Few things talk more to a legacy OEM’s commitment to e-mobility than a decision to move solely to BEVs in their flagship plants. So the decision by Germany’s BMW to phase out ICE vehicles at its home Munich plant by the end of 2027 is a momentous one.
From 2026, BMW Group Plant Munich will produce the Neue Klasse sedan. A year later, it will become the first location in BMW’s existing production network to full complete the transformation to e-mobility.
More of this direct to your inbox?
Get our free weekly newsletter, plus premium data and content
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
“Munich is the beating heart of BMW,” says the plant’s director Peter Weber, emphasising his facility’s position within the firm’s mythology. And he stresses its history even as he looks to its future.
“The plant in Munich is innovative and adaptable. As in the 1960s, a Neue Klasse is again laying the foundation, on which our plant is reinventing itself. We are delighted to be guiding the Munich plant into a fully electric future,” Weber continues.
“The Munich plant is an excellent example of our ability to adapt,” agrees Milan Nedeljkovic, member of BMW’s management board responsible for production. “Last year alone, six all-electric models went into production.
“At the same time, we also set a production record, proving that we are simultaneously able to both deliver and shape the future in our production network,” Nedeljkovic continues.
BMW describes “the era of vehicles with combustion engines in Munich… draw[ing] to a close 75 years after the launch of the BMW 501 in 1952”. ICE manufacturing has been moved to Hams Hall in the UK and Steyr in Austria “after roughly 70 years at the parent plant”, the firm says, again emphasising Munich’s history.
A €650mn ($712mn) investment will see four new buildings constructed at the Munich site, including a new vehicle assembly line with logistics areas and a new body shop.
As well as in Munich, Neue Klasse vehicles will also be produced in a new BMW plant in Debrecen, Hungary, and in Shenyang, China, and San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
Peter boasts 20+ years’ experience in energy/commodity journalism & analysis.
He is convinced the next few decades will be all about energy transition. Insider Focus is a front-row seat for the ride.
