Munich/Spartanburg, USA. BMW Group intensifies the usage of digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in production. With so-called Physical AI, which connects digital AI with real machines and robots, intelligent systems such as humanoid robots can be integrated into real production processes. Following a successful deployment with the humanoid robot Figure 02 at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the USA, the further-developed successor, Figure 03, will now start at Spartanburg, working on complex sequencing applications in logistics.

“Plant Spartanburg is the birthplace of humanoid robotics in BMW Manufacturing’s operational day-to-day activities. Having already successfully completed a pilot with Figure 02 in our body shop, we are now looking forward to deploying Figure 03 for a sequencing use case in logistics,” says Ulrich Wieland, Vice President of Production Control and Logistics, BMW Manufacturing.

“Our 11-month deployment of Figure 02 proved that humanoids are no longer lab experiments - they can be a valuable asset in establishing a flexible, reliable manufacturing workforce,” says Brett Adcock, Founder & CEO of Figure AI. “We are excited to continue our work in Spartanburg as Figure tackles the complexity of the assembly and logistics hall.”

The BMW Group already gained important experience with humanoid robotics at Plant Spartanburg in 2025. In collaboration with the technology company Figure AI, the Figure 02 robot supported the production of more than 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles over ten months. In the body shop, the robot inserted sheet-metal parts for the welding process - a task that demands high speed and accuracy and can be physically demanding.

The collaboration demonstrated that humanoid robots can safely perform precise, repeatable work steps under real production conditions.

Next step with the next-generation Figure 03 robot

The findings gained from this project form the basis for the next step with the successor model, Figure 03. “The robot introduces several new features for expanded applications. These include soft components designed for enhanced safety, wireless charging designed for higher availability and audio functions for speech-to-speech communication, along with improved hands with tactile sensors and palm cameras designed to increase precision and dexterity,” explains Adcock.

In the new sequencing use case application, delivered components initially arrive in larger containers, unsorted. Figure 03 will pick them up and sort them into a sequencing trolley. The trolley will then be taken to a defined collection point for onward transport. An automated tugger train or a Smart Transport Robot will then transport the parts to the installation location, where they will be provided to assembly employees “just in sequence”. This use case occurs frequently in automotive production logistics and offers potential for further development and scalability.

The use of humanoid robots is part of the BMW Group’s broader strategy to expand its automation portfolio with Physical AI. Humanoid robotics is a value-adding complement to existing automation. Its potential lies particularly in monotonous, ergonomically demanding, or safety-critical activities. The aim is to protect and most effectively utilize employees while further improving workplaces.

BMW iFACTORY applications in Plant Spartanburg Assembly Hall

The new project is closely linked to the digital transformation of production at Plant Spartanburg. Hall 52, where variants of the BMW X3 and, in the future, the electrified BMW iX5 will be assembled, has been extensively expanded and updated. Digital applications were already used during planning and continue to be implemented in the BMW iFACTORY approach in daily production operations. Before components arrive at the production line, virtual 3D simulations help optimize processes and enable error-free implementation from the outset.

The BMW Virtual Factory makes complexity manageable and supports employees by simulating human movement sequences. This tool refines manual processes from planning through to the production line. A key objective is to optimize employee ergonomics.

Artificial Intelligence is also being used in quality assurance. With AIQX (Artificial Intelligence Quality Next), Plant Spartanburg uses AIQX for visual and acoustic quality inspection to ensure consistent quality in a dynamic production environment. BMW has established AIQX as a standard and is assessing options to make the system available to suppliers as well. It uses camera systems and sensors during line operations and provides line employees with immediate feedback via smart devices.

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.

Munich/Wackersdorf. The BMW Group is relocating its Recycling and Dismantling Centre (RDC) from Unterschleißheim to the company’s Wackersdorf site, with a significant expansion. At the new location, a technologically state-of-the-art competence centre for circularity is being built, advancing vehicle dismantling and recycling expertise for the future. Commissioning is scheduled for early 2029.

“The circular economy is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy,” says Jörg Lederbauer, Vice-President Circular Economy, Spare Parts Supply High Voltage Battery and Electric Powertrain at the BMW Group. “Our new competence centre in Wackersdorf will be a core component of our circular value chain and will help make the mobility of the future more resource efficient. We want to find the best way to keep materials in the cycle, ensuring that resources retain their value for further use in the long term. This will also reduce our dependence on primary raw materials. At the same time, the use of high-quality secondary materials will continue to significantly lower our vehicles’ carbon footprint.”

For more than 30 years, at its current location in Unterschleißheim, near Munich, the BMW Group Recycling and Dismantling Centre (RDC) has developed methods aimed at achieving significant advances in the recycling of parts and the recovery of materials, and has tested them in practice. The insights gained by the RDC into the recyclability of components and materials, in line with Design for Circularity principles, are already incorporated into product development at the BMW Group. These insights also feed into the cooperation with PreZero, which the BMW Group recently entered into in order to leverage the strategic and economic potential of the circular economy in end‑of‑life vehicle recycling. 

The recycling industry’s global network also benefits from the work of the RDC. Around 3,000 businesses in 32 countries rely on a shared recycling database for information on how recyclable components can be disassembled cost-effectively and valuable materials efficiently recovered.

At the future site, process, material and technology development will be even more closely integrated with vehicle recycling operations. The new scope of activities at the Competence Centre Circularity includes the recycling of hydrogen vehicles, automation of dismantling processes and development of expertise in innovative shredding and sorting technologies.

The BMW Group sees Wackersdorf as the ideal new location for the Competence Centre Circularity, with BMW Group Plant Wackersdorf having embodied flexibility for decades: Housing cockpit production, the Rolls-Royce door and flap production centre, parts supply for overseas plants and the battery testing centre, the site has wide-ranging expertise and is firmly established within the BMW Group network.

“In recent years, the company has set a decisive course for the future of the Wackersdorf location. Throughout this process, the entire plant team has consistently demonstrated flexibility. Building the competence centre for circularity here provides our site with a broader foundation. In this way, we are tapping into an attractive, future-oriented area of activity,” says Stefan Betz, head of BMW Group Plant Wackersdorf.

“The company is systematically continuing its successful transformation. Establishing the new Competence Centre Circularity here represents an important strategic decision by the company in favour of the Wackersdorf location – and, above all, its employees. As employee representatives, we also supported this,” says André Mandl, Works Council Chairman for BMW Group Plants Regensburg and Wackersdorf.

“In Wackersdorf, BMW has been a strong partner by our side for many decades. We are delighted that the BMW Group is reaffirming its commitment to the location with this move. It sends a clear signal for our site and for sustainable future technologies,” says Thomas Falter, Mayor of Wackersdorf.

“The cutting-edge Competence Centre Circularity will make a major contribution to regional value creation and further development of the circular economy,” adds Thomas Ebeling, District Administrator of Schwandorf District. “In combination with the trechnology transfer centre planned for Wackersdorf by the Regensburg University of Applied Sciences and the University of Applied Sciences Amberg Weiden, close integration of business and academia on the circular economy will now also be possible. In this way, we are strengthening the region.”

Following the location decision, the detailed planning phase for the Competence Centre Circularity at the new site can now begin. The existing RDC in Unterschleißheim will remain fully operational until the relocation. The BMW Group will provide further information on the next steps in due course.

Munich. BMW Group Plant Munich is entering the next phase, as the plant launches production of the first near-series test vehicles for the new BMW i3*. This marks the beginning of the final preparation phase for the start of series production in the second half of 2026.

“Production of pre-series vehicles is an important milestone for our plant,” says Peter Weber, Head of BMW Group Plant Munich. “For the first time, we have built a BMW i3 entirely at our plant – using state-of-the-art manufacturing technology and digitally connected processes. With production now close to series maturity, our logistics and production processes are performing under real-world conditions across all technologies: in our modernised press shop, the new body shop, the state-of-the-art paint shop and the new assembly area, as well as the innovative logistics structures. Over the coming months, we will apply the lessons learned from the ramp-up to further refine the processes for series production and ensure a smooth series launch.”

On the road to series production

Integration of new models begins with pre-series vehicles – a crucial step in gearing up for future series production.

What makes Plant Munich unique is that a team from the facility has so far worked alongside a team from the nearby pilot plant to assemble the first vehicles at the Research and Innovation Centre. With the completion of Plant Munich’s new manufacturing and logistics areas, vehicles now pass through all production steps on site. This means that all logistics processes, manufacturing equipment and operations must already run smoothly. Although quantities are still small, all parts are supplied via the designated material flows and processed on the production line. Every part and every production step is closely scrutinised. A particular focus is on the approval inspection for cutting-edge production equipment and tools, and on how these are digitally integrated with existing systems.

Running system tests for the future vehicle model helps identify further potential for optimisation. In the coming months, efforts will be directed towards refining processes, based on the insights gained.

Employee training – first virtually, then in the real world

During this phase, employees will also undergo intensive training: until recently, using augmented reality and now, on the new installations and machinery. Close cooperation across all areas of production will ensure operations are seamlessly integrated for a smooth and successful series launch.

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.

Debrecen. The BMW Group has entered the final phase before the first Neue Klasse model rolls off the assembly line. Series production of the new BMW iX3 will get underway in late October at the BMW Group plant in Debrecen, Hungary, as the newest, most innovative manufacturing facility in the company’s global production network officially begins work.

“The start of series production for the BMW iX3 signals a new era of automotive manufacturing. Our new plant in Debrecen has been designed and built fully in line with our strategic vision of the iFACTORY. Digital from the very beginning, the plant will offer a new dimension in efficient production without fossil fuels,” says Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production.

The BMW iFACTORY represents a strategic vision of production, built on streamlined, efficient structures, responsible resource management, economical use of cutting-edge digital innovations and a strong focus on employees. The BMW Group has also registered new patents for a large number of innovative systems and processes at Plant Debrecen.

