Update: BMW has confirmed to us that engine production has indeed ceased in Germany. “Combustion engines are no longer built in Munich, but remain in production in other plants in Austria and the UK,” a spokesperson told us.
BMW has concluded the production of internal combustion engines (ICE) at its Munich, Germany factory, signifying the end of an era. The company intends to reconfigure the facility to manufacture a lineup of electric vehicles.
The writing has been on the wall for quite some time. In fact, BMW had already announced in November 2020 that it would shift production of its eight- and twelve-cylinder engines from Munich to Hams Hall in the UK, with smaller engines being manufactured in Steyr, Austria.
According to the German outlet BR24, the last internal combustion engine (ICE) to be produced at the Munich factory was a V8 that rolled off the assembly line on November 10. The 1,200 employees at the plant will undergo retraining and be deployed in other roles or at different BMW facilities.
Interestingly, unlike most of its rivals who have set specific dates for discontinuing internal combustion engine vehicles, BMW has refrained from doing so. While many competitors have pledged to transition exclusively to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030, BMW is skeptical and doesn’t think this is achievable. As a result, it will continue to sell ICE vehicles and EV models alongside each other in many markets.
Read: BMW To Debut New Naming System With Neue Klasse Models
The Munich site has been handling the production of the electric i4 since October 2021 and will also be the home of future Neue Klasse-based EVs. BMW Blog understands that other EVs to be built in Munich will be the electric 3-Series – known as the i3 – the i3 Touring, and the second iteration of the i4. The car manufacturer has confirmed it will launch six Neue Klasse EVs between 2025 and 2027.
BMW previewed the first of its Neue Klasse models with a striking concept unveiled in early September. The platform has also been designed to support internal combustion-powered models so not even this model spells the end for ICEs at BMW. Various other BMW EVs are also being produced in Germany, albeit not in Munich. These include the iX, i5, and i7 built in Dingolfing and the iX1 and iX2 built in Regensburg. BMW is also planning to establish a large battery assembly site in the municipality of Strasskirchen.
