Inside BMW’s High-Tech EV Manufacturing Site in Munich

The second model of BMW’s Neue Klasse range, the BMW i3 will start production at BMW’s Plant Munich site in August of 2026, which has been updated in line with the company’s iFACTORY framework that focuses on efficiency, sustainability and digitalisation. 

BMW’s Neue Klasse models are an updated range of EVs for the electric era. As of 2027, the Munich plant will exclusively produce EVs.

Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Production and BMW's incoming CEO, says: “We have been making rigorous preparations. With the BMW iFACTORY we have devised a consistent, strategic framework for our production.”

Reinventing the factory for EVs

The facility has undergone a fundamental process of redevelopment for the Neue Klasse range, with production of up to 1,000 vehicles a day continuing during this period. BMW is investing roughly EUR€650m (US$760m) in transforming the site for EV production. 

Milan adds: “We have paved the way for the upcoming start-ups in all our plants and have invested heavily in technologies, digitalisation and AI.”

BMW says that a new body shop and a “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. 

It adds that extensive updates have also been made to existing technologies, with the company focused on implementing AI assisted systems. 

Peter Weber, BMW's Plant Manager of the Munich site, says: “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.”

The BMW i3

The first car BMW are making at the updated factory is the new BMW i3, a sports saloon which is the second in BMW’s Neue Classe range following the iX3. 

The car is equipped with bidirectional charging capabilities, meaning users can send excess energy back to the grid or use it as an energy hub for example to power appliances. 

With an 800-volt battery and two electric motors, the vehicle has 345 kW of power. With a 562 mile range, it is a highly competitive EV for range on a single charge.

Robots and AI in BMW’s manufacturing

In Plant Munich’s body shop a total of 800 new industrial robots have been set up to take care of the joining process, with BMW claiming an automation rate of roughly 98%. The systems were planned and realised using virtual twins. 

The company has set up automated surface inspection which uses cameras and AI to assist with quality control in the paint shop and body shop, as well as a variety of other technological features in its manufacturing process. 

Peter adds: “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.”