The Neue Klasse sedan is coming! Starting in 2026 the all-new all-electric sedan will be built at BMW’s Munich plant. By the close of 2027, the Munich plant will be the first of many ICE-production dominoes to fall, fully completing the transformation to E-mobility and marking a 75-year run of gas-powered vehicles.
Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG Milan Nedeljković says, “The Munich plant is an excellent example of our ability to adapt. We are investing € 650 million here and will produce exclusively all-electric vehicles in our parent plant from the end of 2027. BMW has experience outfitting their plants to produce electric models, as six went into production in 2023 alone. Nedeljković says that this shows they are “simultaneously able to both deliver and shape the future in our production network.”
Quality check by fully-automated in-line measuring cell of the all-new BMW 3 series, BMW Group Plant Munich.
Director BMW Group Plant Munich Peter Weber adds, “As in the 1960s, a Neue Klasse is again laying the foundation, on which our plant is reinventing itself. The fact that this comprehensive transformation is taking place at the same time as roughly 1,000 vehicles per day are currently being manufactured is common practice in Munich and is possible thanks to the outstanding performance of all our employees. We are delighted to be guiding the Munich plant into a fully-electric future—starting with the Neue Klasse sedan.”
Goodbye, old friend.
The nearly $712 million investment will go towards four new buildings, including a new vehicle assembly line with logistics areas and a new body shop. BMW says, “In order to create the space within the limited floor space at the plant in the heart of Munich, the traditional engine manufacturing has been moved to Hams-Hall in Great Britain and Steyr in Austria after roughly 70 years at the parent plant. 1,200 employees have been trained for different production strategies in Munich or have taken up employment at other locations in the production network.”
As the end of 2027 is less than four years away, things are certainly moving quickly. In addition to the Munich plant reinventing itself, so is the brand as a whole. In the last year we’ve seen more hybrid powertrains introduced, record M cars being sold, and large shifts in design. The coming years are going to be a fun ride for both BMW and its fans.—Mike Bevels
[Photos courtesy of BMW.]