Dingolfing. Production of the new BMW 7 Series Sedan
got underway at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing just a few days ago.
Roughly three-and-a-half years after the sixth generation was
launched, the BMW brand’s top model has been thoroughly revised and
given greater presence.
“The BMW 7 Series has defined our identity at this site for over 40
years. We are proud that BMW’s top model, the new BMW 7 Series Sedan,
will also be built here in Dingolfing. Our goal as the brand’s primary
plant for the luxury class is to ensure that every vehicle our
experienced and competent team puts on the roads guarantees excellent
quality,” says Ilka Horstmeier, Director of BMW Group Plant Dingolfing.
The so-called “digital launch” presented a particular challenge for
the production start: It means production of a new vehicle is ramped
up to the full daily volume from one day to the next. To ensure high
quality standards are fulfilled from the very first vehicle, complex
components underwent virtual testing for fit accuracy prior to the
start of production.
Since production of the first 7 Series began in 1977, more than 1.9
million BMW 7 Series cars have been built in Dingolfing. From the very
beginning, the global market was crucial to the success of the luxury
sedan. The BMW 7 Series is easily the number-one export from the plant
in Lower Bavaria. Last year, over 90 percent of all units produced
were exported abroad. The Chinese market plays an especially important
role for the model: In 2018, 44 percent of global sales were delivered
to customers in China.
New exterior design accents
The redesigned front and rear ends give the new BMW 7 Series a
uniquely expressive appearance. At the front, the enlarged kidney
grille contrasts very effectively with the slim headlights. As a
result, the BMW 7 Series is clearly recognisable as part of the new
BMW luxury segment and fits in with the design language of the BMW 8
Series and the BMW X7.
The rear-end design also brings fresh accents: The flatter
three-dimensional rear lights rely completely on LED technology.
Beneath the chrome bar between the two rear lights, there is now a
slim six-millimetre light strip, which creates a discreetly
illuminated accent when daytime running lights are switched on and
produces a distinctive night-time design in the dark. There are also
special rear lighting effects when the car is locked and unlocked.
The BMW 7 Series will continue to be available in two body variants,
including the Long Wheelbase version with its 14-cm-longer wheelbase.
80 percent of customers opt for this version, which offers even more
space in the rear.
The interior of the new BMW 7 Series Sedan is now also available with
extended quilting around the centre console and in the armrests
integrated in the door trim. New fine-wood interior trim is also
available. Improved acoustic shielding in the rear wheel arches
reduces the level of tire noise noticeable in the interior. To further
enhance acoustic comfort, the side windows now also come with
increased material thickness.
Six-cylinder plug-in hybrid debuts in the new BMW 7 Series
For the first time in a BMW Group vehicle, a plug-in hybrid will be
available with a six-cylinder engine. In the BMW 745e / 745Le
(combined fuel consumption: 2.3 – 2.1 l/100 km / 2.3 – 2.2 l/100 km;
combined power consumption: 15.6 – 15.1 kWh/100 km /
15.7 – 15.6 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions from fuel:
2 – 48 g/km* / 53 – 50 g/km*), a 286 horsepower six-cylinder inline
engine is combined with a 113 horsepower electric engine, for a total
system output of 394 horsepower. The new BMW 7 Series is the first BMW
Group vehicle with a fourth-generation battery. The latest
battery-cell technology gives the luxury sedan an all-electric driving
range of up to 58 kilometres*, ensures local emission-free driving and
is virtually silent. The battery installed in the BMW 745e / 745Le is
manufactured in Dingolfing, just a few kilometres away, at the
Competence Centre for e-drive Production (component plant 02.20).
From there, Dingolfing already supplies BMW Group vehicle plants
worldwide with batteries and electric engines for production of
electrified vehicles.
Digitalisation supports BMW 7 Series production process
The production process for Dingolfing’s top model is supported by a
range of innovative solutions. For assembly of less-ordered special
equipment, like the rear centre console, the vibrating alarm of a
smartwatch alerts employees on the corresponding section of the line
that an “exotic” is coming up and gives them instructions for
additional work steps.
Data glasses are also used in training new staff. When learning new
work steps, virtual assistance is projected into the employee’s field
of vision. This enables rapid, sustainable learning in pre-assembly of
complex components like the rear light. This augmented-reality
application is used at assembly training centres and constantly
refined in agile working methods in close cooperation between
production planning and IT.
Digitalisation is also making further inroads in supplying assembly
lines with components. The latest generation of autonomous tugger
trains is currently being piloted on longer routes between the
warehouse and assembly hall. The capabilities of driverless tugger
trains go beyond automation of earlier solutions. New and smarter
logistics helpers will enable dynamic route guidance according to
delivery priority, with active obstacle avoidance.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Bernd Eckstein, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, Head of Communications
Telephone: 49 8731 76 22020, E-Mail: Bernd.Eckstein@bmw.de
Benedikt Fischer, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, Communications
Telephone: +49 8731 76 25449, E-Mail: Benedikt.Fischer@bmw.de
Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com, www.bmw-werk-dingolfing.de
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroupwerkdingolfing/
Email: presse@bmw.de
The BMW Group Plant Dingolfing
Plant Dingolfing is one of the BMW Group’s 30 global production
sites. At Plant 02.40, about 1,500 cars of the BMW 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8
Series roll off the assembly lines every day. In total, the plant
manufactured nearly 330,000 cars in 2017. At present, a total of
approx. 18,000 people and 800 apprentices work at the BMW Group’s site
in Dingolfing.
In addition to the automotive core production, BMW Group Plant
Dingolfing is also home to production facilities for vehicle
components such as pressed parts, seats as well as chassis and drive
components. Due to the plant’s aluminium expertise in vehicle
construction and longstanding experience in producing alternative
drives, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing furthermore provides crucial
components for the BMW i models – such as high-voltage battery,
e-transmission and the drive structure – to the production site in
Leipzig. In addition, Dingolfing produces both high voltage batteries
and electric engines for the BMW Group’s plug-in hybrid models.
The car bodies for all Rolls-Royce models are also manufactured at
the site. The Dynamics Centre, a large storage and transshipment
facility, provides the global BMW and MINI dealership organization
with original parts and equipment.
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services.
The BMW Group production network comprises 30 production and assembly
facilities in 14 countries; the company has a global sales network in
more than 140 countries.
In 2018, the BMW Group sold over 2,490,000 passenger vehicles and
more than 165,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the
financial year 2017 was € 10.655 billion on revenues amounting to
€ 98.678 billion. As of 31 December 2017, the BMW Group had a
workforce of 129,932 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw