One million vehicles moved without drivers: BMW Group successfully scales automated driving in production

BMW Group has completed one million automated vehicle movements across its plants using the Automated Driving In-Plant (AFW) system, demonstrating the technology’s industrial maturity. The rollout spans four sites—Dingolfing, Leipzig, Regensburg and MINI Plant Oxford—with Oxford alone recording over 53,000 automated movements in the past year. AFW integrates external sensors, cloud architecture and motion planning software to enable real-time navigation, responding dynamically to people, vehicles and obstacles in production areas.

The technology’s offboard sensor infrastructure, including LiDAR systems, allows vehicles to move without drivers regardless of individual equipment specifications. At BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, the largest LiDAR infrastructure in Europe supports automated manoeuvres and provides data for broader deployment. AFW is CE-certified for safe use in production environments, enabling efficient process flows and scalable expansion across the network.

MINI Plant Oxford has connected AFW directly with existing control systems, enabling automated vehicle positioning next to lifting devices for specific operations. This integration, supported by a cloud-based solution, marks a step toward deeper automation in the production environment. The plant’s century-long industrial history now combines state-of-the-art software and sensors with legacy infrastructure.

BMW Group plans to expand AFW globally, with BMW Group Plant Spartanburg next in line for implementation within the next year. The technology, developed with Embotech and supported by BMW i Ventures, exemplifies the transition from pilot projects to large-scale industrial production under the BMW iFACTORY vision.