BMW Group Plant Munich:
Ready for the Neue Klasse.

BMW Group Plant Munich is entering a new phase as pre-series BMW i3 vehicles roll off the production line for the first time. Digital planning, conversions during ongoing operations, system function tests, and now pre-series production of the new, fully electric model underscore the rapid progress towards the Neue Klasse. Full series production is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026. 

At BMW Group Plant Munich, a new chapter in electromobility is beginning. The foundation for producing the Neue Klasse BMW i3 is being laid, ushering in a generation of vehicles that marks a new era for the company. To bring this vision to life soon, preparations are in full swing: the new body shop and assembly halls were the first to be equipped with new plant technology, which has since passed all functional tests with flying colours. It’s a quiet yet pivotal moment, like a dress rehearsal in a theatre.

The tests – known in the industry as ‘common function tests’ – are preliminary checks designed to validate each stage of production, even though no actual vehicles are built at this point. Cycle after cycle, the systems run through all the processes as if assembling an invisible car from equally invisible components.

What may sound abstract is in fact an opportunity for production planners and plant technicians to examine every system in depth as the high-precision stress test replicates the finely orchestrated interplay between equipment, workflows and interfaces.

By the end, the team gains certainty: all the processes interlock seamlessly and perform exactly as planned.

Just before Christmas 2025, Peter Weber, Plant Director in Munich, expressed his delight at the progress that had been made. “All manufacturing technologies and equipment are ready to go,” he said, “and we are already training our employees for production of the BMW i3.”

Since then, the next step has been achieved and complete pre-series BMW i3 vehicles have now started rolling off the production line at BMW Group Plant Munich.

“Production of pre-series vehicles is an important milestone for our plant,” says Weber. “For the first time, we have built a BMW i3 entirely at our plant – using state-of-the-art manufacturing technology and digitally connected processes. With production now close to series maturity, our logistics and production processes are performing under real-world conditions across all technologies: in our modernised press shop, the new body shop, the state-of-the-art paint shop and the new assembly area, as well as the innovative logistics structures.”

Previously based at the nearby Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ), pre-series assembly relocated to Plant Munich in early 2026. Since then, the BMW Group’s home plant has been carrying out every step of pre-series BMW i3 production – material flows and process chains included. Over the next few months, the teams will use what they have learned to continue refining systems, workflows and digital interfaces so that series production can launch smoothly in the second half of 2026.

Plant Munich is applying the principles of the BMW iFACTORY in every respect.

New production areas were planned digitally first, before any buildings and systems were constructed. The body shop and assembly were also planned, simulated and tested digitally from the outset, and the press and paint shop are fully integral to the BMW Group’s virtual factory too.

The advantages of the iFACTORY approach are clear: functional tests can be performed long before any physical installation begins, and alternative layouts and workflows can also be simulated early on. As well as saving time and resources, this helps ensure a smooth production ramp-up. Digitalisation, then, is a key enabler for the secure and precise management of complex production processes from day one.

Employees benefit as well: training takes place first in virtual environments with the help of augmented reality, giving them extensive practice before they start working with real equipment and machinery. Before long, they are prepared for series production.

What looks like straightforward planning on paper is in practice a logistical feat: in just 18 months, roughly one-third of the plant’s footprint was reorganised. Old halls made way for new structures: a state-of-the-art assembly area, new logistics spaces and an entirely new body shop were built. Meanwhile, production of the BMW 3 Series and 4 Series continued, with as many as 1,000 vehicles a day rolling off the line.

Functional tests are now complete, and Plant Munich is fully prepared. With pre-series production under way, the BMW i3 is tangibly taking shape – cycle by cycle, vehicle by vehicle. For BMW Group customers, that means advanced electric cars that offer an outstanding digital user experience will be with them soon – made in a highly flexible, digitally connected plant.

All of this is a clear demonstration of the BMW Group’s commitment to advancing innovation – not just in its cars but in production as well.