“We have taken on the challenge of building a completely new vehicle as the first job at an entirely new plant – and doing so in the leanest, most efficient way possible. We have simplified processes, reduced complexity, digitally validated each individual operation and systematically leveraged expertise across our global network. The result is this plant, with its efficient production, innovative processes and the flexibility to integrate additional models,” says Hans-Peter Kemser, head of BMW Group Plant Debrecen.

As with any new model, capacity for the new BMW iX3 will be gradually ramped up in stages after the start of production. Spearheading the arrival of the Neue Klasse, the iX3 showcases the latest design and technology innovations that will define the brand's entire model range in the future. Between now and 2027, the technologies in the Neue Klasse will be integrated into 40 new models and model updates.

From virtual factory to reality

The guiding principles of the BMW iFACTORY have been fully implemented in the technologies employed at the new BMW Group plant in Debrecen. For example, Plant Debrecen was planned and built digitally from the outset, and celebrated its virtual start of production back in March 2023 in the BMW Group’s Virtual Factory. This approach allowed every operation to be tested virtually in advance, enabling production lines to be installed in the buildings exactly as in the digital twin.

Optimal processes for all plant technologies

With an optimised value stream and efficient systems, the press shop guarantees a high level of productivity. The BMW Group continues to follow its proven strategy of using the same tools and presses throughout its global network. This optimises capacity utilisation within the network by allowing press tools to be deployed at multiple locations and enabling staff to be trained in-network.

The body shop, in particular, benefits from prior digital planning and validation. Every process detail was digitally simulated in advance to determine the ideal value stream and ensure that each of the nearly 1,000 robots was optimally positioned. From the outset, close collaboration between development and production teams led to high production efficiency and maximum customer benefit. For example, the number of joining methods was significantly reduced, lowering overall complexity. Design features integrated early in development are also evident in the details of the Neue Klasse, such as the invisible door seal. This creates a visual connection between the window and the door, resulting in a unique look. In addition, maximising the space available for the battery in the body structure – and thus the size and performance of the battery – directly benefits the customer.

At BMW Group Plant Debrecen, the paint shop plays a critical role in significantly reducing the CO₂e footprint of the BMW iX3. Production of the new BMW iX3 will generate a total of about 80 kg 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).

Paint shops typically rely on gas to reach the high temperatures (up to 180 degrees Celsius) required. Plant Debrecen will be the BMW Group's first car plant supplied exclusively with electricity from renewable energy sources during normal operation, i.e. without using fossil fuels such as oil or gas. Because of its high energy demands, the paint shop is the most important factor in significantly lowering Plant Debrecen’s CO₂e emissions. In the paint shop alone, using electricity from renewable sources reduces annual CO₂e emissions by up to 12,000 tonnes. About a quarter of the plant's annual power needs will be supplied by the 50‑hectare on-site photovoltaic system. 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.

The paint shop also uses an energy recovery system. A heat grid was successfully implemented in the design of the new paint shop, delivering additional energy savings of up to 10%. This innovative concept combines multiple measures for efficient energy recovery from the compressed air supply, drying ovens and cooling systems. The recovered waste heat is then used to preheat the water circuit.

In addition, a thermal storage system – holding 1,800 m³ of water, with a capacity of 130 MWh – stores surplus energy from the photovoltaic system during off-peak periods and supplies it as heat during peak demand.

Full digitalisation of production processes further boosts assembly efficiency. The AIQX (Artificial Intelligence Quality Next) IT platform developed in-house at the BMW Group is a key component of the BMW iFACTORY. AIQX uses sensors and camera systems along the production line to automate quality processes. AI evaluates the data and provides real-time feedback to employees on the line. Looking ahead, vehicles on the line will also become active, connected participants in the industrial IoT (Internet of Things) ecosystem. They will conduct self-analysis, interact with plant employees in real time and automatically share and document relevant messages, using tools such as on-board cameras and IT systems. The equipment, tools, components and every BMW in the assembly halls are already digitally connected to the BMW production system.

The building's “finger structure” – an optimised version of the design employed at BMW Group Plant Leipzig – allows 80% of parts to be delivered directly to the correct point of assembly on the line. All-electric in-house logistics also benefit from autonomous tugger trains, which transport high-voltage batteries directly from production to installation points, as well as Smart Transport Robots that autonomously deliver smaller components to the assembly line. By linking all internal and external databases, the entire logistics process achieves unprecedented digital depth, automating many previously manual, interconnected analysis tasks. Well-structured information is therefore available at any time and can be analysed instantly “at the push of a button”.

The BMW Group has created highly intelligent production processes for its new high-voltage batteries developed in-house. Plant Debrecen will be the first of five plants worldwide to begin series production of Gen6 high-voltage batteries. The production processes were initially developed and tested at pilot plants. Artificial intelligence, data analytics and constant knowledge sharing within the production network also play a key role in the ramp-up of production. Digital twins of production and comprehensive AI databases ensure optimisation of processes and employee training. A consistent zero-defect approach enables seamless in-line quality inspections and 100% end‑of-line monitoring. In line keeping with the “local for local” principle, high‑voltage battery assembly takes place directly on site, allowing the production teams to take advantage of infrastructure efficiencies and short distances.

Best of the best:
Plant Debrecen benefits from expertise at all production sites worldwide

BMW Group Plant Debrecen is the first production site in the company's network not tied to a specific primary plant. Instead, it serves as a network plant, combining best practices from various locations worldwide. A major advantage of this approach is that the plant’s current workforce of more than 2,000 employees can be trained within the network, allowing employee know-how from different locations, such as China, South Africa, Mexico, the US and, of course, Germany, to be shared. At the same time, employees throughout the global network gain the opportunity to share their technology insights in Debrecen and bring expertise in production of the Neue Klasse models back to their own location – creating a win-win situation for all the plants.

A long version with further details on all technologies is available as a PDF file in the downloads section.

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".

+++ 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

Leipzig. The electrification of transport logistics for e-component production is gathering pace. Recently, two fully electrically powered trucks took over the transportation of components from the warehouse to the high-voltage battery production halls at BMW Group Plant Leipzig. Together, they will save around nine tonnes of CO₂ a year compared with conventional diesel-powered transport vehicles.

The two electric trucks complete the eight-kilometre round trip from the logistics centre to Leipzig’s high-voltage battery production halls and back up to twelve times a day. That’s almost 100 kilometres per truck per day – covered quietly and with zero local emissions. For short distances like this, electric trucks are the perfect solution.

The two vehicles transport parts for e-drive production, primarily of battery cells and battery modules. They take the parts from the logistics warehouse in BMW Allee to the production halls on the plant premises, operating round the clock in three shifts. The semi-trailer sports a battery symbol on the side and words proclaiming that the fully electric truck is on the road for Leipzig – for local production, emissions-free transportation and high-voltage batteries made in the city.

Electric trucks support high-voltage battery production

BMW Group Plant Leipzig has been manufacturing e-components for the production network since 2021. Since early 2024 it has also been running the entire high-voltage battery production process for the current, fifth generation. This consists of three stages, which are carried out on the plant’s five cell coating, three module production and two high-voltage battery assembly lines – and include the powerpacks for the MINI Countryman Electric, manufactured in-house since March of this year. Battery production currently operates with a team of about 1,000 employees.

As well as high-voltage batteries for the MINI Countryman Electric, Plant Leipzig produces battery packs and modules for the BMW production network, for the fully electric BMW iX1, BMW iX2, BMW i4, BMW i5 and BMW iX.

High-voltage batteries are produced in the halls that used to be home to BMW i3 and BMW i8 assembly. The halls have now been converted and new buildings added, creating some 150,000m² of space for this area of production on the premises of Plant Leipzig. Annual output stands at up to 300,000 high-voltage batteries a year, with the BMW Group’s investments in e-component production at Plant Leipzig totalling more than 900 million euros so far.

Plant Director Petra Peterhänsel sees the introduction of the two electric trucks as a further milestone on the road to the future: “We are delighted to be undertaking this journey with our longstanding logistics partner, the Rudolph Logisitik Gruppe. The transition to electromobility and sustainable production affects not only our BMW and MINI cars but our production methods and supply chains as well.”

Lower emissions, less noise

Powered by lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery systems, the two fully electric trucks working for BMW Group Plant Leipzig are made by Designwerk. According to the manufacturer, the four electric drives in a Designwerk electric truck deliver 610 hp and are three times more efficient than their diesel counterparts when out on the road. They produce zero emissions when in operation and do not impact the environment with soot particles, nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO₂) or engine noise. Studies show that when passing or accelerating at low speeds, an electric truck emits around five decibels (dB) less noise than a comparable diesel-powered vehicle.

Trucks are charged during drivers’ breaks. Their 340 kWh batteries take around 1.5 hours to recharge to 80 percent. They can be replenished about 3,000 times, according to Designwerk.

Open to different technologies to reduce CO₂ from logistics

The use of electric trucks in logistics is among the measures in the BMW Group-wide Green Transport Logistics Project. This aims to reduce emissions from transportation in the global production and sales network, and takes an open approach to technologies, prioritising CO₂-efficient energy and transportation options. Besides battery-electric trucks, increasing use is being made of biofuels such as HVO100, made from residues and waste and used at the Munich site, for instance. Production deliveries in Germany have also been trialled using bio-LNG in vehicles on the roads. Moreover, in an attempt to learn more about using hydrogen as a fuel for trucks, the BMW Group is involved in research projects such as H2Haul and HyCET.

By 2030 the BMW Group aims to reduce CO₂ emissions across the vehicle lifecycle by 40 percent, compared with 2019.

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.

