BMW Munich Plant Prepares for New i3 Production

BMW Group Plant Munich has completed key functional checks of its manufacturing equipment ahead of production of the new BMW i3. The automaker confirmed that equipment installed in the new body shop and assembly line has successfully undergone dry-run testing, marking an important step in the plant’s transformation.

ArrayThe functional checks involved running every stage of the production process without vehicle parts. Production planners and plant technicians tested machinery cycle by cycle to ensure systems operate seamlessly before series production begins.

BMW will shift assembly of the i3 from its Research and Innovation Centre to Plant Munich in January, with series production scheduled to start in summer 2026. The move brings future electric vehicle manufacturing into the heart of BMW’s historic Munich facility.

The new body shop and assembly line were digitally planned and constructed using BMW Group’s Virtual Factory approach. Existing press shop and paint shop facilities were also integrated into the digital model, allowing engineers to validate production processes virtually before physical installation and testing.

Over the past 18 months, BMW has remodelled around one-third of the Munich plant site as part of this upgrade. Older halls were dismantled and replaced with a new assembly hall, logistics centre, and body shop. Notably, the redevelopment was carried out while the plant continued to build up to 1,000 BMW 3 Series and 4 Series vehicles per day.

Once fully operational, the upgraded Plant Munich will play a central role in BMW’s next phase of electric mobility, with the new i3 set to become one of its flagship locally produced EVs.