiral nov finančni produkt, ki združuje ugodne finančne pogoje z dodatno ugodnostjo za kupce. Vsi, ki se odločijo za nakup novega vozila BMW prek financiranja, so deležni brezplačnega servisa za obdobje 5 let oz. do 100.000 prevoženih kilometrov. Ta ekskluzivna ponudba ne prinaša le finančne ugodnosti, temveč tudi brezskrbno lastništvo vozila.

Na področju financiranja motornih koles BMW ostaja najbolj priljubljeni produkt 3asyRide, ki ponuja: ugodno obrestno mero, atraktiven mesečni obrok in fleksibilne možnosti ob zaključku financiranja, med katerimi se stranka lahko odloči bodisi za odkup, refinanciranje ali zamenjavo motornega kolesa po sistemu “staro za novo”.

BMW Financial Services je tako s svojo fleksibilnostjo in usmerjenostjo k strankam v letu 2024 dosegel več kot 70-odstotni delež na področju financiranja vozil v prodajni mreži BMW, MINI in BMW Motorrad v Sloveniji. S svojo zavezanostjo k ustvarjanju rešitev po meri strank in prihajajočimi novimi finančnimi produkti bo v prihodnje še dodatno utrdil svoj položaj na trgu in omogočili še več ljudem, da uresničijo svoje sanje o vožnji z vozili in motorji BMW ter MINI.

V 2024 je na slovenski trg vstopil tudi Alphabet, eden izmed vodilnih globalnih ponudnikov poslovnih rešitev mobilnosti, kjer je začel sodelovati z uveljavljenim ponudnikom mobilnostnih storitev, družbo Avant Car, ki bo v Sloveniji nudil storitve globalnim Alphabetovim strankam.

Zagotavljanje odlične uporabniške izkušnje po meri stranke na unikatnih dogodkih, ki prevzamejo in pustijo pečat.
BMW Group za svoje stranke vsakoletno prireja edinstvene in prepoznavne dogodke. Na tovrstnih dogodkih se stranke lahko seznanijo z najnovejšimi inovacijami, s testnimi vožnjami preizkusijo vozila bogate flote BMW in MINI ter svoje znanje obogatijo z različnimi delavnicami in izobraževanji na temo trajnosti, elektrifikacije in mobilnosti.

V letu 2024 se je tako na lokalnih kot mednarodnih dogodkih v Sloveniji zvrstilo več kot 750 strank. BMW Arena je gostila goste ter novinarje in vplivneže iz Slovenije ter Srednje in Jugovzhodne Evrope in jim ekskluzivno predstavila nove modele BMW X2 in popolnoma električnega iX2, novega MINI Countryman in električnega MINI Cooper ter električnega e-parkourerja BMW CE 02, obenem pa omogočila zimsko xDrive izkušnjo s celotno floto vozil X in obilo naelektrenega užitka z električnimi BMW in MINI.

V prestižni svet užitka v izjemnem udobju zmogljivosti in slogu so stranke popeljali BMW serije 7, BMW i5 in BMW XM na ekskluzivnem dogodku BMW W2x Kempinski Experience v Savudriji. Stranke so doživele ekskluzivno in nepozabno BMW zgodbo na dogodku Legendary Moments v Rovinju in se zabavale na kulinaričnem pikniku na MINI Kuhna potepu, kjer je zanje poskrbel novi MINI ambasador chef Jorg Zupan. V septembru sta MINI in Continental popeljala vplivneže na MINI x Conti avanturo, kjer so se pobližje spoznali s celotno novo družino MINI in izvedeli marsikaj o trajnostnih pnevmatikah Continental. Pred koncem leta pa je na Martinovo sledila še slovenska medijska predstavitev novih BMW serije 1 in X3 ter popolnoma novega MINI Aceman.

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Regensburg. BMW Group Plant Regensburg has achieved another major milestone: As projected, the threshold of 100,000 fully-electric vehicles produced since the start of the year was reached today. The milestone vehicle, which came off the assembly line in Regensburg today, watched by Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production, is a BMW iX1. The vehicle, finished in Blue Bay Lagoon metallic, will be shipped to overseas, to the island of La Réunion. The plant has produced this successful premium compact model for customers worldwide since November 2022.

Nedeljković: “We offer a very wide range of fully-electric vehicles across all key segments. Our German plants produce these vehicles for the global market, delivering a major contribution to the growth of e-mobility.”

Regensburg Plant Director Armin Ebner offers a correspondingly positive assessment of the year: “We are meeting customer needs with our BMW iX1 and BMW iX2 models. I am especially proud of our team at Plant Regensburg, who once again showed tremendous commitment and flexibility, despite volatile market conditions. We have achieved our projected growth target for production of fully-electric vehicles in Regensburg in 2024, as promised.

More than a third of the vehicles built at our plant this year were electrified – i.e. a plug-in hybrid or an all-electric model. In 2024, we will substantially exceed last year's figure of 238,301 BMW vehicles built in Regensburg –with annual production of well over 330,000 units in total.”

More than 1,400 BMW X1 and BMW X2 models are currently coming off the production line at BMW Group Plant Regensburg every workday. The core BMW X1 model will be produced with all drive train variants: as a combustion-engine vehicle and plug-in hybrid, alongside the fully-electric BMW iX1.

“Our plant has become even more digital, more circular and more efficient overall this year,” says Ebner. “We are systematically driving our transformation towards electromobility and the BMW iFactory – an intelligently connected digital factory.” Recent accolades, such as being named “FACTORY OF THE YEAR” 2024 in the category “excellent large-series assembly” and receiving the “Best Cars Award” for the BMW X1 from trade journal auto motor und sport in 2024, provide impressive proof of this. “I would like to extend a big thank you to our entire plant team and our partners for everything we have achieved together.”

BMW Group Corporate Communications
Saskia Graser, head of Communications Regensburg and Wackersdorf
Cell phone: +49 151 60602014, Email: Saskia.Graser@bmw.de

Martina Hatzel, Communications Production Network

Cell phone: +49 151 60111966, Email: Martina.Hatzel@bmwgroup.com

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmw.de

BMW Group Plants Regensburg and Wackersdorf
The BMW Group vehicle plant in Regensburg has been in operation since 1986 and is one of more than 30 BMW Group production locations worldwide. Every workday, around 1,400 vehicles of the BMW X1 and BMW X2 models roll off the production line at Plant Regensburg, destined for customers around the globe. Different types of drive trains are flexibly manufactured on a single production line – ranging from vehicles with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids and fully-electric models.

