BMW has reached a revolutionary milestone: its latest vehicles are now leaving the factory fully ready for automated driving. Directly from production, these cars are equipped with the latest autonomous driving technology, enabling seamless functionality for hands-free operation in specific conditions.
This development underscores BMW’s commitment to delivering innovative solutions and shaping the future of mobility. By integrating automated driving systems during production, BMW ensures that each vehicle meets the highest standards of safety, precision and reliability. These autonomous capabilities represent a significant step forward in the automotive industry, making the dream of self-driving cars a reality for BMW drivers.
The BMW Group is making great strides in revolutionizing its manufacturing processes through digitization and automation within its BMW iFACTORY framework. A key part of this transformation is the Automated Driving In-Plant technology, which has been under development since 2022 at the company’s largest European production facility in Dingolfing.
After successfully obtaining the CE certificate, this innovative system is now fully operational. This state-of-the-art technology is also being introduced at BMW’s Leipzig plant, with plans to expand its application to additional facilities across the production network.
The Dingolfing plant uses this system for models such as the BMW 5 and 7 Series, while Leipzig adapts it for vehicles such as the MINI Countryman and certain BMW models. In Dingolfing, vehicles drive completely autonomously on a route longer than one kilometer. This journey begins in the assembly halls and extends through the testing area before reaching the end. The system relies on sophisticated sensor tuning. It also integrates a cloud-based architecture for seamless coordination, regardless of vehicle equipment features. Swiss start-up Embotech AG played a key role in the development of this technology, collaborating with BMW through its customer program.
Leipzig aims to automate driving for 90 percent of its models, with the Regensburg and Oxford facilities expected to follow suit in 2025. BMW’s new plant in Debrecen, Hungary, will incorporate the technology from the start of operations.
BMW plans to expand the system for use in testing areas and open areas. Engineers are further refining the technology, integrating more functions to complement external sensors. With this advancement, BMW is setting the stage for a more efficient and intelligent manufacturing future.
Prepared by: Ivan Mitić – Autoblog.rs
Source: autoblog.rs
