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.

Explanatory video of the round cell production (pilot line) in the CMCC in Parsdorf

The brand new and all-electric BMW iX1 is produced exclusively in the BMW Group plant Regensburg. Regensburg is not only home to the car production, the high voltage battery production for the iX1 is situated in Regensburg as well. This has huge advantages for sustainability due to short logistics distances.

Automated driving in the plant.

In the conventional procedure, paint is atomised by a rotating bell with 35 to 55,000 revolutions per minute and adheres electrostatically to the body. The new method works without electrostatics, relying instead on jet application. The paint is applied using an orifice plate that enables high edge definition with a variable paint thickness of between 1 and 48 millimetres. This requires maximum precision from both the robot and application technology.

In the conventional procedure, paint is atomised by a rotating bell with 35 to 55,000 revolutions per minute and adheres electrostatically to the body. The new method works without electrostatics, relying instead on jet application. The paint is applied using an orifice plate that enables high edge definition with a variable paint thickness of between 1 and 48 millimetres. This requires maximum precision from both the robot and application technology.