BMW Group Plant Regensburg was recognised as “FACTORY OF THE YEAR” 2024 in the category “excellent large-series assembly” of the prestigious industrial competition. As it implements the BMW iFACTORY, the BMW Group is focused on digitalisation of the Regensburg plant site to create a digital and intelligently connected factory. It is already possible to experience in virtual form what the factory will look like a few years from now. Production of models for the NEUE KLASSE, BMW’s next generation of vehicles, will ramp up in Regensburg in the second half of the decade.

The BMW Group plant in Wackersdorf is home to cockpit production and parts supply for overseas plants. With the opening of a new battery testing centre and commissioning of the first phase in autumn 2024, the location has also become a key facilitator for electromobility. An entirely new area of expertise for the site is the door and flap production centre for Rolls-Royce.

The BMW Group core staff at the Regensburg and Wackersdorf locations in eastern Bavaria consists of around 9,250 employees, including more than 300 apprentices.

www.bmwgroup-werke.com/regensburg/de.html

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Steyr. Just ten months after the start of system installation, the first electric engine was now shipped from BMW Group Plant Steyr to Debrecen, Hungary. At BMW Group Plant Debrecen, the e-engine will be used in Neue Klasse text vehicles.

“Our plant in Steyr has been delivering the first sixth-generation electric engines to the development department in Munich since September. We also recently began sending our e-engines directly to BMW Group Plant Debrecen, where they are being installed in test vehicles,” explains Klaus von Moltke, SVP Engine Production at BMW AG and Managing Director of BMW Group Plant Steyr.

Plant Steyr already launched production of the first next-generation electric motors three months ago. Helmut Hochsteiner, VP of Electric Engine Production at BMW Group Plant Steyr, adds: “Over the coming months, we will continue to validate and optimise the complex production process for the new electric motors,” The supply of Plant Debrecen with electric engines from Steyr marks the next important milestone towards the start of series production – both Neue Klasse and its electric motors from Austria.

Further information on the production of test vehicles at BMW Group Plant Debrecen can be found in the BMW Group PressClub.

This is BMW Group Plant Steyr

The BMW Group's largest engine plant worldwide is located in Steyr in Upper Austria, where 4,700 employees produce over one million petrol and diesel engines each year. Steyr is also home to a major development centre for the research and development of new drive trains. In June 2022, the company announced that it would begin production of e-drives in 2025. BMW Motoren GmbH in Steyr is currently one of Austria's top industrial companies in terms of revenues and exports.

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Munich. The BMW Group is building a Cell Recycling Competence Centre (CRCC) for battery cells in Kirchroth, in the Straubing-Bogen district of Lower Bavaria, where it will implement a process referred to as “direct recycling”. This innovative procedure enables residual materials from battery cell production, as well as whole battery cells, to be mechanically dismantled into their valuable components. The recovered raw materials are then directly reused in pilot production of battery cells at the company’s own Battery Cell Competence Centres.

“The new Cell Recycling Competence Centre brings another element to our in-house expertise: From development and pilot production to recycling, we are creating a closed loop for battery cells,” says Markus Fallböhmer, SVP Battery Production at BMW AG, “taking advantage of the short distances between our Competence Centres in Bavaria.” The BMW Group is investing around 10 million euros in construction of the new Competence Centre. Installation work at the building is already scheduled to begin in the second half of 2025. Once completed, validation of the recycling method in near-series processes will get underway.

Innovative direct recycling recovers valuable raw materials

Battery cell raw materials – primarily lithium and cobalt, but also graphite, manganese, nickel and copper – are among the main cost factors in cell production. Responsible use of these resources is essential from both environmental and economic perspectives. “The direct recycling will help reducing the costs for our battery cell pilot line”, explains Fallböhmer. Unlike conventional methods, the main characteristic of direct recycling is that raw materials from battery cells are not reverted to their original state, but are instead fed back “directly” into the cell production cycle. This method dispenses with the previously common energy-intensive chemical or thermal processing. The recycling method was developed by BMW Group experts at the Competence Centres in Munich and Parsdorf. At the new CRCC, it will be implemented on a larger scale and, once the processes are finalised, battery cell material in the mid-double-digit tonne range can be recycled per year.

Optimal location for new Competence Centre in Bavaria

The BMW Group consolidates its battery cell expertise at its Competence Centres in Munich and Parsdorf. The Battery Cell Competence Centre (BCCC) in the north of Munich offers state-of-the-art labs and research facilities for developing the battery cells for next-generation high-voltage batteries and producing them in small quantities. The most promising battery cell from the BCCC will be scaled up for series processes on a pilot line at the Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre (CMCC) in Parsdorf. Once completed, recycling of surplus material from pilot production in Parsdorf will take place at the new Competence Centre in Kirchroth. The recovered raw materials will then be reused in cell production in Parsdorf. This ensures short distances between all Competence Centres and prevents valuable raw materials from being lost. Following on from the BCCC and CMCC, the CRCC thus represents the next step in the BMW Group’s battery cell strategy on the road to the circular economy.

Joint venture operates Competence Center, intellectual property at the BMW Group

The new CRCC, spanning an area of 2,200 m², will be integrated into the expansion of an existing building in the Kirchroth-Nord industrial park, near Straubing. Electrical energy from the discharged cells will be captured in energy storage systems within the building and used to operate the recycling systems. The energy concept will be rounded out by photovoltaic systems installed on the roof of the building. While the intellectual property for the recycling method is fully owned by the BMW Group – the Competence Centre will be built and operated by Encory GmbH. As a joint venture of the BMW Group and Interzero Group, Encory develops and implements logistics and consulting solutions in areas such as collection, recycling, and remanufacturing of vehicle components. Both partners hold a 50% stake in the company. Around 20 people will be employed in the new Competence Center.

Circular economy at the BMW Group

The BMW Group views the circular economy as one of the key issues in designing more resource-efficient vehicles. The premise is to optimize the circularity of materials. This means resources are not lost, but retain their value for long-term use. The BMW Group applies the principles of Re:Think, Re:Duce, Re:Use and Re:Cycle. From vehicle design and production, to recycling and reuse, everything is geared towards ensuring cars can serve as a source of raw materials for new vehicles at the end of their use phase. Recycling focuses, in particular, on the use of innovative methods to recover high-voltage batteries from electrified vehicles.

