BMW Group and Zurich software partner Embotech announced this week that their Automated Driving In‑Plant (AFW) system has completed 1,000,000 driverless vehicle movements inside production sites — a milestone that underscores how Germany’s factories are shifting from fixed robots to vehicle‑as‑robot logistics. The figure covers moves at three German BMW plants (Dingolfing, Leipzig and Regensburg) and MINI Plant Oxford; BMW says the rollout continues.
How BMW counts the million
The tally was published in a BMW Group press release on 27 October 2026: AFW has run at scale since a 2022 pilot in Dingolfing and now operates 24/7 across four sites, handling roughly 3,500 automated vehicle moves per day and achieving availability above 99.5%.
BMW and Embotech explain the system works by using the vehicles’ own drive‑by‑wire controls combined with plant‑side sensors and cloud motion‑planning software. Key to scaling, BMW stresses, is the offboard sensor architecture (LiDAR masts and fixed sensors along routes) that lets any car be moved regardless of its on‑board equipment. The company also points to a CE/TÜV‑certified safety architecture as a prerequisite for deployment in live production areas.
Why factories and quality benefit
BMW and Embotech say the approach reduces the need for dedicated drivers to shift cars between assembly, test and parking zones, lowers transport damage and increases space efficiency in yards and parking racks — all factors that can lift line throughput and cut indirect quality faults tied to manual handling. The partners report that the second half‑million moves took seven months compared with 15 months for the first half‑million, illustrating rapid maturation of the system.
