At BMW Group Plant Munich, everything is in place for production of the fully electric BMW i4 to begin. After six weeks of intensive conversion work, series production of vehicles has resumed, with around 5,000 associates returning to the line. Robert Engelhorn, Plant Director, Munich said, “Our plant can now manufacture the fully electric BMW i4 on the same line as diesel-, petrol- and hybrid-powered vehicles,”
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BMW has completed the comprehensive restructuring and conversion of the plant successfully
The entire development and conversion of the plant came at an investment of around €200 million. Approx. €700 million had already been invested between 2015 and 2018 to install a new, resource-efficient paintshop and extend the bodyshop for production of the BMW 3 Series. In recent weeks, a particular challenge facing the team was the confined space within the production halls, which made conversion and installation work difficult. Previous systems had to be removed with very little space to spare, and new ones installed and launched. Before the conversion work began, plans were made with the help of digital tools that simulated the line sections, system designs and production processes by virtual reality.
Additional systems were required merely for the floor assembly and rear section of the BMW i4, as the electric drive and high-voltage battery mean these are quite different from conventional architectures. The approximately 550 kg battery pack will be fitted to the body by a new, fully automated battery assembly system, which uses camera systems to check automatically if the battery pack is positioned correctly on the line. The battery pack is also transported to the line and bolted to the body fully automatically.
A new electric overhead conveyor has also been installed for BMW i4 production, along with stronger conveyors in the vehicle finish area. As the number of driver assistance systems, safety equipment and connectivity features steadily increases, function-testing of the various in-car innovations and technologies during production is becoming more and more complex. To meet the ever tougher quality requirements, Plant Munich is making greater use of digitally connected production and testing systems. Complex logistics and production processes are also supported by myriad digitalisation solutions and interconnected smart systems.
BMW's Munich plant is ready to start assembling of the new i4 electric sedan
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Established back in 1922, the BMW Group's home plant is now set to deliver a wide-ranging product portfolio that includes not only the BMW i4 but also the combustion- and hybrid-powered BMW 3 Series Sedan and BMW 3 Series Touring, and the new BMW M3.