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Munich, Dingolfing, Leipzig. The BMW Group is systematically advancing the digitalisation and automation of its production processes within the BMW iFACTORY framework. Since 2022, the company has been testing Automated Driving In-Plant (AFW) for new vehicles at its largest European plant in Dingolfing. Following successful CE certification, the pilot project is now transitioning into series operation.
In addition to Dingolfing, Leipzig is also currently being enabled to implement the AFW project in series operation. Other facilities in the BMW Group production network are set to follow in stages.

“Automated Driving In-Plant optimises our production process and delivers significant efficiency gains for our logistics,” explains Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production. “That is why we will be swiftly rolling out this technology throughout our production network.”

In addition to the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series in Dingolfing, this technology is now also being used for the MINI Countryman and other BMW models in Leipzig. In Dingolfing the new vehicles drive fully autonomously – without a driver – along a route of more than one kilometre, from the two assembly halls, through the “short test course”, to the plant’s finishing area. This is made possible by sensors installed along the route – creating the largest LIDAR infrastructure in Europe – and relying on an externally generated environment model and an external movement planner. Regardless of the vehicle's equipment options, this system controls its automated movements, using state-of-the-art cloud architecture. Parts of the technology were provided by the young Swiss company Embotech AG, which the BMW Group already cooperated with in the early stages through its venture client unit, the BMW START-UP Garage.

Plant Leipzig plans to introduce automated driving for around 90 percent of the BMW and MINI models built there, with Plants Regensburg and Oxford set to follow in 2025. The new site in Debrecen, Hungary, will also implement this technology from the official launch of series production.

Going forward, the BMW Group plans to expand its use of Automated Driving In-Plant to other areas of production, such as for driving through the testing zone and in outdoor distribution areas. Production and development experts are also working closely together to refine the technology in-house. Another key factor in expanding the technology is the increasing use of on-board technology, which will support the external sensors in the long term.

“Over the next ten years, we will log several million test kilometres with Automated Driving In-Plant in our production network alone,” says Nedeljković. “In this way, the BMW Group is once again setting a new benchmark for automation and digitalisation of its production processes – while paving the way for future applications in the field of autonomous driving.”

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+++ Use of hydrogen in intralogistics – components delivered to all production areas by hydrogen-powered tugger trains and forklift trucks +++ Gradual transition from electric to hydrogen propulsion by 2030 +++

Regensburg. BMW Group Plant Regensburg plans to utilise hydrogen for its production logistics going forward. Starting in 2026, hydrogen-powered tugger trains and forklift trucks will be deployed for all transport and logistics tasks. This includes operations in the press shop, body shop and assembly, ensuring that the necessary components and individual parts are delivered to the correct locations for installation.

The project aims to capitalise on the benefits of hydrogen propulsion. “The gradual transition from electric to hydrogen propulsion brings us another step closer to the BMW iFACTORY, our digital and sustainable factory of the future,” says Armin Ebner, head of BMW Group Plant Regensburg.

“Switching production logistics from electricity to hydrogen will diversify our plant’s energy mix – while optimising logistics processes and saving valuable space,” explains Project Manager Katharina Radtke. “The advantage of hydrogen is that refuelling is very fast – just like with conventional fuels. The filling stations required for this will be installed directly within the different production areas and do not take up much space.”

The entire logistics fleet at the Regensburg plant is currently being equipped with electric drive trains. The batteries used in the industrial trucks need to be changed twice per shift. Battery replacement, which is performed manually using a crane, takes about 15 minutes and requires space.

To ensure the wide-scale supply of hydrogen in the future, BMW Group plant Regensburg will install a two-kilometre-long pipeline network, with six decentralised filling stations, between now and early 2026. These stations will supply the logistics fleet in the various production areas with hydrogen, delivered in special trailers that can also be used for interim storage. “Once the conversion is completed, our annual hydrogen consumption will be around 150 tonnes,” says Radtke.

The logistics fleet at BMW Group Plant Regensburg currently comprises about 230 tugger train haulers and forklift trucks. The transition will be completed in stages by 2030.


BMW Group Corporate Communications

Christian Dürrschmidt, Communications Regensburg
Cell phone: +49 151 6060 5194
Email: Christian.Duerrschmidt@bmw.de

Saskia Graser, head of Communications Regensburg and Wackersdorf
Cell phone: +49 151 6060 2014
Email: Saskia.Graser@bmw.de

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmw.de


BMW Group Plants Regensburg and Wackersdorf

The BMW Group has viewed itself for decades as the benchmark for production technology and operational excellence in vehicle construction – including at its locations in Regensburg and Wackersdorf. The BMW Group vehicle plant in Regensburg has been in operation since 1986 and is one of more than 30 BMW Group production locations worldwide. A total of up to 1,400 vehicles of the BMW X1 and BMW X2 models come off the production line at Plant Regensburg every workday – destined for customers all over the world. Different types of drive trains are flexibly manufactured on a single production line – from vehicles with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids, to fully-electric models.

High-voltage batteries for the electric models built in Regensburg are also produced locally, in direct proximity to the vehicle plant. They are assembled at the electric component production facility, which opened in 2021 at the Leibnizstrasse location.

BMW Innovation Park Wackersdorf also belongs to the Regensburg site. The 55-hectare campus built in the 1980s was originally intended as a nuclear reprocessing facility. The BMW Group has located its cockpit production there, as well as its parts supply for overseas plants. In addition to BMW as the largest employer, several other companies are also based at Innovation Park Wackersdorf. A total of around 2,500 employees work there.
The BMW Group core staff at the Regensburg and Wackersdorf locations in eastern Bavaria is made up of around 9,250 employees, including more than 300 apprentices.


www.bmwgroup-werke.com/regensburg/de.html

The investment of around 100 million euros has primarily focused on complex test-bench technology and the upgrades to the building's existing infrastructure required for operation. Hall 80, located on the grounds of the Wackersdorf plant, has been remodelled for this purpose: Originally constructed in the 1980s for a planned reprocessing facility, the building has quite a history.

In recent months, structural work for the new battery testing centre has been in progress, including installation of a new floor slab. A total of 2,200 tonnes of structural steel and 10,000 cubic metres of concrete were used in the expansion.

