The company says one out of three BMWs made in Bavaria in 2024 will be electric.
The small SUV is an electric version of the X1, which was refreshed for 2023.
This means that every German BMW factory is now capable of making electric vehicles.
The first units of the electric BMW iX1 rolled out of the Regensburg production line earlier today, marking another step in the automaker’s electrification.
Indeed, the production of this model means that every BMW assembly factory in Germany can now assemble electric vehicles.
The technologies employed at Regensburg make it possible to build both vehicles powered either by gasoline, electricity, or a combination of both on the same assembly line, without having to stop production in order to modify tools.
This is important for the company since the facility where the new iX1 is manufactured is also responsible for the production of the gasoline-powered X1 and the X2.
According to BMW, a third of all vehicles it produces in Bavaria will be fully electric by 2024, which should help the automaker reach its electrification targets for the decade.
In order to reduce pollution and ensure a stable supply, BMW opened a battery plant next to the Regensburg factory early last year. This is where all of the batteries used in the iX1 will be made.
BMW iX1 start of production | Photo: BMW
In addition to improving the versatility of the plant, BMW says the new technologies used at Regensburg also improve the quality of its vehicles, notably when the paint is applied to the body.
Indeed, the paint booth uses artificial intelligence in order to help employees detect imperfections in the finish that could have been missed before.
Implementing all of these new technologies comes at a cost, which is why BMW expects to have invested 1,6 billion euros for EV production in Germany at the end of 2022.
Despite the iX1 being little more than an electric version of the 2023 X1 that can be found in Canadian and American BMW dealerships, this compact electric crossover will not be offered on this side of the Atlantic, just like its direct competitor, the Mercedes EQA.
