Photo: BMW
As deadlines for the launch of a new range of electric vehicles inches closer, BMW is speeding up its efforts to align the manufacturing capabilities of its plants to the new requirements.
In Europe, one of the carmaker’s most important production hubs is the one in Dingolfing, Germany. With an output of 330,000 vehicles last year (9 percent of which plug-in hybrids), the facility is the place where the iNext will be manufactured from 2021.
To support the addition of the new model to the production lines – it will join the existing plug-in hybrid models from the 5 and 7 Series – BMW announced this week it will hire over the next few years some 2,000 new personnel.
“The BMW iNEXT brings together all key automotive technologies: it is fully electric, fully connected and highly automated,” said when making the announcement Ilka Horstmeier, the plant’s newly appointed director.
“It is the technology flagship for the future of the entire BMW Group. And we are proud that this car of the future will be built here at our plant.”
The model will be the first electric Bimmer in the new lineup to roll off the lines in Dingolfing. No details about the car’s capabilities are yet known.
iNext in prototype form is currently undergoing winter testing in the Arjeplog region in Sweden. Engineers are looking into how the car’s various systems - the electric motor, the high-voltage battery, and the cooling systems – perform in sub-zero temperatures.
How the car will look remains a mystery as well, despite BMW making public a few photos of the prototypes on location at the polar circle, and despite the reveal of the Vision iNext concept last year.
What is known is that the car is an SUV, meaning it is built on a long wheelbase to provide plenty of interior room.
To support the addition of the new model to the production lines – it will join the existing plug-in hybrid models from the 5 and 7 Series – BMW announced this week it will hire over the next few years some 2,000 new personnel.
“The BMW iNEXT brings together all key automotive technologies: it is fully electric, fully connected and highly automated,” said when making the announcement Ilka Horstmeier, the plant’s newly appointed director.
“It is the technology flagship for the future of the entire BMW Group. And we are proud that this car of the future will be built here at our plant.”
The model will be the first electric Bimmer in the new lineup to roll off the lines in Dingolfing. No details about the car’s capabilities are yet known.
iNext in prototype form is currently undergoing winter testing in the Arjeplog region in Sweden. Engineers are looking into how the car’s various systems - the electric motor, the high-voltage battery, and the cooling systems – perform in sub-zero temperatures.
How the car will look remains a mystery as well, despite BMW making public a few photos of the prototypes on location at the polar circle, and despite the reveal of the Vision iNext concept last year.
What is known is that the car is an SUV, meaning it is built on a long wheelbase to provide plenty of interior room.
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