The commissioning of the initial section means that the so-called “battery testers” will be operating around the clock to test battery cells during the early phase of development. Essentially, the electrical performance of individual battery cells is determined during charging and discharging under different conditions. This allows use cases that will be relevant for customers later to be simulated, long before a vehicle under development drives on the road. 

“Parallel testing of several hundred battery cells will initially be possible. Once the ramp-up is complete, testing capacity will reach several thousand battery cells,” explains Project Manager Dr Felix Schmidt-Stein. In the final phase from 2025 onwards, the testing centre will also be used to validate the BMW Group’s battery-electric vehicles prior to the official launch of series production and ensure the required premium quality. “For example, this includes subjecting the batteries to vibration and shock tests,” adds Schmidt-Stein. “We can also simulate complex driving patterns in endurance tests, including charging and discharging cycles. Tests like these are essential for type approval of electric vehicles.” 

“Commissioning of the first phase of the new battery testing centre means that the BMW Group's Wackersdorf location is poised to become a major facilitator in the transformation towards electromobility,” confirms Site Manager Christoph Peters. “The new battery testing centre gives our site a broader foundation. We are now adding a fourth pillar in Wackersdorf – in addition to supplying our overseas plants, cockpit production and door production for Rolls-Royce models. This represents a strong commitment to the future of the site.” 
BMW Group Corporate Communications

Saskia Graser, head of Communications Regensburg and Wackersdorf
Cell phone: +49 151 6060 2014, Email: Saskia.Graser@bmw.de 

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en 
Email: presse@bmw.de 

BMW Group Plants Regensburg and Wackersdorf

The BMW Group has viewed itself for decades as the benchmark for production technology and operational excellence in vehicle construction – including at its locations in Regensburg and Wackersdorf. 
The BMW Group vehicle plant in Regensburg has been in operation since 1986 and is one of more than 30 BMW Group production locations worldwide. A total of up to 1,400 vehicles of the BMW X1 and BMW X2 models come off the production line at Plant Regensburg every workday – destined for customers all over the world. Different types of drive trains are flexibly manufactured on a single production line – from vehicles with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids, to fully-electric models. 

High-voltage batteries for the electric models built in Regensburg are also produced locally, in direct proximity to the vehicle plant. They are assembled at the electric component production facility, which opened in 2021 at the Leibnizstrasse location.

BMW Innovation Park Wackersdorf also belongs to the Regensburg site. The 55-hectare campus built in the 1980s was originally intended as a nuclear reprocessing facility. The BMW Group has located its cockpit production there, as well as its parts supply for overseas plants. In addition to BMW as the largest employer, several other companies are also based at Innovation Park Wackersdorf. A total of around 2,500 employees work there. 
The BMW Group core staff at the Regensburg and Wackersdorf locations in eastern Bavaria is made up of around 9,250 employees, including more than 300 apprentices.

www.bmwgroup-werke.com/regensburg/de.html 

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Today MINI Plant Oxford celebrates the start of production of the MINI Cooper Convertible for the first time since 2015. The model joins the MINI Cooper 3-Door and MINI Cooper 5-Door, making MINI Plant Oxford the home of the MINI Cooper family.

Announced last month, the fourth generation MINI Cooper Convertible includes a completely new interior and exterior design, as well as a state-of-the-art digital experience.

“We are thrilled about the start of production of the MINI Convertible, which is now being produced again at the Oxford plant, the home of MINI. Unique in its class, the MINI Convertible offers unparalleled, brand-typical driving fun, combined with boundless freedom and great emotions: The iconic design combined with modern technology and connectivity makes this vehicle an unmatched open-air experience for our customers," says Stefan Richmann, Head of MINI.

Three UK BMW Group manufacturing sites contribute to the MINI Cooper Convertible. BMW Group Plant Swindon produces the body pressings and sub-assemblies while the latest four-cylinder petrol engines are built at BMW Group Plant Hams Hall in North Warwickshire. Finally, these parts come together at MINI Plant Oxford where body shell production, paint and final assembly take place.

Following the relaunch of the MINI brand in 2001, the first MINI Convertible was unveiled in 2004 and has remained an icon of the MINI family ever since.

With 160,000 vehicles built at MINI Plant Oxford from 2004 to 2008, the first-generation MINI Convertible was known for its retro styling and iconic chrome roll-over arches behind the rear seats. The second generation, unveiled in 2009 with 165,000 built at MINI Plant Oxford until 2015, kept the iconic drop-down hinged boot but gained the evolved styling of the Cooper from that era.

Production of the model was briefly moved to VDL Nedcar for the third generation, making room for the MINI Clubman at MINI Plant Oxford. Over 150,000 Convertible models were produced at Nedcar until production stopped in 2023, before production returned to MINI Plant Oxford.

MINI Plant Oxford celebrated its 110^th anniversary in 2023, the same year the Plant produced over 20% of all UK manufactured cars. As one of the oldest automotive plants in the world, MINI Plant Oxford has been in continuous production since 1913.

In case of queries, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Julian Kisch, Press Spokesperson, Product Communications MINI
Phone: +49-151-601-38072
E-mail: julian.kisch@mini.com

Micaela Sandstede, Head of Communications MINI
Phone: +49-176-601-61611
E-mail: micaela.sandstede@bmw.de

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Regensburg. Digital, automated and intelligently connected through the cloud: BMW Group Plant Regensburg is advancing the digitalisation and automation of its logistics – as a further milestone on the road to the digital factory of the future, the BMW iFACTORY. Every 57 seconds, a new vehicle rolls off the assembly line. Each one is unique, built to individual customer preferences from thousands of separate components. Every workday, up to 1,400 BMW X1 and BMW X2 vehicles are dispatched to customers worldwide, including classic combustion-engine vehicles, plug-in hybrids and fully-electric models.

The logistics behind this process are extremely complex: The components and individual parts required for production always need to be in the right place in the plant's vehicle assembly at the right time – delivered “just in time” and in the correct order, “just in sequence” – to create individually customised vehicles for customers. At the BMW Group site in Regensburg, this logistical task, which is essential for efficient production, is primarily handled by driverless, automated or autonomous transport systems that are intelligently connected through a cloud-based traffic control system known as BMW Automated Transport Services (ATS). In some cases, loading and unloading of transport vehicles is also fully automated.

