An AI brain and 2000 robots: BMW's €650m Munich transformation

BMW calls this its 'iFactory' and the concept will be rolled out to all BMW plants in the future, said Nedeljković, although a timeframe has not yet been set.

“The iFactory is a masterplan for our production of the future,” said Nedeljković at the opening of the site, which will build EVs exclusively from the end of 2027.

“It is built on four strategic fields: efficiency, sustainability, digitalisation and people. And these form the basis for our competitiveness,” he added.

Another key aspect of the iFactory is its flexibility, because it is designed to produce multiple variants that use the same platform on the same line. Indeed, if major changes are needed – such as to pivot to a completely different model – teams are able to change sequences and specifications of the lines in six days, something BMW says normally takes weeks or even months.

Such flexibility is vital in an age of constantly changing legislation and buyer preferences, especially around EVs, said Nedeljković. He also described this as “unique” in the automotive industry, adding that “it forms the basis of our core principle: production follows the market”.

He added: “We are able to flexibly allocate volume to follow market demands."

AI is used on the production lines too, where 2000 robotic arms piece together and paint the i3s. Here, BMW also uses the technology to pick out defects and then repair them. For example, one robot arm will note a flaw (by taking and assessing hundreds of pictures) and another will fix it, usually by buffing or welding. This leads to fewer issues being found at the end of production. 

“We get a higher-quality car to the next stage,” said tech project lead Christian Hecht. “This is better for our time and better for the overall quality of the car.”

Plant director Peter Weber said the introduction of the new robots and AI systems would not affect jobs at the factory and would instead aid employees in their roles while helping to create better vehicles. For example, the fitting of doors, interiors and wiring will continue to be done by human workers, albeit with the help of machines.