Series production of the new BMW i3 is now underway at BMW Group Plant Munich.
BMW said the new model has made possible further efficiency gains at the Munich plant with manufacturing costs down by 10%.
“With the start of production of the BMW i3, we are lowering manufacturing costs at Plant Munich by another 10%,” said Peter Weber, head of BMW Group Plant Munich.
BMW said the foundations for the cost cut have been laid through forward planning and close cooperation with development departments and suppliers, as well as through modern production technology within the new structures. In addition to optimised production processes and targeted automation and digitalisation, the Neue Klasse’s new vehicle architecture will also deliver further efficiencies, BMW said.
“The models of the Neue Klasse are proving to be very popular. The second Neue Klasse model, the BMW i3, is already seeing strong demand since orders opened ahead of its launch,“ said Jochen Goller, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands, Sales.
The start if i3 production follows four years of intensive transformation – including the construction of a new body shop and a new assembly hall with logistics areas.
“The start of production of the BMW i3 heralds a new era for our main plant. With the fully-electric BMW i3, we are bringing together what belongs together: The 3 Series embodies BMW more than almost any other model – and Plant Munich represents our brand more than almost any other production site,” said Raymond Wittmann, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production. “The unique combination of headquarters, development and production at our main plant in Munich is a key driving force for our global production network: Every one of our plants benefits from the experience and knowledge gained from the launch of the Neue Klasse in Munich.”
Plant Munich positioned for the future
Starting in 2027, Plant Munich will exclusively produce fully-electric vehicles. Further Neue Klasse models will soon follow, BMW said, securing the plant’s future viability for the coming decades.
Munich has been closely tied to the BMW 3 Series since 1975. More than nine million BMW 3 Series have since rolled off the main plant's production line. The site has been fundamentally remodelled for the Neue Klasse, during ongoing production of up to 1,000 vehicles per day. Across an area covering about a third of the plant site, a new body shop and a cutting-edge vehicle assembly, including logistics areas, have been built. The most recent addition was the delivery hall, which is currently still in the commissioning phase. This is where vehicles undergo final customer inspections before being handed over to the sales department. The result of this transformation is a plant that is now even more efficient, flexible and digital, and therefore optimally equipped for the requirements of electromobility and the Neue Klasse.
The Gen6 electric motor for the BMW i3 will be produced at BMW Group Plant Steyr in Austria. All core components for the highly integrated e-drive – from the rotor and stator to the power converter and transmission – will be produced on site. New production lines and cutting-edge cleanroom environments have been established for this purpose. The aluminium foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut supplies the electric motor housing to Plant Steyr.