Munich/Steyr. The world famous INDUSTRIE 4.0 AWARDS are presented by the operations consultancy ROI-EFESO recognition of innovative solutions in digitalisation and automation. At the ceremony in early February in Munich, BMW Group Plant Steyr scooped the coveted award in the category for Discrete Manufacturing.

Over 200 digitalisation solutions already in operation

The BMW Group’s Austrian facility in Steyr carries out research and production of e-drives for future BMW Group vehicles. Digitalisation has played a prominent role here for many years, with the first AI solutions introduced as early as 2018. Today the plant is in the midst of the biggest transformation in its history as it gets ready to produce next-generation electric drives alongside combustion engines.

Steyr’s hub for digital skills is the InnoLab, where new applications are trialled and the most beneficial are rolled out in production. Which digital solutions are already on stream can be seen on a digitalisation map. There are currently around 200 different projects, ranging from simple data visualisations, via complex AI solutions that span multiple production lines, through to generative AI, which is used in AI-based quality control of components, for example.

Sharing within the network and employee training are key to success

“The key driver behind effective innovations – and therefore the enhancement of our production systems – is our employees, with their wealth of creativity and experience. Once a smart solution has been successfully rolled out, it soon makes its way into other areas of production too, and across the entire BMW iFACTORY network,” explained Klaus von Moltke, Senior Vice President of Engine Production at BMW AG and Plant Director at Steyr. The majority of digitalisation solutions from Steyr are scalable and can be used in various ways. Thanks to the principles of the BMW iFACTORY, there is also the absolute flexibility, outstanding processes and superlative integrability needed. An important component in all of this is the comprehensiveness of digitalisation. The holistic approach to the interplay between humans, processes and systems ensures optimum processes and supports employees in their work. Implementation is underpinned by three strategic strands: data science, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtualisation.

When it comes to the transformation of the BMW Group, employee training is key. Initiatives range from the plant-wide interactive data visualisation week to RPA (robot process automation) applications for employees, to name just two examples from Austria. The next highlight at Plant Steyr will be the Snapp-a-thon, in which even employees with no prior programming experience will learn to develop their own apps in just a matter of days to improve processes in their area of work.

Recognition for efficient technologies at BMW Group Plant Steyr and creative, scalable solutions for the BMW iFACTORY network 

“BMW Group Plant Steyr is a shining example of how Industry 4.0 excellence takes not just skilful adaptation but also innovations that embrace an element of risk. Over the years, the team in Steyr have built up a complex yet highly efficient technology landscape that offers convincing answers, especially in the key field of AI, with a homegrown, creative, scalable solution,” said jury member Dr Jörg Ulrich, Executive Vice President, Head of Operations Region Europe, BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, speaking on behalf of the jury. The INDUSTRIE 4.0 panel of judges comprises 22 decision-makers from industry around the world.

For more on the INDUSTRIE 4.0 AWARDS go to: www.industrie40award.com

Munich. BMW Group Logistik, in collaboration with the technology innovator Trailer Dynamics, has successfully tested an electrically powered semi-trailer on various tracks and over varying distances in real-world logistics operations. With the diesel truck used, average fuel savings of more than 46 percent over short and medium distances, and more than 48 percent over long distances, were attained. Using a combination of electric tractor and e-trailer, a range of more than 600 kilometres without recharging was achieved. There were four days of pilot tests over short and medium distances around the BMW Group location at Dingolfing, and three days of testing over long distances between Mamming in Lower Bavaria and the BMW Group plant in Leipzig. The capabilities of Trailer Dynamics’ e-trailer were put to the test to identify the best application scenarios for BMW Group Logistik.

“As the BMW Group, we are – as the first German car manufacturer – a member of the ‘Business Ambition for 1.5°C’ of the Science-Based Targets Initiative and are committed to the target of complete climate neutrality throughout the entire value chain. Therefore, we are using visionary projects to consistently accelerate the BMW Group’s Green Transport Logistics strategy. The pilot testing with Trailer Dynamics’ e-trailer showed that using this kind of electrified semi-trailer significantly reduces the fuel consumption of standard diesel tractors and noticeably increases the range of e-trucks,” said Michael Nikolaides, Head of BMW Group Production Network and Logistics.

Semi-trailer with electric drive axle.

Unlike a conventional semi-trailer, the e-trailer from Trailer Dynamics of Eschweiler near Aachen is fitted with its own battery and electric drive axle. This axle supports the semi-trailer truck’s engine. Integrated sensors on the kingpin between the tractor and the trailer ensure an optimum load ratio and thus the best-possible fuel economy. As well as reducing the tractor’s energy consumption, the e-trailer’s powered axle also provides additional power during start-up and on slopes. In combination with a diesel truck, security of supply is also ensured even if the battery of the e‑trailer is empty.

The tests over a medium distance took place over four consecutive days on real logistics routes around the BMW Group location of Dingolfing. The round trip transportations with demanding route topographies were carried out with the logistics service provider Gahr International. Up to 250 kilometres were covered per day on motorways and main roads, with automated and simultaneous data collection from the e-trailer and tractor being performed for the first time. That showed an average reduction in diesel consumption of 46.59 percent.

Even greater fuel savings over long distances.

The long distance tests were also performed on real logistics routes and with a load of more than 16 tonnes between Leipzig and Mamming. Energy modules for BMW electric cars were transported over a distance of 450 kilometres with mainly on motorways. Compared with journeys with a conventional trailer and identical load, this resulted in diesel savings of more than 48 percent on average. The e-trailer’s battery was charged carbon neutrally using 100 percent green energy, meaning that with series application, a single electric trailer could facilitate a CO₂ reduction of around 120 tonnes per year (“Well to Wheel”).

100 percent CO₂ reduction when used with an e-truck.

A 100 percent reduction in CO₂ while simultaneously enabling long-distance routes can be achieved by combining an e-trailer with an electric tractor and 100 percent green electricity. This scenario was tested on the final day of medium-distance testing in the Dingolfing area using a Volvo e‑truck. With a normal load, a driving distance of more than 600 kilometres was achieved without recharging.

The fuel savings when using e-trailers are counterbalanced by their heavier weight and the resulting lower payload, but this is partially offset by an increase in the permissible total weight for trailers in the EU. The higher acquisition costs of the e-trailer are counteracted by lower operating costs. Over long distances in particular, the use of e-trailers can facilitate a significant decarbonisation of the existing fleet while simultaneously saving costs.

Trailer Dynamics’ vision is to make a significant contribution to decarbonising the economy with e-trailers and to promote sustainable, and ideally zero-emission, logistics. With our partner BMW and the forwarding agents Gahr International and Elflein Spedition & Transport, with these test drives we are taking the next important step in making our vision a reality,” said Abdullah Jaber, CEO and Managing Director Trailer Dynamics GmbH.

With the visionary e-trailer pilot projects, the BMW Group is accelerating the systematic implementation of their ‘Green Transport Logistics’ strategy. This cross-sector strategy is an integral element of the BMW iFACTORY. “It is important to us to support the development of innovative technologies in transport logistics. Establishing innovations like these helps our logistics partners and us to reduce CO₂ emissions and improve the overall footprint,” explained Michael Nikolaides.

Leipzig. The BMW Group continues to invest in e-component production at Plant Leipzig and in the future of the site. A leasehold contract has now been signed for an area of land outside the plant premises, on the northern industrial estate – which is also home to the existing facility. The new plot for use by BMW consists of 12 hectares in total, eight of which will be built on in the first stage of construction. This will produce a logistics hall for the current fifth-generation high-voltage batteries and an office building, both of which are due to reach completion in mid-2024.

To mark the start of construction of the Supply Centre North, Petra Peterhänsel, Plant Director, Jens Köhler, Works Council Chairman, Frank Hager, Head of Production for High-Voltage Batteries, Clemens Schülke, Mayor and Alderman for Business, Labour and Digital in the City of Leipzig and Anja Hähle-Posselt, Director of the Office for Economic Development of the City of Leipzig, were joined by Karsten Dickerboom, representing the construction company Max Bögl Stiftung & Co KG, to perform the symbolic turning of the first sod.

Building the future

“These days car production is just as much a part of Leipzig’s economic DNA as the trade fair. We’re delighted that an already strong cluster is now growing further. What’s more, the focus will be on an eco-friendly footprint throughout. With this extension, BMW is sending out a clear signal around Leipzig as a base and electromobility. We are happy to partner the company and support the positive development of these areas,” said Mayor Clemens Schülke.

Plant Director Petra Peterhänsel also sees the transition to electromobility as an important building block in the plant’s development: “Leipzig continues to power ahead. Making the BMW i3, we were the BMW Group’s pioneer in electromobility. Now, with the development of e-component production and the upcoming launch of the MINI Countryman, the future is already taking shape.”

Investment in the transition to electromobility

In the first stage of construction, a warehouse, a two-storey office building and a loading tunnel with a combined gross area of 38,000 m² will be erected. There are also plans for a second construction stage, which will take the total investment to as much as 100 million euros. When all the construction work is complete, the new buildings at the Supply Centre North will provide workplaces for approx. 500 employees.

By 2026 the BMW Group aims for at least one in three new cars sold to be fully electric, so the need for high-voltage batteries will increase. Plant Leipzig is already a cornerstone in supplying e-components for the production network and provides one in three battery modules for the BMW Group’s fully electric vehicles. These include the BMW iX1, the BMW i5 and the BMW iX. With the new hall as a logistics centre for high-voltage batteries, Plant Leipzig is embracing this role even further, with a building that meets all the structural requirements for handling high-voltage components.

Beyond compliance: Stringent environmental standards

Planning the logistics hall, the team applied stringent environmental standards that go above and beyond legal requirements. The buildings will be powered not by fossil fuels, for example. Photovoltaic systems on the roof of the hall will generate approx. 3,000 kW in peak operations. In addition the hall will be heated by a heat pump. The office building will have a green roof, and trees at strategic points along the façade will keep indoor temperatures cool when the weather outside is hot.

