More than one million cars have now travelled through BMW production plants without the need for a driver.
Four BMW factories across the globe now make use of Automated Driving In-Plant (AFW) technology. This allows completed vehicles to be guided through these sites without needing a human driver.
Mini Plant Oxford is the latest factory to introduce AFW capabilities, which means finished cars can navigate autonomously around its historic production halls.
Some 53,000 automated journeys have taken place at Mini Plant Oxford during the past year, helping BMW reach its milestone of one million vehicle movements.
AFW was first introduced as a pilot project for BMW’s Dingolfing factory in Germany in 2022.
Laser-focused on autonomous movements
Developed via a collaboration between BMW Group and Swiss company Embotech, the AFW technology uses a combination of in-car systems and external control elements.
In particular, LiDAR laser detecting and ranging sensors are used to monitor the movement of each vehicle, helping guide them through the tight confines of a production facility.
BMW Plant Dingolfing is now home to the largest single LiDAR infrastructure in Europe, such is the scale of AFW’s operation.
The external sensors mean AFW can do more than simply have a vehicle follow a pre-programmed route. Instead, they can react to the presence of people, other automated cars, logistics vehicles and temporary obstructions.
Along with Mini Plant Oxford and BMW Plant Dingolfing, AFW technology has also been installed at BMW Group facilities in Leipzig and Regensburg.
Around 3,500 autonomous vehicle movements now take place every day across various BMW factories, with further uses planned for the driverless technology in future.
Driving efficiency, without a driver
Raymond Wittmann, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for production, commented: “One million vehicles moved using automated driving technology and the deployment of this technology at four sites to date demonstrates the innovative strength and scaling capabilities of our production network.
“We recognised the potential of Automated Driving In-Plant early, tested it in a pilot phase and systematically developed it to series maturity. We are now rolling out this technology worldwide.
“Automated Driving In-Plant is a prime example of how we are translating the vision of the BMW iFactory into industrial practice and driving the efficiency, digitalisation and intelligent connectivity across our production.”
BMW plans to continue the rollout of its AFW technology, with Plant Spartanburg in the United States due to go autonomous in 2027.
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