- In a pivotal moment for BMW Group, its historic Munich plant, which has been in operation for 104 years, will only produce fully-electric models from next year.
- Series production of the BMW i3, the second model in the Neue Klasse range, will get underway at the facility in August.
- Significant work has been undertaken to the factory site to support the demands of BMW’s all-electric ‘Neue Klasse’ platform.
After over 100 years of production, BMW’s Munich plant will switch to only producing EVs
BMW Group has invested around €650 million in the journey to transform the Munich plant into a fully electric production site. With the start of BMW i3 production later this year, it aims to cut overall production costs at the Munich plant by a further 10 per cent, bringing them below the costs of vehicles previously produced at the plant.
The factory itself has been rebuilt around the demands of the Neue Klasse platform, including a new body shop and vehicle assembly line, as well as new logistics areas.
Batteries for the i3 set to be produced at the plant will also be sourced locally, from a new high-voltage battery production facility in Irlbach-Straßkirchen, just 90 minutes away from the Munich plant.
BMW Munich Plant manager, Peter Weber, commented:
“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.”
