The light metal casting department provides the housing for the future electric drive motor and also developed the globally unique Injector Casting Process.
Preparations to launch the all-new BMW iNEXT are progressing at full swing. The company intends to start production of this new model in 2021 at its Dingolfing plant.
The other German plant, in Landshut, has started production of the first high-tech components for the iNEXT, which is envisioned as the first hardware-ready for autonomous driving. The Lower Bavarian BMW Group Landshut plant again assumes its role as an innovation driver for the automotive future: With a number of important high-tech components, it will give the BMW iNEXT, which starts rolling off the assembly line in Dingolfing from 2021, a face. The innovative kidney grille – the ‘eye’ – for the BMW iNEXT will be produced there.
The BMW iNext is set to become the new technological flagship of the Bavarian car maker
The technologically complex kidney grille is vital for highly-automated driving. It allows the integration of camera technology, radar functions and further sensors required for highly developed driver assistance systems into the front end of the vehicle. The BMW Group Landshut is investing a total of over 50 million euros in innovative components for the BMW iNEXT and further future vehicle models.
Apart from the grille, the Landshut plant will also produce further innovative components for the cockpit and the electric drive system for the iNEXT, but also structural components made from carbon fibre compound materials such as CFRP, for example. The light metal casting department provides the housing for the future electric drive motor and also developed the globally unique Injector Casting Process (ICA), whereby the electric drive system for the BMW iNEXT does without rare earths.
The BMW Group plant Landshut
The BMW Group Plant Landshut is one of 31 BMW Group production locations in 14 countries. At the Lower Bavarian component location, around 4 000 employees produce light metal cast components for engine, suspension and body, plastic components for the vehicle exterior, carbon body components, cockpit and equipment options, electric drive systems, special motors and drive shafts. These components are delivered to all BMW Group vehicle and engine plants worldwide. Therefore, some of the innovative power from Landshut is to be found in every BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce.
The BMW Group Plant Landshut is one of 31 BMW Group production locations in 14 countries. At the Lower Bavarian component location, around 4 000 employees produce light metal cast components for engine, suspension and body, plastic components for the vehicle exterior, carbon body components, cockpit and equipment options, electric drive systems, special motors and drive shafts
As the competence centre for the future technologies lightweight construction and electric mobility, the Landshut plant is not only merely involved at an early stage in development processes for the production of new vehicles. At the Lower Bavarian location, components for the ground breaking
BMW i models or the flagship of the BMW brand, the BMW 7 Series, are also produced. Moreover, the BMW Group’s Lightweight Construction and Technology Center (LuTZ) is based in Landshut. There, specialists from the most diverse faculties jointly conduct research on innovative high-tech-materials as well as on tailor-made mixed construction concepts and production processes for the mobility of tomorrow.
The BMW iNext is set to become the new technological flagship of the Bavarian car maker.