The outside space will be landscaped with over 5,700 new shrubs and trees. This will continue the City of Leipzig and the BMW Group’s efforts to add to the green ring around the plant on the Northern Industrial Estate. Outdoor areas will be illuminated by insect-friendly lights, and parking spaces will be equipped with electric charging points for cars and trucks so that electric heavy goods vehicles can operate between the plant and warehouse.

E-component production as the powerhouse for the future of Leipzig

One of the drivers behind the extensive additions that are currently being made to Plant Leipzig – both on the premises and off – is e-component production. Measures will safeguard existing jobs and increase the number of new ones. At the moment more than 800 employees work in e-component production in Leipzig, rising to over 1,000 by 2024. Further jobs will be created with service providers.

From next year BMW Plant Leipzig will run all three stages of the high-voltage battery production process: cell coating, module production and high-voltage battery assembly. E-component production capacity has been steadily increasing since 2021, and at present battery cells are coated and assembled into modules there. One in three battery modules for fully electric vehicles by the BMW Group already comes from Leipzig today, and a battery assembly system is currently under construction, expected to go on stream early next year. The BMW Group is investing up to 1 billion euros in extending e-component production at Leipzig.

With BMW i3 production now phased out, 2024 will see Plant Leipzig launch its next fully electric model: the new MINI Countryman. The crossover will come with a choice of combustion engines or a fully electric drive, the high-voltage batteries for the latter being made directly in Plant Leipzig’s workshops.

• Pilot projects with renewable diesel HVO100 under way
• Green transport logistics accelerate implementation of BMW iFACTORY strategy
• Head of Logistics Nikolaides: “Every gram of CO₂ we can save helps”
  
  

Munich. The future is already on the Autobahn: between BMW Plant Munich and Landau an der Isar, about 120 km to the northeast, four trucks can be seen to-ing and fro-ing several times a day. They are operated by the logistics provider Guggemos (GV Trucknet), their green stickers proclaiming their eco-credentials: “Ich tanke HVO100, um CO₂ -Emissionen zu senken” (“I tank with HVO100 to save CO₂ emissions”). Delivering supplies just in time from Landau to the home plant in Munich, the trucks have been running on renewable HVO100 diesel since December 2022. It’s all part of a one-year pilot programme to trial the new fuel. In March 2023 the HVO100 test fleet was expanded to include another six trucks, this time belonging to DB Schenker. They commute between the BMW Group Supply Centre in Eching, just north of Munich, to deliver warehouse parts to the plant in the city for production – a round trip of a good 40 km each time.

HVO stands for ‘hydrotreated vegetable oil’, and the ‘100’ in the name of the fuel confirms that conventional diesel vehicles can tank 100 percent with the pure renewable fuel. HVO100 is made from various waste products, residues and renewable raw materials, including used cooking oil. Compared with fossil diesel, it produces up to 90 percent less CO₂ well-to-wheel. On average, fuel consumption is about 3 percent higher with HVO100, but the ten trucks currently piloting the fuel – also known as “Neste MY Renewable Diesel”, made by Finland’s Neste – for the BMW Group are expected to emit up to 800 tonnes less CO₂ a year than they would with conventional diesel.

The progressive HVO100 pilot project is the next step in the consistent implementation of the BMW Group’s Green Transport Logistics Strategy – an integral part of the BMW iFACTORY. Michael Nikolaides, Head of BMW Group Production Network and Logistics, is convinced: “Every gram of CO₂ we can save helps.” An advocate of keeping an open mind to all technologies, he added: “We continue to reduce the carbon footprint from our transport and supply chains through a variety of measures.” The BMW Group already uses electric and gas-powered trucks at various sites, and at the Hydrogen Competence Centre in Leipzig, floor conveyors are fuelled with hydrogen for everyday operations.

Electric trucks are already operating at BMW Group Plant Munich. “The use of HVO100 in logistics brings another sustainable technology to BMW Group Plant Munich. It plays a valuable part in helping the company achieve its sustainability goals and represents a further component in the plant’s transformation to a BMW iFACTORY with a LEAN, GREEN, DIGITAL approach,” added Peter Weber, Director of BMW Group Plant Munich.

Nikolaides sees some major advantages in the simple use of HVO100: vehicles and engines require no modifications to run on the eco-friendly fuel, and HVO can be used pure or mixed with fossil fuel in any ratio. It can also be supplied via the existing fuel station infrastructure.

The BMW Group’s partner on the current HVO100 pilot project is the Finnish company Neste. Their hydrotreated vegetable oil is based on their patented NEXBTL technology and produced purely from renewable raw materials, with plant oils being converted to hydrocarbons through a catalytic reaction with hydrogen. HVO diesel is not the same as bio-diesel, however, which is chemically different and produced by a different process.

By using the new fuel in transport logistics, the BMW Group intends to find out how the renewable diesel works in everyday operations and how cost-efficient it is. “We want to know which drive technologies and fuels work best in which contexts,” Nikolaides explained. To do this, a team of BMW Group experts is evaluating aspects such as fuel consumption with different loads, at different speeds, in a variety of weather conditions, and over shorter and longer distances.

+++ Nedeljković, Board Member for Production: “Technological breakthrough underscores our innovativeness” +++ Hydrogen power also in plant and transport logistics +++

Leipzig. BMW Group Plant Leipzig is the first car plant in the world to pilot a newly developed burner technology that allows to run on green hydrogen as well as natural gas. The new technology meets the feasibility requirements to reduce CO₂ emissions from the intensive use of natural gas, a fossil fuel. BMW AG Board Member Milan Nedeljković: “This is a technological breakthrough. It underscores our innovativeness and our determination to make production ever more sustainable.”

Today BMW Group Plant Leipzig launched the first fuel-flexible hydrogen-capable burner for paint dryers. The special feature of the system is that it can run on hydrogen (H₂), methane (CH₄) or a mixture of the two. It can also switch between fuels while in operation. Initially, it will run in trial operations. The innovative fuel-flexible burner system was developed in collaboration with the Bremen-based company Saacke, and with the Fraunhofer Institute IFF in Magdeburg supporting the integration of the safety concept.

Sustainability as a key element in the BMW iFACTORY

Reducing CO₂ emissions is one of the central aims of the BMW iFACTORY with its LEAN. GREEN. DIGITAL approach. While sustainability, optimum use of resources and circularity are the focus of GREEN, the LEAN strand of the strategy works for efficient, precise and highly flexible production. DIGITAL makes effective use of digitalisation in data science, artificial intelligence and virtualisation.

To become even more sustainable, the BMW Group is devising site-specific solutions to reduce CO₂ emissions – including geothermal, photovoltaics, and hydrogen. The various solutions will be deployed in whatever way best suits the site in question.

To run hydrogen throughout, a pipeline will be needed to ensure sufficient quantities of green hydrogen are available at all times. The Leipzig plant has the opportunity to use a hydrogen network created in the region for this purpose.

Hydrogen power in plant and transport logistics

Hydrogen has long been a staple fuel in plant logistics. The first indoor hydrogen filling station in Germany was installed on the plant premises in 2013, to fuel forklifts and tug trains in intralogistics. Today, almost ten years later, Plant Leipzig has the largest fleet in Germany with over 130 fuel-cell powered forklifts. There are also five intralogistics hydrogen stations on the premises. The latest offers fully automated refuelling.

The BMW Group is also working with its partners to trial hydrogen-powered solutions to support the decarbonisation of transport logistics beyond the factory gates as well and is currently involved in the H2HAUL and HyCET research projects. Hydrogen is a promising fuel for transport logistics because it allows fast refuelling, high payloads and flexible usability. It also offers extensive range. And green hydrogen – produced with energy from renewable sources – will pave the way for lower-carbon, long-distance logistics in the future.

The H2HAUL project in Belgium, Germany, France and Switzerland is working to develop and pilot 16 hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks and install new, high-capacity filling stations for reliable fuel supplies. Launched in 2019, H2HAUL will run for five years, with Germany contributing by trialling two fuel-cell trucks for transportation between Plant Leipzig and Nuremberg.

On the HyCET project, the BMW Group is leading a consortium to advance the development and testing of trucks with hydrogen combustion engines in transport logistics. With project funding of 11.3 million euros approved by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport in September of this year, HyCET aims to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen combustion-engine trucks in transport logistics and establish two hydrogen filling stations for public use.

Plant Leipzig – Geared for sustainability from the outset

“Sustainability is in Plant Leipzig’s DNA, as it were,” said Plant Director Petra Peterhänsel. “Efficient and sustainable processes were already very important to us when we were planning the facility, and one highly visible result of that is the four wind turbines that supply electricity to the plant.” Erected in 2013, they deliver 10 MW of power (generating approx. 26 GWh/year). In 2017 a further milestone followed when the Battery Farm comprising up to 700 second-life high-voltage batteries from BMW i3 vehicles was opened. The batteries are used to store energy, such as that generated by the wind turbines. By storing the energy on the premises, local energy management can be optimised and the electrical grid kept stable.

+++ Hydrogen Combustion Engine Trucks (HyCET) develops and tests hydrogen trucks with combustion engines for transport logistics +++ Sustainable solution for long-distance transport +++ German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) provides 11.3 million euros to fund research and development project +++

Munich. A sustainable transport project with long-distance potential: In September 2022, the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) approved the funding application for the consortium research project HyCET (Hydrogen Combustion Engine Trucks) led by the BMW Group. The other HyCET project partners are DEUTZ AG, DHL Freight GmbH, KEYOU GmbH, TotalEnergies Marketing Deutschland GmbH and Volvo Group.

