The first series-produced vehicles of the new BMW 7 Series rolled off the assembly lines at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing today. The new top-of-the-line BMW was introduced not only with highly efficient combustion engines but also as the electric BMW i7.
According to the auto giant, the firm has spent more than €300 million preparing the Dingolfing car facility for the production of the new BMW 7 Series. As it works to constantly apply the BMW vision of future production, its largest European factory is being turned into a BMW factory using the ‘Lean. Green. Digital.’ strategy.
For the first time, the Company is testing autonomous movements within the production environment using newly manufactured BMW 7 Series automobiles, thereby optimizing assembly and outbound logistics operations.
The new BMW 7 Series is currently in production, and once sales organizations have received the necessary show and demonstration vehicles, it will be available to customers globally in the autumn of this year. The BMW i7, in particular, represents the next stage in the BMW Group’s electromobility drive for the luxury market, which Dingolfing has come to represent.
About The New BMW 7 Series
The new BMW 7 Series is assembled on the same line as the BMW 5 Series, 8 Series, and the fully electric BMW iX.
Christoph Schröder, the plant director explained that the new BMW 7 Series is 100 percent exchange flexibility between different types of drive. Therefore, the vehicle is manufactured completely in line with demand for the various drives and use capacity.
The BMW 7 Series incorporates many technological modules from the BMW iX, not only for individual features such as onboard network architecture, user interface, and driver assistance systems but also for production and validation processes in assembly, which the BMW iX pioneered.
The revised aggregate fitting station, sling loop assembly, test rigs for driver assistance systems, and the new finish process, which is now even more efficient from the first ignition to the vehicle dispatch area, are just a few examples. According to the company, the BMW iX is currently one of its most successful vehicles.
Additionally, the new 7 Series is manufactured in BMW Group facilities and distribution centers using a digital breakthrough with significant potential for assembly and outbound logistics: automated driving in-plant (‘automatisiertes Fahren in Werk’, AFW).
The AFW initiative, which will be launched in Dingolfing beginning in July as part of the digitization agenda, will see the newly made BMW 7 Series drive automatically along a 170-meter route from the first ignition and initial testing location in assembly to the plant’s finish area. The same procedure will be utilized to transport automobiles from the finish line to the dispatch location, said the firm.
Speaking about the new BMW 7 Series, Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG Board Member said the BMW i7 is the latest milestone on the company’s journey.
In his words: “Our new BMW 7 Series is the first luxury sedan in the world to offer customers a choice between three types of drive. Whether fully electric, combustion-powered or, soon, plug-in hybrid, we have the flexible production structures and outstanding integration skills we need to manufacture such a diverse range of drives efficiently.”
