Munich. A new era is dawning for BMW Group Plant
Munich: from 2026, the iconic parent plant will produce the Neue
Klasse sedan. Just one year later, the factory will manufacture
nothing but all-electric models, making the Munich plant the first
location in the BMW Groupโs existing production network to have
successfully completed the transformation to E-mobility from the end
of 2027.
โThe Munich plant is an excellent example of our ability to adapt. We
are investing โฌ 650 million here and will produce exclusively
all-electric vehicles in our parent plant from the end of 2027,โ says
Milan Nedeljkoviฤ, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG,
Production. โLast year alone, six all-electric models went into
production. At the same time, we also set a production record, proving
that we are simultaneously able to both deliver and shape the future
in our production network.โ
Peter Weber, Director BMW Group Plant Munich, adds: โMunich is the
beating heart of BMW. The plant in Munich is innovative and adaptable.
As in the 1960s, a Neue Klasse is again laying the foundation, on
which our plant is reinventing itself. The fact that this
comprehensive transformation is taking place at the same time as
roughly 1,000 vehicles per day are currently being manufactured is
common practice in Munich and is possible thanks to the outstanding
performance of all our employees. We are delighted to be guiding the
Munich plant into a fully-electric future โ starting with the Neue
Klasse sedan.โ
Smooth transition to electromobility, as the era of combustion
automobiles from Munich ends in 2027
BMW Group Plant Munich is a prime example of the fluent transition to
the era of electromobility. In 2015, the first plug-in hybrid models
from the BMW 3 Series were manufactured on the same production line as
combustion vehicles. In 2021, the BMW i4 became the first all-electric
vehicle to be produced on the same production line. Nowadays, every
second vehicle that rolls off the production line has an all-electric
drive system.
From 2026, production of the Neue Klasse in the Munich plant will
initially run parallel to production of current models. A good year
later, from the end of 2027, the BMW Groupโs parent plant will be the
first existing site in the global production network to manufacture
exclusively all-electric vehicles, having been transformed
accordingly. As such, the era of vehicles with combustion engines in
Munich will draw to a close 75 years after the launch of the BMW 501
in 1952.
After the start in the new plant in Debrecen, Hungary, and in Munich,
the Neue Klasse vehicles will also be produced in Shenyang, China, and
San Luis Potosรญ in Mexico.
Extensive modifications offer long-term security for location
Over the course of a history stretching back more than 100 years, BMW
Group Plant Munich has undergone many changes and repeatedly
reinvented itself. Together with the conversion from manufacturing
aircraft engines to automobile construction, the successful
introduction of the Neue Klasse in the 1960s is a milestone in the
list of changes throughout the companyโs history.
At the moment, multiple large construction sites are evidence of the
turnaround, as they pave the way for the arrival of the Neue Klasse
from 2026. The โฌ 650 million of investment comprises four buildings,
including a new vehicle assembly line with logistics areas and a new
body shop.
In order to create the space within the limited floor space at the
plant in the heart of Munich, the traditional engine manufacturing has
been moved to Hams-Hall in Great Britain and Steyr in Austria after
roughly 70 years at the parent plant. 1,200 employees have been
trained for different production strategies in Munich or have taken up
employment at other locations in the production network.
As in the 1960s and all other changes since, the current
transformation of BMW Group Plant Munich is taking place whilst
production is still ongoing. Regardless of the construction work,
roughly 1,000 cars roll off the production line every day, including
BMW 3 Series and the BMW i4 โ all on the same assembly line.
The extensive reorientation of the plant secures a long-term future
for the site in Munich, and is also a significant investment in
Bavaria as an industrial location.
Digitalisation at the Munich plant in accordance with the
principles of BMWย iFACTORY
The principles of BMW iFACTORY guarantee the utmost flexibility,
excellent processes and outstanding integrability at all sites within
the BMW Group โ from the completely new plant in Debrecen to the
parent plant in Munich, which is over 100 years old and at which the
transformation is in full swing. BMW iFACTORY is synonymous with the
superb production expertise throughout the entire production network.
One important aspect is a comprehensive digitalisation with a holistic
approach to the interaction between people, processes and systems. It
optimises processes and supports employees with their work. The
implementation takes place in three areas: data science, artificial
intelligence (AI) and virtualisation.
