BMW is discontinuing the production of gasoline and diesel engines at the main Munich plant and instead is building a vehicle assembly facility for electric cars. It should 2026 go into operation and cost 400 million euros. The affected 400 employees in engine construction would be offered other jobs at BMW in Munich or other Bavarian locations.

By the end of 2022 each of the German plants should produce at least one battery-electric vehicle BMW announced. Works council chief Manfred Schoch said: “This decision is a model for a successful transformation in German industry.” The construction of a new assembly line in the almost 100 year-old BMW parent company shows “that transformation, if it is tackled strategically and courageously, industrial jobs too in the midst of a big city can secure and expand “.

Motorenbau withdraws to Steyr and Hams Hall The so far in Munich Internal combustion engines with four, six, eight and twelve cylinders are to be built in the future in the engine works in Steyr in Austria and Hams Hall in England. The relocation will take place gradually by 2024 at the latest. Today, Steyr and Hams Hall are working to the limit and would continue to be busy with the ramp-up of e-mobility.

A new vehicle assembly facility is being set up on the vacated site of the engine plant, BMW platform that is heavily geared towards e-drives is designed. This platform will be launched in the middle of the 20 at the planned BMW plant in Debrecen in Hungary and will then be taken over by all other plants.

Redistribution of the models From the end 2021 Production of the battery-electric models BMW i4 and BMW iX is to begin in Munich and Dingolfing, respectively, and production of the battery-electric variants of the 7 and 5 series is about to begin in Dingolfing. 2022 is to start production of the X1 with a combustion engine at the Regensburg plant, which is also offered with a battery-electric drive. In Leipzig 2023 the Mini Countryman with combustion and electric drive is to follow.

Despite Brexit, the BMW board sees the Mini – Plant in Oxford safe. In China, BMW will complete the E-Mini factory with its partner Great Wall 2022, and local production of the X5 is being planned. The new Asia-Pacific Customs Union will certainly lead to changes in production.

(fpi)