The BMW Group is industrialising its Virtual Factory, with production planners continuously scaling applications in the digital twins of over 30 production sites to accelerate production planning worldwide. What once required several weeks of real-world modifications and testing can now be precisely simulated in the BMW Group's Virtual Factory.

For every launch, it is essential to verify that the new product fits on the production line and does not collide with its surroundings at any point. In the BMW Group's Virtual Factory, the collision check is digital, automated and fast, using construction data combined with 3D scans. The movement and rotation of a vehicle through the production lines are precisely simulated, allowing the system to automatically check for possible collisions. What now takes just three days to simulate virtually previously required almost four weeks of real testing.

BMW AEON Robot at Plant Leipzig, Operation areas Battery Assembly and Componet Manufacturing.

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.

The film showcases the rapid transformation of the automotive industry and poses the question: How fast will the transition to electromobility progress? It first highlights the increasing demand for electric vehicles, accompanied by dynamic production imagery. The growing BEV share in the production network is illustrated through key milestones. The film emphasises production flexibility, demonstrating BMW's ability to adapt quickly to market developments with its ICE, hybrid, and BEV plants. The global expansion of electromobility is highlighted by the establishment of new fully electric production sites in Debrecen (2025) and Munich (2027). The film concludes with BMW Group's vision: "We don't predict the future - we build it." The future of electromobility is not just anticipated - it is actively shaped.

The new Aeroacoustic and E-Engine Center (AEZ) starts operations at the BMW Group's Research and Innovation Center (FIZ). The building consists of two halves: In addition to a multifunctional part with workshop, testing and measurement equipment as well as a prototype for high-voltage batteries and inverters, the AEZ is home to a technically unique wind tunnel. With a length of almost 100 m, a height of 45 m and a width of 25 m, it is the world's largest vertical acoustic wind tunnel and at the same time the quietest.

The edit film shows a dynamic cut of 1:25 minutes of the most important production steps in the production of MINI Countryman at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig in the order of the production process: Press Shop, Body Shop, Conveyor Belts in the Foyer, Paint Shop, Assembly, Testing and Finish Area, Exterior Plastic Components.

Comprehensive and automated quality control takes place in the paint shop at the BMW Group plant in Regensburg. First, the painted surfaces of the bodies-in-white are checked fully automatically using AI methods. In the subsequent surface treatment, the identified features are also processed fully automatically. If necessary, plant employees also check the bodies-in-white to ensure perfect surface quality for all vehicles from the BMW Group plant in Regensburg.

Comprehensive and automated quality control takes place in the paint shop at the BMW Group plant in Regensburg. First, the painted surfaces of the bodies-in-white are checked fully automatically using AI methods. In the subsequent surface treatment, the identified features are also processed fully automatically. If necessary, plant employees also check the bodies-in-white to ensure perfect surface quality for all vehicles from the BMW Group plant in Regensburg.