Depending on the transport task, various types of driverless vehicles are used. For example, automated tugger trains transport small parts from the warehouse to the assembly line, while larger components weighing up to a tonne are handled by Smart Transport Robots (STR). These flat transport robots, developed by the BMW Group in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) about ten years ago, now operate autonomously using dedicated AI modules. Relying on sensors and software, the devices recognise their surroundings, allowing them to navigate around obstacles independently when oncoming traffic permits.

The transport devices are managed through the central cloud-based BMW traffic control system, ATS. When it is time to replenish supplies, an employee on the assembly line rotates the change frame with the empty parts containers and uses it to operate a so-called retrieval rocker. The control system then receives the signal indicating that new parts need to be delivered. In this way, the control system enables smooth and precisely timed delivery of materials, as well as maintaining intelligent traffic flow in the assembly hall. It also provides optimal route guidance, based on delivery priorities, and ensures transport devices are sensibly parked and their batteries sufficiently charged.

BMW Group Plant Regensburg currently enables intelligent connection between nearly 50 automated tugger trains and more than 140 Smart Transport Robots through the ATS control system. The fleet compromises both automated and autonomous devices from different manufacturers, handling approximately 10,000 part deliveries each workday.

“What makes this so unique are the many sequenced parts specifically tailored to each customer vehicle. They must all be delivered in the order they are installed on the assembly line. Even a brief system failure in the supply of sequenced parts would bring production to a halt – and, of course, that is something we want to avoid,” says Thomas Dietz, responsible for process improvement and quality management for Physical Logistics. “A lot of detailed work on both hardware and software was needed to reach the current status.”

The existing fleet is continuously being expanded to incorporate additional transport routes and vehicles. Plans are also in place to integrate additional types of autonomous vehicles into the control system, step by step, such as autonomous lifting trucks or automated forklifts. “Our vision of intelligently connected logistics, relying on a variety of different autonomous transport systems that seamlessly interact with one another – from small to extremely large – is gradually taking shape,” says Dietz.

The driverless logistics fleet is already being complemented by a recently commissioned autonomous transport vehicle in the Regensburg press shop with a payload capacity of 55 tonnes.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Christian Dürrschmidt, Communications Regensburg,
Cell phone: +49 151 6060 5194, Email: Christian.Duerrschmidt@bmw.de

Saskia Graser, head of Communications Regensburg and Wackersdorf,
Cell phone: +49 151 6060 2014, Email: Saskia.Graser@bmw.de

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmw.de

The BMW Group
The BMW Group has viewed itself for decades as the benchmark for production technology and operational excellence in vehicle construction – including at its locations in Regensburg and Wackersdorf.
The BMW Group vehicle plant in Regensburg has been in operation since 1986 and is one of more than 30 BMW Group production locations worldwide. A total of up to 1,400 vehicles of the BMW X1 and BMW X2 models come off the production line at Plant Regensburg every workday – destined for customers all over the world. Different types of drive trains are flexibly manufactured on a single production line – from vehicles with internal combustion engines to plug-in hybrids, to fully-electric models.

High-voltage batteries for the electric models built in Regensburg are also produced locally, in direct proximity to the vehicle plant. They are assembled at the electric component production facility, which opened in 2021 at the Leibnizstrasse location.

BMW Innovation Park Wackersdorf also belongs to the Regensburg site. The 55-hectare campus built in the 1980s was originally intended as a nuclear reprocessing facility. The BMW Group has located its cockpit production there, as well as its parts supply for overseas plants. In addition to BMW as the largest employer, several other companies are also based at Innovation Park Wackersdorf. A total of around 2,500 employees work there. The BMW Group core staff at the Regensburg and Wackersdorf locations in eastern Bavaria is made up of around 9,250 employees, including more than 300 apprentices.

www.bmwgroup-werke.com/regensburg/de.html

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Dingolfing/Regensburg. BMW Group Plants Dingolfing and Regensburg will obtain electricity generated from renewable energy directly from their own roofs. Dingolfing’s rooftop PV system, with a capacity of 11.1 MWp, will be one of the most powerful in Germany. To achieve this objective, the premium automotive manufacturer is renting roof space at its two plant sites in Eastern Bavaria to Sunrock Holding Deutschland GmbH, which will generate electricity using photovoltaics and make it available to the plants under direct supply contracts from 2025 onwards.

Nicole Haft-Zboril, head of BMW Group Real Estate Management, underlined that: “With this project, we are not only creating one of Germany's biggest rooftop photovoltaic systems – we are also promoting the generation of renewable energy directly on site at BMW Group plant locations.”

In Dingolfing, photovoltaic modules cover more than 100,000 square metres of hall roof space, with an additional area of over 25,000 square metres installed in Regensburg. Together, the systems are designed to achieve an output of 14 MWp. The annual renewable electricity output is estimated at 11.3 GWh for Dingolfing and 2.9 GWh for Regensburg, which corresponds to the annual electricity needs of several thousand single-family homes.

Georg Brenninkmeijer, managing director of Sunrock Germany, said: “It is such an honour for us to collaborate with a renowned automotive company like BMW. In a sector with high energy demands, like many other industries, it is crucial to develop localised solutions to ensure a sustainable energy supply. We are delighted to start installing the PV systems in Dingolfing and Regensburg soon, which will supply the two BMW Group plants with locally produced green solar power in the future.”

The planned photovoltaic systems are scheduled to be commissioned and start supplying electricity in Regensburg as early as spring 2025, with Dingolfing targeting autumn of next year. Work will get underway at both locations in the coming months. In Dingolfing, the modules will be installed on the roof of one of the central aftersales logistics halls – the Plant 02.70 “Dynamics Centre” – while Regensburg will utilise the roof area of one of its logistics halls.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Julian Friedrich, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, head of Communications

Telephone: +49 8731 76 22020, Email: Julian.Friedrich@bmw.de

Saskia Graser, BMW Group Plant Regensburg, head of Communications

Telephone: +49 941 770 2014, Email: Saskia.Graser@bmw.de

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Steyr. BMW Group Plant Steyr is switching entirely to district heating for warmth: in regular operations the Austrian engine facility now no longer uses natural gas, relying instead on heat from a nearby biomass powerplant. In a symbolic act, Milan Nedeljković, Board Member for Production at BMW AG, and Arnold Schwarzenegger turned on the new power supply. The change of energy source marks yet another step in the BMW Group’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production: “We are optimising the carbon footprint of all our production facilities worldwide, using innovative technologies and the potential of the local area to generate energy from fossil fuel-free sources. Today, we are setting a new milestone here in Steyr.”

