Market trends and business perspectives
BMW has been showing off the sporty version of its electric and autonomous concept car, which it calls Vision M NEXT (main picture).
The BMW Vision M NEXT was one of the highlights at the #NEXTGen Event held at BMW Welt in Munich.
Visitors to the IAA Cars 2019 show were also treated to a glimpse into the electrified future of the BMW M brand (pictured below). [Read more…] about BMW shows off sporty version of electric and autonomous concept car
by Sam Francis
BMW has unveiled what the automaker describes as “the world’s blackest of black” cars, using a coating called “Vantablack”.
The company says Vantablack “highlights the expressive design language and confident, dominant and muscular appearance of the new BMW X6 to perfection”.
Vantablack is the registered trademark for the VBx2 nanostructure paint finish BMW used on the new X6 vehicle. [Read more…] about BMW unveils ‘the world’s blackest’ car using nanotech coating
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the US state of South Carolina has doubled its capacity for production of high-voltage batteries.
The plant’s own battery facility now produces the new fourth-generation batteries.
These are intended for the plug-in hybrid models of the new BMW X5 and the future BMW X3, also produced in Spartanburg. [Read more…] about BMW’s Spartanburg plant doubles battery production capacity
by Anna
The BMW Group is upping the tempo of its electromobility expansion programme. The company will now achieve the total of 25 electrified models previously announced for 2025 two years earlier, in 2023.
With flexible vehicle architectures for full-electric, plug-in hybrid and combustion engine drive trains, the company is able to respond quickly to changing conditions. More than half of the 25 models will be fully electric.
Harald Krüger, chairman of BMW said: We expect to see a steep growth curve towards 2025: Sales of our electrified vehicles should increase by an average of 30 percent every year.”
[Read more…] about BMW Group steps up the pace of e-mobility expansion
by Anna
Artificial intelligence (AI) is on the rise in automotive production. Since 2018, the BMW Group has been using various AI applications in series production.
One focus is automated image recognition: In these processes, artificial intelligence evaluates component images in ongoing production and compares them in milliseconds to hundreds of other images of the same sequence.
This way, the AI application determines deviations from the standard in real time and checks, for instance, whether all required parts have been mounted and whether they are mounted in the right place.
[Read more…] about BMW provides insight into how it uses artificial intelligence in production
Automotive giant BMW is providing an insight into its application of virtual and augmented reality in the company’s production system.
The company says the “fast and flexible” planning of new workstations in production is made possible by virtual reality and digitized 3D factory data.
It’s still a learning process but augmented reality technologies is making it possible to design training courses without any coding knowledge.
It also enables comparison between the camera image and CAD models for fast, straightforward quality checks of parts and vehicles.
Full story below…
[Read more…] about BMW highlights application of virtual and augmented reality in production
by Sam Francis
Daimler-Mercedes-Benz and BMW have entered into a “co-operation” agreement on the development of autonomous cars, or “automated driving”, as the two companies call it.
Representatives from the two companies have signed an agreement for a long-term strategic cooperation, which will focus on joint development of next-generation technologies for driver assistance systems, automated driving on highways and automated parking.
The developments are intended to vehicles that are classed as “Level 4” – or “full autonomy with human” – on the SAE’s categorisation. SAE is a global engineering association which has published a “levels of driving automation” table which goes from Level 0 for no autonomy to Level 5 for full autonomy. [Read more…] about Mercedes and BMW launch long-term development partnership for automated driving
by Anna
The BMW Group has opened a new automotive plant in San Luis Potosi in Mexico.
The company has invested more than one billion US dollars in the new production location. The plant, which already employs 2,500 people, will have a capacity of up to 175,000 units per year once the ramp-up phase is fully completed.
San Luis Potosi will build BMW’s most successful model series: the BMW 3 Series Sedan.
[Read more…] about BMW Group opens plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico
by Anna
The BMW Group and Jaguar Land Rover are joining forces to develop next generation electric drive units.
The BMW Group has developed and produced several generations of electric drive units in-house since it launched the pioneering BMW i3 in 2013.
Jaguar Land Rover has demonstrated its capability with this technology through the launch of the Jaguar I-Pace and its plug-in hybrid models.
[Read more…] about BMW and Jaguar Land Rover team up on electrification technology
by Anna
In cooperation with Here Technologies, Tom Tom and the transport authorities in six European countries, Daimler, BMW, Ford and Volvo are testing how information about acutely hazardous situations can be passed on using Car-to-X technology.
The project partners signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The test phase is scheduled to last twelve months, starting in the Netherlands.
How can information about a sudden hazard – e.g. slippery conditions or an accident – be passed on to following or approaching traffic as quickly as possible?
[Read more…] about Car firms start Europe-wide accident communication project
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