The research project aims to demonstrate the sustainability potential of trucks with hydrogen combustion engines for transport logistics. The other issue for HyCET, alongside technology development, is the required infrastructure, such as publicly accessible hydrogen filling stations. Thanks to its shorter filling times, high payload and versatility, combined with its attractive range, hydrogen is regarded as a promising fuel for transport logistics. The use of green hydrogen produced from renewable energies will thus enable CO2-free long-distance logistics in the future. Due to the low emissions from hydrogen combustion, the trucks are also considered as zero-emission vehicles under EU regulations.

Supported by partners, funded by BMDV

The HyCET research project will have an investment volume of 19.5 million euros, of which 11.3 million euros will be funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV). Over the course of the HyCET project, the BMDV also provided an additional 5.7 million euros in funding for construction of two public hydrogen filling stations mainly for heavy goods traffic.

Daniela Kluckert, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Digital and Transport: “Hydrogen technology offers us the chance to rethink mobility. In particular, the varied demands of transport logistics call for suitable responses. Hydrogen is a good energy-storage solution for climate-friendly transportation that can supplement battery-electric mobility. The HyCET project supported by us assesses the use of hydrogen combustion engine technology for the transport of heavy goods. In this way, the results obtained from real-life operation will contribute to competition between alternative drive train technologies in the field of logistics.”

Interdisciplinary cooperation is key to success

The network has set itself ambitious targets for the four-year project. The aim is to develop two 18-tonne trucks and two 40-tonne trucks with hydrogen combustion engines that will be tested in regular BMW Group and DEUTZ transport logistics. Two new hydrogen filling stations including for heavy utility vehicles will be built in Leipzig and Nuremberg to facilitate daily operation of these trucks.

Not only will research into development and use of hydrogen trucks continue, but filling standards for utility vehicles and implementation of the necessary infrastructure will also be advanced. Since this is one of the first research projects in which vehicles of this class will drive in regular logistics traffic, the trucks will undergo a comprehensive technology assessment.

Consortium pools expertise

The consortia project brings together expertise from different disciplines. As an end-user, the BMW Group defines key requirements for series introduction of hydrogen-powered trucks into its transport logistics at a later date. As the consortium leader, the company also sets the framework for successful project implementation and is managing pilot deployment of an 18-tonne truck at BMW Group Plant Leipzig, as well as coordinating the technology assessment, which will compare the advantages and disadvantages of the hydrogen combustion engine with other innovative drive-train concepts for trucks.

Michael Nikolaides, Senior Vice President Production Network and Supply Chain Management BMW Group explains: “As the consortium leader for the project, the BMW Group is not only showing its pioneering spirit, but also its understanding of how to think about sustainability across all areas of the company. This includes testing technologies in transport logistics at an early stage and adapting products and infrastructure to new requirements.”

As one of the world’s leading engine manufacturers and a pioneer in the sustainable off-road sector, powertrain specialist DEUTZ has developed a 7.8-litre hydrogen engine. The initial application is already running successfullyin  a stationary generator. As part of the HyCET project, this engine will be installed in an 18-tonne truck to demonstrate its practicality for mobile applications.

As a recognised hydrogen expert, KEYOU GmbH develops innovative hydrogen technologies, specific H2 components and combustion processes that can be used in a cost-effective manner to convert conventional engines into emission-free hydrogen engines. In cooperation with the Volvo Group, KEYOU is developing a 13-litre hydrogen engine as part of the HyCET project. Volvo is integrating the engine and the hydrogen tanks in two 40-tonne Volvo trucks used by DHL Freight in transport logistics for the BMW Group. As one of the leading suppliers of road transportation in Europe, DHL Freight will bring its long-standing experience in road-freight transport and requirements from the user perspective to the project. In addition, as a transport partner of the BMW Group, the company will also use the first vehicles developed in field tests for shuttle traffic to supply BMW Group Plant Leipzig.

The global multi-energy company TotalEnergies intends to operate up to 150 hydrogen filling stations directly or indirectly in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France by 2030. The two new hydrogen filling stations that will be built under the HyCET consortium in Leipzig and Nuremberg will be an integral part of this European long-distance hydrogen network.

+++ Increase in proportion of recycled material in packaging +++ Nikolaides, Head of Logistics: “We are leveraging various options to save carbon emissions and raw materials.” +++ Other pilot projects underway +++

Munich. The BMW Group has implemented several projects in its packaging logistics to further save resources. With these projects, the Group aims to work closely with suppliers to reduce carbon emissions and realize the principles of the circular economy as best it can. As part of this initiative, the European plants will use more recycled material in their packaging. This will mean that, for newly awarded contracts, the proportion of recycled material in reusable packaging for logistics purposes will almost double this year from around 20 percent to over 35 percent. However, using alternative sustainable materials, reducing single-use packaging, introducing lightweight packaging in certain areas and reducing transport volumes will also help cut carbon emissions. The BMW Group is monitoring the impact of individual measures via a CO₂ calculator for packaging. The Group’s overall aim is to reduce CO₂ emissions in the supply chain by 20 percent per vehicle (compared to 2019).

Michael Nikolaides, Head of the BMW Group Production Network and Logistics: “Our ‘re:think, re:duce, re:use, re:cycle’ approach is being implemented consistently in packaging logistics, too. We’re using innovative strategies to consistently reduce the volume of resources we use, thus reducing our carbon footprint. We in Logistics are also doing our part to get the BMW iFACTORY up and running – with a particular focus on the ‘green’ side of things.” BMW iFACTORY. LEAN. GREEN. DIGITAL. is the strategic vision for the global production network, with an emphasis on flexibility and efficiency, sustainability and digitalization. It provides an answer to the challenges involved in the transformation to e-mobility and takes a global approach. ‘Green’ means leveraging the latest technologies to create a production process that uses minimal resources.

Plastic in packaging replaced by recycled material

One example of how the BMW Group is fulfilling the criteria of a circular economy is the use of recycled material in EPP packaging (EPP = expanded polypropylene). Currently, our newly developed EPP packaging already contains 25 percent recycled material. EPP is used in special containers as its shape can be adapted to the components being packaged, allowing them to be transported safely. Around 360,000 of these containers are needed each year. Using 25 percent recycled material allows us to save almost 280 tons of CO₂ annually. There are plans to increase this proportion of recycled material even further, with the first pilot schemes with 100 percent recycled material currently underway. If these tests are successful, this configuration will become standard for new contracts from 2024.

An additional 680 tons of carbon emissions savings can be made every year by using covers and so-called small load carriers with 50 percent recycled contents. As things stand, these measures are focused within the European markets due to the current waste management situation and available recycling infrastructure. We are currently working towards expanding to our locations in Mexico, the USA and China.

Reducing transport volumes

The BMW Group is introducing something that will have an even greater impact on emissions: folding large load carriers. As of this year, instead of pallet cages made of steel, we will be using folding plastic alternatives made from over 90 percent recycled material. These work in a similar way to the collapsible shopping crates that most people are familiar with: when they are empty, they can be folded up, making them easier to transport. Using 15,000 of these new containers reduces CO₂ by around 3,000 tons per year.

Alternative materials with great potential for the future

When it comes to packaging, the sky’s the limit. We’re launching pilot projects using bio-based materials to replace oil-based substances polyethylene and polypropylene (PE and PP). We are also investigating whether and in what ways we can use materials from recycled household appliances in our packaging. In the long term, our aim is to use alternatives to raw materials across the board.

Munich. Cutting-edge improvements in technology, such as autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), have been and continue to be the driving force behind automation. Not least due to their flexible range of applications, AMRs have increasingly been taking over transport tasks in intralogistics. By collaborating with Linde Material Handling, idealworks is gaining an important international sales and service partner.  

Linde Material Handling GmbH, a KION Group company, is a globally active manufacturer of forklift trucks and warehouse technology equipment as well as a provider of services and solutions for intralogistics. With a sales and service network in more than 100 countries, the company is represented in all major regions of the world. In the automation sector, Linde Material Handling is now expanding its offering to include two essential core products from idealworks, the autonomous mobile robot iw.hub and the central cloud platform AnyFleet.

As a provider of a holistic solution portfolio in the field of automation, idealworks is revolutionizing the internal logistics of companies in a wide range of industries and providing them with a sophisticated robotics ecosystem whereof customers of Linde Material Handling will also be benefiting in the future: The 8 km/h fast iw.hub independently picks up, transports, and delivers payloads of up to 1,000 kg. The implementation of the AMR and the cloud platform AnyFleet, which enables the integration of third-party devices based on the VDA 5050 standard, does not require any structural adjustments to the existing facility – markers, magnets, or QR codes used by other systems are not needed. Instead, the system navigates autonomously using SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) navigation technology.

“The speed of our industry’s evolution has increased significantly. In the dynamic market environment, cooperation is therefore more important than ever. With our technology partnerships, we keep our finger on the pulse. We welcome the addition of idealworks’ solution to our portfolio and the concomitant merging of core competencies,” says Stefan Prokosch, Senior Vice President Brand Management for Linde Material Handling, explaining the collaboration.

“This expansion enables us to offer and implement integrated logistics solutions for our customers,” Stefan Prokosch continues. “Particularly in production supply, the most diverse material flow concepts can thus be mapped with innovative technology.”

Linde Material Handling's extensive global sales and support network stands for its high standards of safety and quality – attributes which the BMW Group spinoff also clearly identifies with – and meets all the requirements for serving customers quickly and efficiently.

“Through this collaboration, we are taking another important step in our partner integration. In addition to our own sales and distribution management, we rely on Linde Material Handling as trusted brand to make our product range accessible to an even broader client base and to move closer to our goal of being the solution provider for intralogistics. The company’s interest in our solution portfolio is another key quality feature that underscores our proven experience and innovation skills,” remarks idealworks' CEO Michael Schneider.