Consistent reductions in energy consumption

BMW Group Plant Steyr uses around 250 gigawatt hours of energy a year – enough to power about 59,000 homes. Over the last few years, energy consumption has fallen steadily: “Since 2006 we have succeeded in almost halving the amount of energy we use per engine,” explained Plant Director Klaus von Moltke.

Heat supplies play a particularly important role in all of this: “The plant was first connected to the district heating grid in 2012. Since then, there have been multiple expansions,” Klaus von Moltke continued. The transition to purely district heating was expected to reach completion at the turn of the year 2024-2025 but has now been realised two and a half months earlier.

Where the heat comes from: regional district heating from wood chips

The switch would not have been possible without a strong partner in the region: BMW Group Plant Steyr now sources its heat from the biomass powerplant of Fernwärme Steyr, just under a kilometre away. This is operated by the state’s two energy providers – Energie AG Oberösterreich Erzeugung GmbH and EVN Wärme GmbH – in their joint subsidiary, Bioenergie Steyr GmbH. To provide the heat energy that Plant Steyr needs, an additional heat generation plant with a 10-megawatt biomass boiler is being erected at the site. So, Plant Steyr will source its heat from renewable resources: wood chips from the surrounding forests.

Klaus von Moltke summarised the situation saying: “By switching to 100 percent heat from regenerative biomass, we are taking a major step today. Our plant now sources both its electricity and its heat for regular operations from renewables.”

Today’s symbolic energy switch took place on stage as more than a thousand employees looked on. In his keynote speech Arnold Schwarzenegger called on everyone present to act on climate change. He then shut down the plant’s gas supply. Milan Nedeljković, Board Member for Production at BMW AG, then symbolically turned on the final expansion to the district heating supply.

Arnold Schwarzenegger then joined Klaus von Moltke and Milan Nedeljcović for a tour of the training and education centre, engine assembly and BMW Group Plant Steyr’s recently opened electric motor production line, chatting with employees as he went.

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Munich. BMW Group today announced the installation of the UK’s first “motionless” wind energy system at the MINI manufacturing plant in Oxford. Utilising Aeromine Technologies’ innovative, low-impact technology, the system harnesses wind power to produce clean energy without visible moving parts. BMW Group’s Oxford Plant will serve as a testbed for this cutting-edge technology, assessing its potential to enhance energy efficiency across BMW Group sites around the world, as well as commercial buildings in the UK. 

This new innovative energy project is part of the BMW Startup Garage, a business unit dedicated to supporting early-stage startups working on cutting-edge technologies. It focuses on testing a functional product, at least in the form of a prototype, during a pilot project and commissioning the startup as a supplier at an early stage. Rather than acting as an investor through venture capital, the BMW Startup Garage is taking on the role of a customer, a “venture client”.  

Aeromine Technologies has designed the wind energy unit, which is installed on the edge of a building, oriented towards the prevailing wind. The unit features wing-like vertical airfoils that create a vacuum effect, drawing air behind an internal propeller to generate clean electricity. Unlike traditional wind turbines, Aeromine’s bladeless design minimises noise and vibrations, ensuring no disturbance to buildings or the surrounding environment and with minimal impact on avian wildlife. Additionally, the unit is constructed from highly durable, recyclable materials, helping support BMW Group’s commitment to put sustainability at the centre of its strategic direction. 

Carmen Gargioni, Team Lead Innovation at BMW Group Real Estate Management, said: “BMW Group is always looking for innovative and efficient solutions in every aspect of the business. The BMW Startup Garage acts as a matchmaker between startups and different business units. New technologies are essential as we strive to find the most efficient solution to our requirements. This includes exciting innovations from new players.” 

The new wind energy unit is designed to complement MINI Plant Oxford’s existing solar arrays across the buildings on site. The installation on the Body Shop has been in place for ten years and, when it was installed, was one of the largest roof-mounted solar farms in the UK with more than 11,000 panels covering an area the size of five football pitches. The solar panels generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 850 households for a year. However, the solar panels are less effective during winter and evening hours, when wind conditions are often strongest – presenting an opportunity for Aeromine’s wind energy unit to step in and continue generating renewable energy.

Urs Sambale, Project Manager for Sustainability Steering at BMW Group Real Estate Europe, said: “This pilot is a small but exciting project for BMW Group and complements our existing approach to purchasing renewable electricity from the national grid. We’re looking forward to seeing its potential for generating clean wind energy at BMW Group sites.”

Claus Lønborg, Managing Director, Aeromine Technologies Inc., said: 

“Aeromine’s partnership with BMW Group represents a pivotal step in our mission to innovate and expand the capabilities of renewable energy solutions. Our “motionless” wind energy technology is designed to work seamlessly alongside solar systems, maximising the renewable energy output from rooftops while helping address challenges like noise, vibrations, and wildlife impact. We’re excited to see how this initial installation can lead to broader applications across BMW’s global facilities.”

The BMW Group has set itself clear targets for CO2 reduction up to 2030 throughout the entire lifecycle - from the supply chain, through production, to the end of the use phase - and is constantly seeking new ways to cut emissions including by exploring new innovations. 

About the BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to €155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

For more information visit www.bmwgroup.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupView

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

About the BMW Startup Garage 

The BMW Startup Garage is the venture client unit of the BMW Group. It engages annually with over 1,000 startups across approximately 30 countries, seeking innovations that provide significant benefits to BMW Group's products, services, systems, and processes. This ensures early access to innovations, allowing BMW to shape them before they reach market readiness. Simultaneously, startups gain valuable insights into automotive processes, build networks within the company, and receive support in developing their business plans. The program aims to evaluate startups and enable them as long-term partners for the BMW Group, thereby strengthening the company's leadership in innovation. The Startup Garage is represented worldwide at all BMW Tech Office locations: Munich, Mountain View, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, and since 2020, Tel Aviv.

