The revolutionary BMW 5 Series, including the all-electric BMW i5, has officially commenced production at the Dingolfing plant in Germany. The event also saw the participation of Bavaria’s President, Markus Söder.
This significant factory, celebrating its 50th year of operation in 2023, has initiated production of its third 100% electric model in two years, following the iX and i7. It is expected that over the next year, the percentage of battery-electric vehicles produced at the largest European plant of the German automaker will exceed 40%.
Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG and responsible for Production, emphasized the importance of the i5 and the Dingolfing plant in BMW’s electric transition strategy, citing both as examples of the ongoing transformation toward electric mobility.
Between 2021 and 2024, BMW plans to integrate a total of 15 fully electric vehicles into its production network. To achieve this goal, BMW relies on flexible production architectures and is committed to offering most of its models, including the 5 Series, in various powertrain variants: fully electric, internal combustion engine, or plug-in hybrid. This approach requires flexibility but allows the German automaker to efficiently utilize its manufacturing capacity and adapt its offerings to market needs.
The new 5 Series will play a vital role in maintaining Dingolfing’s production capacity and job continuity. Christoph Schröder, the plant director in Germany, anticipates that the launch of the new BMW 5 Series will lead to increased production, with over 300,000 vehicles expected to be built next year, including the 5 Series Touring and the eighth-generation BMW M5.
