BMW Group Plant Munich to build i3 from August 2026

BMW Group Plant Munich will begin series production of the BMW i3, the second model in the Neue Klasse range, in August 2026, marking the start of a global rollout of the platform across the BMW Group’s production network. The plant has invested around €650m (US$747m) in its transformation and will exclusively produce all-electric vehicles from 2027.

Production costs at the Munich site are expected to fall by 10% with the i3 launch, dropping below the level of the current vehicle generation. Peter Weber, Head of BMW Group Plant Munich, attributed the savings to the new Neue Klasse vehicle architecture, targeted automation and revised production processes.

The modernised facility features a new body shop with 800 industrial robots and an automation rate of approximately 98%. Around 70% of the 2.5 million parts moved through the plant daily will be delivered directly to assembly workstations, reducing internal transport distances and accelerating supply to production lines.

Sixth-generation high-voltage batteries will be supplied by BMW Group’s new plant in Irlbach-Straßkirchen, Lower Bavaria, while the sixth-generation electric motor is produced at BMW Group Plant Steyr in Austria. Additional Neue Klasse models, including the BMW i3 Touring, are planned for Munich.

In a statement, Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Production, said: “We have been making rigorous preparations. With the BMW iFACTORY we have devised a consistent, strategic framework for our production. We have invested heavily in technologies, digitalisation and AI.”

Source: BMW Group