About Aeromine Technologies

Aeromine Technologies has developed a breakthrough scalable renewable energy solution that harnesses the power of wind in an efficient system. Aeromine units install on the edge of the building roof, they are “motionless”, vibration- and noise- less. System installations are typically 50 kW or larger. The solution is robust, long-lasting, and requires much less rooftop space than other options to generate distributed energy. Ideal for large, flat rooftop buildings – including warehouses, big box retailers, data centers, office, and apartment buildings - Aeromine leverages existing financial structures, installation resources and incentives established by the solar industry.

www.aerominetechnologies.com      Video: Drone footage DJI_0138.MP4

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Debrecen. BMW Group Plant Debrecen is taking shape: The state-of-the-art paint shop is the first technology to be commissioned at the new production location in Hungary. Through the use of various new processes and systems, such as power-to-heat, Heat Grid and eRTO, the Debrecen facility will become the first paint shop in the BMW Group’s global production network to operate entirely without fossil fuels. The new site in Debrecen, where pre-series production of the Neue Klasse will ramp up at the end of the year, provides a blueprint for all future plants based on the principles of the BMW iFACTORY.

The new paint shop in Debrecen is designed to paint 30 vehicle bodies per hour in a fully automated painting process. This capacity can be increased significantly at a later date. The installation will be enabled using BMW iX1 bodies. The cutting-edge system was developed and planned by leveraging existing expertise within the production network. With a footprint of 33,000 square metres, the three-story paint shop building provides ample workspace for modern production.

Power-to-heat significantly reduces carbon footprint

The power-to-heat principle is essential to operating the Debrecen paint shop without fossil fuels like natural gas. All ovens and other processes necessary for painting will run entirely on electricity, rather than natural gas, as was the case in the past. This principle significantly reduces the paint shop's carbon footprint, even if power consumption will increase, due to running without natural gas. In Debrecen, we obtain the external power required for production exclusively from renewable energy sources.

Heat Grid achieves another ten percent energy savings

The Heat Grid energy efficiency project was successfully implemented during the planning stage of the new paint shop. The innovative concept combines several measures for efficient energy recovery, enabling additional energy savings of up to ten percent. The centrepiece of the project is a large, multivalent storage boiler that consolidates waste heat from the compressed air supply, drying ovens and cooling systems. This waste heat is then used to preheat the water circuit.

Another of Debrecen's unique features is that the whole system operates at a water supply temperature of just 65 degrees Celsius, compared to 90-120 degrees Celsius in previous installations. The hot water is used to supply the paint shop’s hall ventilation systems, maintaining stable conditions in the spray booths at a process temperature of 22 degrees Celsius and a humidity of 60-65 percent.

Exhaust purification in innovative eRTO process

Debrecen will rely on the innovative eRTO process for exhaust purification. eRTO stands for electric regenerative thermal oxidation, a process that purifies exhaust air from the paint shop at temperatures of 800-1,000 degrees Celsius and, unlike in the past, runs exclusively on electricity. During the purification process, the exhaust air passes through a ceramic bed where solvent residues are burned off. To do this, the air has to be heated to high temperatures in a short space of time. Due to its high thermal recovery rate, with heat effectively retained within the system, the eRTO system delivers a very high level of energy efficiency.

Fully automated dry separation

Like many other BMW Group locations, the new paint shop in Debrecen uses modern, environmentally-friendly dry separation technology. Any paint overspray that does not adhere to the body in the spray booth is filtered out and mixed with limestone powder. This significantly reduces water consumption and allows the spray booth to operate with up to 90 percent recirculating air. This means only ten percent of the air needs to be temperature controlled and humidified, rather than 100 percent, resulting in substantial energy savings. The used stone powder can also be fed back into the material loop and reused, for example, in the cement industry, rather than requiring disposal as contaminated wastewater, as was the case in the previous wet-scrubbing method.

Comprehensive digitalisation

Alongside innovative technologies, such as Heat Grid and eRTO, comprehensive digitalisation also contributes to the new Debrecen paint shop’s high level of efficiency. For example, fully automated driverless AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) transport car bodies to their respective operations. In addition, Automated Surface Inspection (AOI) is employed, utilising artificial intelligence to detect post-painting irregularities and identify any areas requiring post-processing. The planning for the paint shop was implemented virtually. This allowed the structural planning to be tested virtually before actual construction began. Preliminary training sessions for employees were also held virtually.

Ljubljana. BMW Group je pripravil odlično ugodnost za vse, ki se odločijo za nakup novega BMW avtomobila. Ob nakupu kateregakoli vozila BMW, z izjemo modelov BMW M, kupec prejme brezplačen paket rednih servisov BMW Service Inclusive, ki vključuje vzdrževanje vozila do 5 let ali do 100.000 prevoženih kilometrov.

S paketom BMW Service Inclusive lahko stranka uživa v popolni pokritosti stroškov vzdrževanja, pregledov in obrabe za časovno obdobje do 5 let ali do 100.000 prevoženih kilometrov (kar nastopi prej). Paket zajema vse ključne servisne storitve, kot so pregled vozila skladno s specifikacijami BMW, servis motornega olja, vključno z dolivanjem tekočin, servis zračnega filtra, mikrofiltra, filtra za gorivo, vžigalnih svečk ter zavorne tekočine. Servis se prilagaja vrsti pogonskega sistema vozila, bodisi na notranje zgorevanje bodisi električnemu.

Pri servisih se uporabljajo izključno originalni BMW deli in motorna olja, kar zagotavlja dolgo življenjsko dobo in zanesljivost vozila. Paket BSI/MSI pa pripomore tudi pri ohranjanju vrednosti vozila, saj se ob prodaji samodejno prenese na novega lastnika. 

Ponudba je veljavna do preklica ter velja ob nakupu novega vozila s financiranjem BMW Financial Services. Več informacij je na voljo na spletni strani BMW Service Inclusive | BMW.si.

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Munich/Spartanburg, USA. The BMW Group is exploring the use of humanoid robots in production for the first time. During a trial run lasting several weeks at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg, the latest humanoid robot Figure 02 from California company Figure successfully inserted sheet metal parts into specific fixtures, which were then assembled as part of the chassis. The robot must be particularly dexterous to complete this production step.

At the same time, using a robot can save employees from having to perform ergonomically awkward and tiring tasks. Together with Figure, the BMW Group is currently testing and evaluating how humanoid robots can be used safely in automobile production. This video shows the trial run in the body shop at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg: https://b.mw/Figure_02

“The developments in the field of robotics are very promising. With an early test operation, we are now determining possible applications for humanoid robots in production. We want to accompany this technology from development to industrialization,” says Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management for Production at BMW AG.