+++ Annual production capacity at BMW Shenyang Plants increases to 830,000 vehicles. +++ Implementation of the BMW iFACTORY strategy. LEAN. GREEN. DIGITAL. +++ “Industrial Metaverse” – the first BMW Group plant fully planned and simulated in the virtual world from the start. +++ Geared towards e-mobility, Plant Lydia produces the All New BMW i3 +++

Shenyang. The BMW Group has expanded its production footprint in China with the opening of Plant Lydia in Shenyang, China. This major expansion of the BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) production base is a latest example of the BMW iFACTORY strategy, and sets new standards in future oriented vehicle manufacturing in the era of intelligent and electric auto industry. In particular, Plant Lydia breaks new ground with its pioneering digitalization applications, reaffirming the BMW Group’s leadership in the global automotive manufacturing.

“The BMW iFACTORY makes us a role model for the automotive industry. Plant Lydia is born digitally and geared towards e-mobility”, said BMW AG Board Member for Production Milan Nedeljković. He emphasised: “Responding to our customer’s demands, the flexibility of our production sets the benchmark in competition. Plant Lydia is a great example of this. It is fully capable of producing up to 100% electric vehicles. Together with its neighboring plants in Tiexi and Dadong, Lydia will play an important role in accelerating production of BMW electrified vehicles in China.”

With an overall investment of RMB 15 billion, Plant Lydia is the biggest single investment project in the history of the BMW Group in China. Located in the Tiexi District of Shenyang, the plant has all the four major production processes (press and body shop, paint shop, and assembly) and increases annual production capacity at the Shenyang production base to 830,000 units. In order to meet the growing customer demand for e-mobility, Plant Lydia is fully flexible to produce up to 100% electric vehicles. The production of the all new BMW i3 – BMW's first all-electric mid-size sports sedan for the Chinese market – started at Plant Lydia in May.

Jochen Goller, President & CEO of the BMW Group Region China said: “The expansion of our production footprint in China shows we are preparing for further growth in the world’s largest electric car market and are confident in China’s long-term perspectives. We are stepping up our e-mobility efforts, aiming for more than a quarter of our sales in China to be all electric by 2025. With BMW’s expanded and upgraded production base in Shenyang, we are now fully prepared to serve the growing market demand for e-mobility in China.”

“Today is a proud day for BMW Brilliance and the BMW Group. It marks an important milestone in our successful development in the city of Shenyang over the past nearly 20 years”, said Franz Decker, President & CEO of BMW Brilliance Automotive. “Despite many challenges over the last three years, our new Plant Lydia was completed on schedule. It is a testament to our strong team in China and an excellent global collaboration. Plant Lydia sets the standard for production that is LEAN. GREEN. and DIGITAL.”

Bringing the "Industrial Metaverse" to life

While Plant Lydia follows the BMW iFACTORY strategy of LEAN. GREEN. and DIGITAL, it is in the area of digital that the new plant is truly pioneering. With the powerful Epic Games Unreal Engine 3D creation platform as the backbone, Plant Lydia was the first BMW Group plant fully planned and simulated in a virtual environment from the start, with every detail of the entire production process designed virtually. In this way, it can be considered a Metaverse plant. The integration of the virtual world with the real world shortened the planning time, enabled cross-regional and cross-timezone collaboration, and effectively overcame the adverse effects of epidemics, which alone shortened the construction time of the plant by six months.

Plant Lydia is "data-driven": cloud-based digital platforms and the Industrial Internet of Things connect every product, process and person through transparent, always-available and integrated data. This extensive use of data science enhances quality control, boosts efficiency and enables predictive maintenance. The widespread use of artificial intelligence, data analytics and algorithms has shifted decision-making from "experience-driven" to "data-driven". Around 100 artificial intelligence applications are currently used at the BMW Shenyang production base.

A powerful network environment and data processing capabilities are essential to "data-driven". For example, the 1,600 multi-functional cameras used in the area of quality assurance generate more than 10 petabytes of data every year. The entire plant is covered with a gigabit 5G network to meet the bandwidth requirements for technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and real-time video transmission. To cope with the huge amount of data, BMW Brilliance also built a new Data Center for Plant Lydia that contains more than 1,200 servers.

Producing cars in the most sustainable way

The BMW Group has set a goal of reducing carbon emissions through the entire lifecycle per vehicle by 40 percent by 2030 compared to 2019, which includes an 80 percent carbon reduction at the production level. Therefore, the concept of sustainability is also reflected in Plant Lydia.

The new production site uses first-class building materials, including advanced insulation, to keep the rooms warm in winter and cool in summer while reducing energy consumption. The plant's workshops are equipped with state-of-the-art production equipment, such as electric-powered welding guns and ovens in the Body Shop that utilize renewable electricity supply to reduce emissions. Plant Lydia also has a dedicated Intelligent Operation Center with an intelligent energy management system that monitors energy and resource consumption in real time, and uses artificial intelligence to deeply analyze how to optimize energy use.

Currently, the entire BMW Shenyang production base uses 100% renewable electricity. It has 290,000 square meters of solar panels, ranking first in Liaoning Province. These solar panels can generate 44,000 MWh of electricity per year - enough to power 9,000 houses for an entire year. The solar panel expansion will continue in the coming years, with an area of 120,000sqm under construction at Plant Lydia.

The new vehicle plant in Shenyang also places emphasis on biodiversity. Its green areas consist of gardens, artificial lakes, a variety of plants and 11,000 trees, a sustainable landscaping and a sponge city system collects rainwater to nourish plants and replenish underground water. 

High flexibility geared towards e-mobility

Flexibility is one of the BMW Group's greatest strengths in manufacturing, especially the ability to deploy resources and adapt production to demand at short notice. Plant Lydia is geared towards e-mobility production, but it can also produce other models flexibly and efficiently.

By the end of 2025, the BMW Group expects to have delivered more than two million pure electric vehicles worldwide, with one in every four new vehicles sold in China being a pure electric model. By that time, BMW's "Neue Klasse" models, which represent the next technological leap forward in car development, will also be brought to market. The new plant Lydia and its neighboring plants in Tiexi and Dadong will play an important role in accelerating production of BMW electrified vehicles in China.

+++ SORDI (Synthetic Object Recognition Dataset for Industries) accelerates artificial intelligence in production +++ AI dataset contains more than 800,000 photorealistic images in 80 categories of production resource +++ Synthesising training data takes the efficiency of AI in production to a new level +++   Further strengthening of no-code AI: Superfast generation of robust AI models. +++

Munich. The BMW Group is publishing the world’s largest data set to streamline and significantly accelerate the training of artificial intelligence in production. The synthesised AI dataset – known as SORDI (Synthetic Object Recognition Dataset for Industries) – consists of more than 800,000 photorealistic images. These are divided into 80 categories of production resources, from pallets and pallet cages to forklifts, and include objects of particular relevance to the core technologies of automotive engineering and logistics.

By publishing SORDI, the BMW Group together with its partners Microsoft, NVIDIA and idealworks is making available the world’s largest reference dataset for artificial intelligence in the field of manufacturing. The visual data is of particularly high quality, and the integrated digital labels enable basic image processing tasks to be carried out, such as classification, object detection or segmentation for relevant areas of production in general.

“The BMW Group has been using artificial intelligence since 2019. AI has already been utilised in various quality assurance applications in production at the plants. SORDI, the new, synthetic dataset makes AI models much faster to train and AI considerably more cost-efficient in production,” says Michele Melchiorre, Senior Vice President of BMW Group Production System, Planning, Tool and Plant Engineering.

To create the synthesised AI training data non-manually, the simulated environment for robotics, the digital twin of the production system and the AI training environment were all fused within the NVIDIA Omniverse. The rendering pipeline from the BMW Tech Office in Munich allows any number of photos, including labels, to be synthesised in sufficient photorealistic HD quality for them to be used in the creation of highly robust AI models. SORDI can be utilised by IT professionals to develop and tailor AI solutions for manufacturing, and by production employees to maintain mature AI systems for validation purposes ready for the start of production.

Freely available to software developers, the publication of the innovative dataset represents the next targeted step in the BMW Group’s systematic expansion of activities to democratise artificial intelligence (https://github.com/bmw-innovationlab). The publications of no-code AI and SORDI complement each other: on the one hand, the BMW Labelling Tool Lite and published AI training tools explicitly allow users to use AI intuitively, even if they lack sound IT expertise. On the other, SORDI’s synthesis significantly accelerates and simplifies the training of AI models for production applications.

+++ Includes a $100 Million Investment in a New One Million Square Foot Facility +++ Training center to be completed in summer 2022 +++ More than 11.4 billion US dollars total investment in the site since 1992 +++

Spartanburg, S.C.  BMW Manufacturing announced that it will expand its logistics operations to a new building . Total investment in the new building is approximately $100 million. When completed, the new logistics center will be nearly one million square feet in size with an opportunity for future expansion.

“For nearly three decades, BMW has called South Carolina its second home. This expansion in our logistics operation represents our continued commitment to this state, and it will prepare Plant Spartanburg for the future,” said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. “The new warehouse will allow us to consolidate our logistics processes as well as implement efficiency measures for a more sustainable logistics operation.” 

When the new logistics center opens in the middle of 2022, it will allow BMW to consolidate two offsite warehouse operations – one for returnable containers and another for body shop parts – into one efficient onsite location. Inside the warehouse, shipments from suppliers will be sorted, then delivered to their respective Plant Spartanburg technologies. The result is a faster, leaner, more efficient supply chain.

To minimize the impact of truck traffic in the area and allow for easy access to BMW, two private bridges will be constructed to connect the logistics center to the BMW campus.

