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After extensive testing since 2022 at its largest European factory in Dingolfing, Germany, BMW's autonomous driving technology for factories has received CE certification in Europe, indicating its safety and allowing for its commercial use. The company has been testing its new technology on BMW Series 5 and Series 7 vehicles, and now other factories within and outside Germany are being equipped to implement the AFW autonomous driving technology. This technology is part of the iFACTORY system, unveiled two years ago, aimed at digital transformation and enhancing reliance on automated technologies.
Currently, the Leipzig factory is being prepared to move 90% of BMW and MINI vehicles from the production line autonomously. This factory handles a wide range of the group's vehicles, such as the MINI Countryman and some versions of the BMW Series 1 and Series 2. Plans are also in place to transfer the technology to the factory in Regensburg, Germany, and a factory in Oxford, England, by 2025. Additionally, it will be applied in BMW's new factory in Hungary once production lines are operational.
The AFW technology enables vehicles to move autonomously for more than one kilometer, transitioning between two assembly areas, passing through a short testing area, and reaching the final production area. This technology is not dependent on the vehicle's equipment level; instead, it operates through the longest LiDAR sensor infrastructure in Europe, integrated with an external movement plan and precise data recorded in cloud architecture.
Milan Nedeljkovic, a member of the BMW Group's Board of Management for Production, stated that autonomous vehicle movement within the factory significantly enhances production and logistical efficiency. He added, "In the next ten years, we will log millions of kilometers of testing within our production network alone. With this, BMW sets a new standard for digital transformation and automated technologies in its manufacturing operations, paving the way for future autonomous driving applications." Experts are currently working to develop this technology further and prepare vehicles for longer autonomous journeys between testing areas and external transport points.
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