With the BMW iFACTORY, the vision for the production of the future, the BMW Group is always on the lookout for new technologies. Efficiency, digitalisation and sustainability are central to this vision to realisation. During the trial run, the BMW Group gained valuable knowledge of what requirements must be met in order to be able to integrate so-called multi-purpose robots in an existing production system. This includes how humanoid robots communicate with the system under real conditions. After the first use in automobile production, the experts at the BMW Group and Figure are collaborating to prepare Figure for future applications in production and continuing to develop the robots, based on the findings.

Figure 02 embodies the latest technological advances in robotics 

“We are excited to unveil Figure 02, our second-generation humanoid robot, which recently completed successful testing at the BMW Group Plant Spartanburg. Figure 02 has significant technical advancements, which enable the robot to perform a wide range of complex tasks fully autonomously,” says Brett Adcock, Founder and CEO of Figure.

According to the California company, Figure 02 is the world’s most advanced humanoid robot currently available on the market. The combination of two-legged mobility and advanced dexterity means that the Figure 02 is ideally suited for use in areas with physically demanding, unsafe, or repetitive processes, thereby improving ergonomics and safety for associates. Figure 02 boasts three times the processing power of its predecessor, improved voice communication, better cameras, microphones, and sensors, a high-performance battery, and fourth-generation human-scale hands with 16 degrees of freedom per hand and human-equivalent strength.

The robot is capable of fully autonomous execution of human-like and two-handed tasks requiring varied and dynamic manipulation, complex grasping, and coordination of both hands in unison. It is able place various complex parts with accuracy measured in millimetres and can walk dynamically leveraging efficienties of the robot’s design.

Currently, there are no Figure AI robots at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg, and there is no definite timetable established for bringing Figure robots to the plant. BMW Group will continue to work with Figure for data capturing and training capabilities for the Figure02 robots.

Dingolfing. V desetletju od začetka delovanja prvih proizvodnih linij je tovarna komponent BMW Group 02.20 v Dingolfingu proizvedla več kot 1,5 milijona elektromotorjev, milijon visokonapetostnih baterij in deset milijonov baterijskih modulov. Lokacija na Spodnjem Bavarskem še naprej utira pot za povečanje elektromobilnosti. Danes ima BMW Group večji delež celotne prodaje elektrificiranih vozil kot kateri koli drugi nemški avtomobilski proizvajalec. "Naša tovarna 02.20 v Dingolfingu igra ključno vlogo pri tem," pravi Stefan Kasperowski, podpredsednik proizvodnje visokonapetostnih baterij v bavarskih tovarnah. "Tovarnam vozil BMW Group zanesljivo in prilagodljivo dobavljamo pogonske komponente za naša elektrificirana vozila." 

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State-of-the-art site with long history

Plant 02.20 is a prime example of successful transformation, having been in operation for more than half a century. For many years, it was home to the BMW Group’s central spare parts warehouse. It was only in the early 2010s that aftersales logistics was relocated, making room for electromobility. There were initially about 200 employees producing electric motors and high-voltage batteries for the BMW Group’s first plug-in hybrids and, later, its fully-electric models. The current fifth generation of electric motors and high-voltage batteries began rolling off the production line in 2020. Since 2015, the BMW Group has invested more than one billion euros in transforming Plant 02.20 into the company's “heart” and Competence Centre for E-Drive Production, establishing around 15 production lines for battery modules, electric motors and high-voltage batteries. Over time, the number of BMW Group employees has gradually increased and production volumes have risen. Today, more than 2,500 people work in e-drive production at Plant 02.20. The majority of these employees previously worked in other areas of vehicle production.

Ten years ago, Markus Fallböhmer, current Senior Vice President Battery Production at the BMW Group, was responsible for planning and production of electric drive systems in Dingolfing and Landshut. “Redesigning and transforming Plant 02.20 plant at this record pace was certainly quite a feat,” he recalls. “We managed construction work, commissioning of systems and series production virtually simultaneously. This enabled us to meet growing demand for electrified models and successfully implement the transition to e-mobility.” As Fallböhmer points out, the high quality of e-components, economical production methods and stable supplies to vehicle plants are all crucial. Today, Plant 02.20 consistently operates at a high level, supplying the production network with components for electrification. “Dingolfing is the heart of the e-drive at the BMW Group,” says Klaus von Moltke, Senior Vice President Engine Production at the BMW Group. “About 80 percent of all our electric motors are currently produced in Dingolfing.” The figure for high-voltage batteries is around 60 percent.

Close links between battery factory and vehicle production

To continue to meet growing demand for electrified models in the coming years, the BMW Group has created a global network for e-drive production, with additional locations in Leipzig, Regensburg, Spartanburg (USA) and Shenyang (China) for the current generation of high-voltage batteries. For the new sixth generation, which will be used from 2025 onwards in the models of the Neue Klasse, locations are being established around the world in the US, Mexico, China and Hungary, as well as in Irlbach-Straßkirchen in Lower Bavaria. In line with its “local for local” principle, these sites are located as close as possible to BMW Group vehicle plants.

Production network benefits from Dingolfing expertise

As the nucleus of electrification at the BMW Group, Plant 02.20 will continue to play a key role in the future, supporting development of new facilities in a variety of different ways. Comprehensive skills development for the new plant in Debrecen is currently underway. Some of the employees will also be deployed to the new high-voltage battery facility in Irlbach-Straßkirchen. The BMW Group engine plant in Steyr, Austria, which will build the upcoming generation of electric motors for the Neue Klasse, will also benefit from Dingolfing’s expertise in electric motor production, while the housing will be supplied by Plant Landshut. Looking ahead, Kasperowski says: "Both the capacity of the Dingolfing location and its employees’ skills will continue to be in demand.” Fallböhmer confirms: “We are reaping huge benefits from having navigated the learning curve for e-component production ahead of others. The whole production network is now harnessing this knowledge to continue the success and bolster the growth of e-mobility at the BMW Group.”

If you have any questions, please contact:

Julian Friedrich, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, head of Communications
Telephone: +49 8731 76 22020, Email: Julian.Friedrich@bmw.de

Thomas Niedermeier, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, Communications
Telephone: +49 8731 76 27666, Email: Thomas.Niedermeier@bmwgroup.com

Christian Marxt, BMW Group Communications Production Network
Telephone: +49 89 382 79158, mobile: +49 151 601 12225, Email: Christian.Marxt@bmw.de