Images of series production BMW i3 at BMW Plant Munich

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

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

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.

Franky a BMW 328i travels was produced in 2020 in the Toluca SKD plant, the first BMW plant in Mexico. Now Franky travels from Toluca to its new home in San Luis Potosi to be restored by the apprentices of the dual program.

Franky is a model year 2000, BMW 328i (E46) vehicle, which was built at the former BMW Mexico SKD plant in Toluca. When Franky reached the final quality check ant the end of the production line, a geometrical defect was found in the lower left A pilar, likely cause by transport damage. The car was deemed unfit for customer sales and was included in the company fleet. More than 20 years an 246,000 km later, the car was transfered to Plant San Luis Potosi to be restored by its apprentices and employees. This video features the fully restored and re-sprayed car and includes comments from plant staff which were involved in its restoration.

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.

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.