Update on New BMW Training Center

Construction is well underway on the new $20 million, 67,000 square foot training center on the BMW campus, which was announced in February. When completed in the summer of 2022, the building will feature multiple classrooms for both professional development and technical training, an outdoor amphitheater, and a unique concept of outdoor meeting and workspace that includes wireless capabilities. The training center will also be home to BMW’s well-known apprenticeship program – BMW Scholars. 

Since 1992, the BMW Group has invested more than $11.4 billion in its South Carolina factory. BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the largest BMW Group plant in the world, producing more than 1,500 vehicles each day. The plant exports more than two-thirds of its models to 125 global markets. For seven consecutive years, it has been the largest exporter by value in the United States. The model portfolio includes five top-selling BMW X models, four Motorsport X models, and two plug-in hybrid electric X models. The factory has a production capacity of up to 450,000 vehicles and employs more than 11,000 people.

+++ New BMW Group spin-off wins over independent specialist jury +++ iw.hub granted Best in Intralogistics seal of approval +++ Innovative control concept offers extreme flexibility and performance +++

Munich. The iw.hub autonomous mobile robot (AMR) by idealworks has won the International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) AWARD 2021. Topping the category for Automated Guided Vehicles, the logistics robot by the new BMW Group subsidiary won the favour of an independent jury of industry experts and journalists from specialist publications of global renown, who confirmed its tremendous flexibility, impressive performance and sheer innovativeness.

The AMR had already received the seal of approval as Best in Intralogistics in the spring of this year, after successfully completing the IFOY audit. Now, less than eight months after the BMW Group spin-off idealworks was founded, the CE-certified autonomous mobile robot has convinced the jury again, receiving the IFOY AWARD on 5 July at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. 

The iw.hub works with an innovative control concept that offers extreme flexibility, said the panel of jurors from various nations after putting it through a complex, multi-stage test routine. “The performance of this machine is impressive, especially when it comes to speed and picking up badly positioned loads,” they explained. Anita Würmser, Chairwoman of the IFOY AWARDS jury, described the robot as “a particularly flexible solution that takes just a few days to install and is very reasonably priced. The ‘factory-in-a-day’ is now within reach.”

“The iw.hub by idealworks is a unique logistics innovation that has met with a considerable response and demand, both within the BMW Group and with customers worldwide. The fact that idealworks, a spin-off of ours, has been able to scoop such a prestigious award only months after it was established is a testament to our extreme innovativeness and process expertise,” said Milan Nedeljkovic, Member of the  BMW AG Board of Management, Production. 

The IFOY AWARDS run under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Established in 2013, they are among the most prestigious accolades for intralogistics products. “We are delighted to receive this IFOY AWARD for bes AGV,” said Michael Schneider, CEO of idealworks, explaining the importance of the award for the 100% BMW Group subsidiary. “At idealworks, extreme innovativeness, performance and flexibility are a part of our DNA. For us to share a stage with the best of the best is a huge honour and confirms we have chosen the right pathway: we have developed an autonomous mobile robot that offers a decisive value-add and will bring lasting change to the logistics industry.” The logistics robot was developed within the BMW Group and is used there extensively. But since the autumn of last year, it is also being utilized by other renowned companies in various industry sectors.

About idealworks: 

idealworks was established in November 2020 as a 100% subsidiary of the BMW Group. The Munich-based spinoff specialises in the development of autonomous transport robots and their control systems. Focusing on developing the most intelligent, flexible and most collaborative logistics services, idealworks aims to promote innovation and the use of autonomous logistics. In combination, the CE-certified iw.hub autonomous mobile robot, the iw.brain control unit and the cloud-based AnyFleet control platform provide unique performance and tried-and-tested hardware for the autonomisation of intralogistics workflows in industry settings.

www.idealworks.com

• The two industry leaders are revolutionising virtual planning and engineering for highly complex manufacturing systems
• Omniverse platform allows different applications to connect, with unrestricted compatibility
• Greatly enhancing the speed, precision and efficiency of the planning process

Munich. The BMW Group and NVIDIA are generating a completely new approach to planning highly complex manufacturing systems – with the Omniverse platform. The virtual factory planning tool integrates a range of planning data and applications and allows real-time collaboration with unrestricted compatibility. As industry leaders, the BMW Group and NVIDIA are setting new standards in virtual factory planning.

Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG Board Member for Production: “Together we’re about to make a huge leap forward and open up completely new perspectives in the field of virtual, digital planning. In the future a virtual representation of our production network will allow us to realise an innovative, integrated approach to our planning processes. Omniverse greatly enhances the precision, speed and consequently the efficiency of our planning processes.”

“BMW does personalized manufacturing at a massive scale - their operations are among the most complex in the world,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “In their vision of future factories, people and robots work together, engineers from all aspects of factory design collaborate in a shared virtual space, and the entire factory is simulated with photorealistic detail. NVIDIA Omniverse was built to realize this future. I am delighted that BMW is using NVIDIA Omniverse to connect their teams to design, plan and operate their future factories virtually before anything is built in the physical world. This is the future of manufacturing.”

Virtual factory planning is already widespread, but until now it has required data to be imported from various applications. This is not only time-consuming but also raises compatibility issues. In addition, the data is not always up to date. In the future, the Omniverse platform will enable live data to be collected and collated from all the relevant databases to create a joint simulation – eliminating the need to reimport data. The goal is to enable modifications and adjustments to be assessed in the early stages of planning in order to create an overall view. This extreme transparency will allow planners and production specialists to plan highly complex production systems even more quickly and accurately, without interface losses or compatibility problems. Omniverse integrates data from various professional design and planning tools from a range of different producers and uses it to generate photo-realistic real-time simulations in a single collaborative setting.

Outstanding photorealistic quality is just one of the many benefits of Omniverse. Another is that employees at different sites in different time zones can access the virtual simulation and work together to plan and optimise details of a process or production system whenever they need to. In addition, Omniverse can be used in a multitude of applications: in the future, planners and production specialists will collaborate using real-time data that is synchronised in the Omniverse cloud infrastructure. They will also be able to discuss the integration of new production systems with suppliers. Omniverse allows structure and facility data to be integrated, as well as items and part numbers of materials in production. It can also be used for logistics planning, offering unprecedented data consistency, from planning through to production. “This is redefining collaboration,” emphasises Board Member for Production Milan Nedeljković. The ability to carry out changes live will speed up decision-making noticeably. Production planners at the BMW Group will be able to visualise the entire planning lifecycle for every plant in the global production network, accelerated by scalable GPU performance. This will be supported by a wide range of AI-capable application cases, from autonomous robotics to predictive maintenance and data analysis.

The BMW Group and NVIDIA are long-standing partners. In a first pilot project, the US-based company fitted high-performance technologies and special AI control modules to logistics robots and to the BMW Group’s self-developed autonomous transport robots (STR).

Munich. The BMW Group breaks new ground in the field of logistics as it founds IDEALworks GmbH – a fully-owned subsidiary headquartered in Munich. The aim is to become a leading supplier of autonomous robotics solutions in the logistics sector. The name "IDEAL" stands for  Industry Driven Engineering for Autonomous Logistics.

“In founding IDEALworks, we are creating a new business segment for our logistics solutions. In recent years, our logistics innovation team has been working in depth on the digitalization and automatization of production logistics and has developed some unique solutions. The Smart Transport Robot, STR, in particular has met with great response and has seen demand from both within and outside of the BMW Group.  Founding IDEALworks GmbH is now the logical next step for the BMW Group as a driver of innovation,” explained Milan Nedeljković, the member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production, to mark its foundation.

“We are entering completely new terrain with IDEALworks GmbH.  Up until now, our development has focused on automotive production and its logistics,” said Jimmy Nassif, CTO IDEALworks GmbH. He continued: “Our perspective is changing now. We are becoming a provider of logistics robotics beyond the automotive industry. We are preparing some innovations for the coming months."

Since 2015, the innovations team from BMW Group Logistics has been working on future-focused industry 4.0 solutions in the fields of virtual reality, augmented reality, in- and outdoor logistics robots, paperless logistics and smart devices. Many of these solutions are already in series production at BMW Group production locations. In 2019, BMW Group Logistics received the prestigious Deutscher Logistik Preis [German Logistics Award]. The Smart Transport Robot and its management software were also recognized as part of this award.

IDEALworks GmbH launches its first product with the Smart Transport Robot

The Smart Transport Robot, STR, was developed in 2015 in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute. The flat, autonomous and mobile robots can transport goods weighing up to one ton to their destination. They independently calculate the best route and move freely around the space using the SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) navigation method. The SLAM algorithm does not require permanent navigation transmitters to be installed in buildings and can therefore be set up quickly in a new environment without requiring any structural adjustments. An integrated battery module from the BMW i3 is able to supply the STR with power for at least an entire shift. The next generation of the STR will be rolled out at the end of 2020. Currently, more than 130 STRs are already in series production at several different BMW Group production sites.

Successful pilot projects in the non-automotive sector

"With the Smart Transport Robot, we have launched a highly competitive product. From October  onwards, we have been carrying out pilot projects at companies from a wide range of industries. These trials show just how robust and versatile the STR is," explained Markus Bauer, COO IDEALworks GmbH. "The success of the pilot project and the resulting demand for the STR were decisive in founding IDEALworks GmbH. We want to develop IDEALworks into a top player among the providers of industrial logistics robots in the long term," Bauer continued.

The new company IDEALworks GmbH is located in Munich.

In its initial phase, the team consists of around 30 experts from a wide range of fields and nationalities.

