Strong demand following early order opening: BMW Plant Munich launches BMW i3* series production with steep ramp-up curve – AutoMart Canada

Munich. Series production of the new BMW i3 gets
underway today at BMW Group Plant Munich. The BMW i3 has been
available for order since mid-June, with high demand leading to a
steep ramp-up curve at the plant. “The models of the Neue Klasse are
proving to be very popular. The second Neue Klasse model, the BMW i3,
is already seeing strong demand since orders opened ahead of its
launch,“ said Jochen Goller, member of the Board of Management of BMW
AG responsible for Customer, Brands, Sales.

Following four years of intensive transformation – including the
construction of a new body shop and a new assembly hall with logistics
areas – the BMW i3 sounds the starting signal for the next chapter in
the success story of BMW Group Plant Munich. “The start of production
of the BMW i3 heralds a new era for our main plant. With the
fully-electric BMW i3, we are bringing together what belongs together:
The 3 Series embodies BMW more than almost any other model – and Plant
Munich represents our brand more than almost any other production
site,” said Raymond Wittmann, member of the Board of Management of BMW
AG responsible for Production. “The unique combination of
headquarters, development and production at our main plant in Munich
is a key driving force for our global production network: Every one of
our plants benefits from the experience and knowledge gained from the
launch of the Neue Klasse in Munich.”

Further efficiency gains in Munich: manufacturing costs down
by 10%
“With the start of production of the BMW i3, we are lowering
manufacturing costs at Plant Munich by another 10%,” said Peter Weber,
head of BMW Group Plant Munich. The foundations for this have been
laid through forward planning and close cooperation with development
departments and suppliers, as well as through modern production
technology within the new structures. In addition to optimised
production processes and targeted automation and digitalisation, the
Neue Klasse’s new vehicle architecture will also deliver further efficiencies.

Plant Munich positioned for the future
Starting in 2027, Plant Munich will exclusively produce
fully-electric vehicles. Further Neue Klasse models will soon follow,
securing the plant’s future viability for the coming decades. For
Weber, it is clear that this journey will not be shaped by new systems
and technologies alone: “The future viability of our plant will be
ensured, above all, by the people who drive change and innovation with
enthusiasm. Together, we challenge ourselves every day, harnessing
digitalisation and automation, and gradually making Plant Munich even
more efficient – without compromising our high quality standards.”

Highly efficient production at historic location
Munich has been closely tied to the BMW 3 Series since 1975.
More than nine million BMW 3 Series have since rolled off the main
plant’s production line. The site has been fundamentally remodelled
for the Neue Klasse, during ongoing production of up to 1,000 vehicles
per day. Across an area covering about a third of the plant site, a
new body shop and a cutting-edge vehicle assembly, including logistics
areas, have been built. The most recent addition was the delivery
hall, which is currently still in the commissioning phase. This is
where vehicles undergo final customer inspections before being handed
over to the sales department. The result of this transformation is a
plant that is now even more efficient, flexible and digital, and
therefore optimally equipped for the requirements of electromobility
and the Neue Klasse.

A vision for all technologies: the BMW iFACTORY
The BMW iFACTORY is a vision for the production of the
future, focusing on efficiency, sustainability and digitalisation.
Within this framework, the company’s plants are implementing
site-specific solutions globally to strengthen the BMW Group’s
resilience and enhance its ability to deliver reliably worldwide at
all times. This vision has now also been realised consistently across
all technologies at BMW Group Plant Munich.

Global network, regional value creation: high-voltage
batteries and e-drives
With the newly built BMW Group Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen
(Lower Bavaria, Germany), located around 90 minutes from Munich, the
BMW Group is significantly boosting value creation across the Bavarian
region. In line with its “local for local” approach, the plant will
supply Plant Munich and other sites in Germany with sixth-generation
high-voltage batteries. In this way, the new plant in
Irlbach-Straßkirchen will make a vital contribution to the production
of models for the Neue Klasse, such as the BMW i3. The production of
high-voltage batteries combines a consistent zero-defect approach with
state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies developed at the Bavarian
pilot plants. Through continuous inline quality control, digital twins
and the systematic use of artificial intelligence, the BMW Group is
setting new standards in battery production.

The Gen6 electric motor for the BMW i3 will be produced at BMW Group
Plant Steyr in Austria, a site that has been manufacturing drive
systems for over 40 years. Now, with the first electric motor in its
portfolio, the plant is further strengthening its role as a perfect
example of technology openness. All core components for the highly
integrated e-drive – from the rotor and stator to the power converter
and transmission – will be produced on site. New production lines and
cutting-edge cleanroom environments have been established for this
purpose. The aluminium foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut supplies
the electric motor housing to Plant Steyr.

Overview of quotes

Jochen Goller, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG
responsible
for Customer, Brands, Sales:
“The models of the Neue Klasse are proving to be very
popular. The second Neue Klasse model, the BMW i3, is already seeing
strong demand since orders opened ahead of its launch.“

Raymond Wittmann, member
of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for
Production:
“The start of production of the BMW i3
heralds a new era for our main plant. With the fully-electric BMW i3,
we are bringing together what belongs together: The 3 Series embodies
BMW more than almost any other model – and Plant Munich represents our
brand more than almost any other production site. The unique
combination of headquarters, development and production at our main
plant in Munich is a key driving force for our global production
network: Every one of our plants benefits from the experience and
knowledge gained from the launch of the Neue Klasse in Munich.”

Peter
Weber, head of BMW Group Plant Munich: 
“With the
start of production of the BMW i3, we are lowering manufacturing costs
by another 10%.”

“The future viability of our plant will be ensured, above all, by the
people who drive change and innovation with enthusiasm. Together, we
challenge ourselves every day, harnessing digitalisation and
automation, and gradually making Plant Munich even more efficient –
without compromising our high quality standards.”

Questions and answers

When will the BMW i3 enter series production?
The series-production BMW i3 will start coming off the
assembly line at Plant Munich in August.

How has Plant Munich prepared for the Neue Klasse?
Plant Munich has been fundamentally remodelled during ongoing
production. Across about a third of the plant site, a new body shop
and a state-of-the-art vehicle assembly, including logistics areas,
have been built, alongside completely modernised production structures.

Is Plant Munich more efficient now than before the refurbishment?
New systems, digital processes, targeted automation and more
integrated logistics have made the plant more efficient, flexible and
transparent. The start of production of the BMW i3 is lowering
manufacturing costs at Plant Munich by a further 10%.

Key data at a glance