Get in touch with IDEALworks here:

www.idealworks.com

Communications at IDEALworks GmbH:

hello@idealworks.com

If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Hanns Huber, Communications Production Network BMW Group

Telephone: + 49 89 382-31181

E-Mail: Hanns.HA.Huber@bmw.de

Julian Friedrich, Head of Communications Production Network BMW Group
Telephone: + 49 89 382-25885

E-Mail: Julian.Friedrich@bmw.de

Internet: www.press.bmw.de

E-Mail: 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 and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2019, the BMW Group sold over 2.5 million passenger vehicles and more than 175,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2019 was € 7.118 billion on revenues amounting to € 104.210 billion. As of 31 December 2019, the BMW Group had a workforce of 126,016 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

www.bmwgroup.com

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Munich. At BMW Group Plant Munich, everything is in place for production of the fully electric BMW i4 to begin. After six weeks of intensive conversion work, series production of vehicles has resumed, with around 5,000 associates returning to the line. “We have completed the comprehensive restructuring and conversion of the plant successfully, on schedule and without complications,” said Plant Director Robert Engelhorn. At the BMW Group’s home plant, a new era is about to begin: “Our plant can now manufacture the fully electric BMW i4 on the same line as diesel-, petrol- and hybrid-powered vehicles,” Engelhorn added.

“Outstanding planning and preparation, and perfect collaboration between the many in-house and external partners meant we were able to ready BMW Group Plant Munich for the mobility concepts of the future in the space of just six weeks,” Engelhorn reported. The entire development and conversion of the plant came at an investment of around €200 million. Approx. €700 million had already been invested between 2015 and 2018 to install a new, resource-efficient paintshop and extend the bodyshop for production of the BMW 3 Series.

In recent weeks, a particular challenge facing the team was the confined space within the production halls, which made conversion and installation work difficult. Previous systems had to be removed with very little space to spare, and new ones installed and launched. Before conversion work began, plans were made with the help of digital tools that simulated the line sections, system designs and production processes by virtual reality. “This allowed us to make the best possible use of the limited space available in our plant, and to see exactly which processes needed adjusting,” Engelhorn explained. Much of the expertise for the upgrade came from production workers themselves, who used VR goggles to obtain a clear picture of what their stage of work would look like, and offered valuable feedback on ergonomics and process optimisation.

The bodyshop at Plant Munich is a shining example of smart, efficient integration, as the majority of production processes for the BMW i4 can be carried out on existing bodyshop systems. Additional systems were required merely for the floor assembly and rear section of the BMW i4, as the electric drive and high-voltage battery mean these are quite different from conventional architectures. The approx. 550-kilogram battery pack will be fitted to the body by a new, fully automated battery assembly system, which uses camera systems to check automatically if the battery pack is positioned correctly on the line. The battery pack is also transported to the line and bolted to the body fully automatically.

A new electric overhead conveyor has also been installed for BMW i4 production, along with stronger conveyors in the vehicle finish area. “This has been the most comprehensive overhaul of assembly in the history of Plant Munich,” Robert Engelhorn pointed out.

As the number of driver assistance systems, safety equipment and connectivity features steadily increases, function-testing of the various in-car innovations and technologies during production is becoming more and more complex. To meet the ever tougher quality requirements, Plant Munich is making greater use of digitally connected production and testing systems. Complex logistics and production processes are also supported by myriad digitalisation solutions and interconnected smart systems.

During the conversion of Plant Munich over recent weeks, the focus was very much on integrating the BMW i4 into existing production systems. But systems and processes were also prepared for series production of the BMW M3, which will be manufactured on the same line as well. Established back in 1922, the BMW Group’s home plant is now set to deliver a wide-ranging product portfolio that includes not only the BMW i4 but also the combustion- and hybrid-powered BMW 3 Series Sedan and BMW 3 Series Touring, and the new BMW M3.

The tremendous flexibility of the plant and the extraordinary skills of the team are impressive.

Munich. The BMW Group is increasingly relying on innovations from the fields of digitalisation and Industry 4.0 in production logistics. This will ensure the company’s global production network continues to receive the parts it needs in a timely and reliable manner in the future. The focus is on applications such as logistics robots, autonomous transport systems at plants and digitalisation projects for an end-to-end supply chain. Staff can control logistics processes from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets and use virtual reality applications to plan future logistics. Innovations coming out of many pilot projects are being implemented worldwide in logistics at BMW Group plants.

“Logistics is the heart of our production system. Our broad spectrum of ground-breaking projects helps us run increasingly complex logistics processes efficiently and transparently,” according to Jürgen Maidl, head of Logistics for the BMW Group production network. “We are taking advantage of the wide range of available technological innovations and working closely with universities and start-ups. We are already working with tomorrow’s Industry 4.0 technologies today.”

Around 1,800 suppliers at more than 4,000 locations deliver over 31 million parts to the 30 BMW Group production sites worldwide every day. Digitalisation and innovations help the company organise logistics more flexibly and more efficiently. At the same time, almost 10,000 vehicles coming off the production line daily must be delivered to customers around the globe. Digitally connected delivery, so-called Connected Distribution, ensures that these transport routes are also more transparent.

Connected Supply Chain: Full data transparency in the supply chain

The BMW Group supply chain relies on a global supply network and close cooperation with numerous logistics service providers. The Connected Supply Chain (CSC) programme significantly increases supply chain transparency. It updates the plants’ material controllers and logistics specialists on the goods’ location and delivery time every 15 minutes. This transparency enables them to respond immediately if delays appear likely and take appropriate steps early to avoid costly extra runs.

Autonomous transport systems both inside and outside

Autonomous transport systems such as tugger trains or Smart Transport Robots are increasingly used to transport goods within production halls.

To allow tugger trains to now also be used for the sophisticated process of supplying assembly lines, as part of a pilot project, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing has developed an automation kit, which enables conventional tugger trains of any brand already on hand to be upgraded to autonomous tugger trains. The capabilities of these driverless tugger trains go beyond automation of earlier solutions.

Another future technology is also being piloted alongside autonomous tugger trains at the Dingolfing plant. A Smart Watch supports logistics staff during the container change process and announces approaching tugger trains via a vibration alarm. The employee can also read which containers should be unloaded and send the tugger train on to its next destination by tapping the display.

The BMW Group is also pioneering the use of autonomous transport systems outdoors. As part of a pilot project, the BMW Group is using an autonomous outdoor transport robot for the first time at its Leipzig plant to bring truck trailers from where they are parked to the unloading and loading bay on their own. A mobile platform drives underneath the trailer, connects it and steers it through the plant. The so-called AutoTrailer, with a payload of up to 30 tons, navigates by laser, without additional guidelines or markings, through the plant’s outdoor areas. Sensors and cameras provide a 360° all-round view, which forms the basis of the safety concept.

The huge potential of this transport system is particularly evident at the BMW Group’s largest plant in Spartanburg, where about 1,200 of these trailer-shunting manoeuvres take place every day.

Back in 2015, the BMW Group joined forces with the Fraunhofer Institute IML to develop the first self-driving Smart Transport Robots (STR) for transporting roll containers through logistics areas within production halls. The second generation is now in operation at BMW Group Plant Regensburg. The flat robots carry roll containers weighing up to one ton and transport them autonomously to where the goods need to be. They calculate the ideal route independently and move freely through space. A built-in battery module from the BMW i3 powers the STR for a whole work shift.

Loading and unloading of goods containers:
Robots take over arduous tasks and relieve staff

After delivery to the plant, the goods are transported to the assembly line in containers and parts containers of various sizes. For the tiring job of reloading containers from pallets onto conveyor belts or into storage, employees will be assisted in the future by logistics robots specially developed for this purpose. Four different types of robots, referred to as "Bots" by logistics experts, are currently being tested or have already been integrated into series production.

The lightweight robots take on different jobs: they can take full plastic boxes from the pallet in the incoming goods area and place them on a conveyor system, they do unload tugger trains and place boxes loaded with goods on a shelf, they collect various small parts from appropriate supply racks and they stack empty containers on pallets before they re-enter circulation.

Using artificial intelligence, the robots can detect and process various different containers and determine the ideal grip point.

Smart devices support logistics staff in paperless logistics

Gloves with integrated scanners and displays, data glasses and smart watches are increasingly used to support logistics employees. The transition to paperless logistics, with digitally labelled containers and shelves, opens up new areas of application for mobile devices. Glove scanners read the electronic label and indicate the exact contents of the small load carrier on a small display that can be worn on the arm.

Virtual reality and artificial intelligence

The use of virtual reality already plays an important role in planning logistics spaces. In a virtual environment, planners can quickly and efficiently lay out future logistics areas completely and assess how much space is needed, for instance. Planning is based on 3D data representing the real structures of a logistics hall. For the past several years, the BMW Group has been capturing its plants in digital form with millimetre accuracy, using special 3D scanners and high-resolution cameras. This creates a three-dimensional image of the structures, so that manual recording on site is no longer needed. When planning future logistics areas, BMW Group experts can now combine existing data with a virtual "library" of shelves, lattice boxes, small load carriers and around 50 other widely-used operating resources.

Connected Distribution:
Vehicle delivery transparency from plant to showroom
Like delivery of parts to plants, the transport of vehicles to the dealership is now also digitally and transparently traceable. The former Connected Distribution pilot project was fully integrated into series production this year. The system uses the same IT built into BMW Group vehicles to track the location of finished vehicles once they are ready to leave the plant. The vehicle transmits its current geolocation and status to the logistics centre via a mobile connection every time it is switched off.

Focus on sustainability: Natural gas, electric and future hydrogen trucks will reduce CO2 emissions

Logistics can help the BMW Group achieve its sustainability goals. The focus here is on continuous expansion of CO2-efficient modes of transport. More than 60 percent of all new vehicles now leave production plants by rail.
Nevertheless, it is still necessary to use trucks on certain in- and outbound logistics routes. To reduce emissions from these truck journeys, the BMW Group is already using natural gas and electric trucks in cooperation with logistics service providers. The aim is to reduce truck emissions by 40% by 2030 and to be completely emission-free by 2050.