- One million vehicles moved without drivers.
- Oxford is the fourth plant using AFW.
- More than 53 000 Oxford movements last year.
- Around 3 500 automated movements every day.
- Spartanburg rollout planned for 2027.
MINI Plant Oxford has become the fourth BMW Group factory to move newly built cars without anyone behind the wheel, as the company’s Automated Driving In-Plant (AFW) system reaches one million vehicle movements across its production network. Oxford follows Dingolfing, Leipzig and Regensburg, and BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is next to receive the technology.
From Dingolfing pilot to production standard
The system started as a pilot at Dingolfing in 2022 and has since become a standard application that is being rolled out in stages across the group’s global plants. On average, around 3 500 automated vehicle movements now take place every day across the network. It can be adapted to different sites, vehicle architectures and production processes, so it is not a solution tied to a single factory.
“We recognised the potential of Automated Driving In-Plant early, tested it in a pilot phase and systematically developed it to series maturity,” said Raymond Wittmann, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production.
How the AFW system works
AFW moves new vehicles in defined production and logistics areas using external sensors, cloud architecture and motion planning software. LiDAR sensors installed along the route constantly capture the surroundings, allowing each car to navigate in real time and react to people, other vehicles, driverless transport vehicles, logistics traffic and temporary obstacles. Artificial intelligence supports the development, simulation and operation of the system.
Because the sensors sit in the plant infrastructure rather than in the car, any vehicle can be moved regardless of its equipment specification. The system is CE-certified for use in the production environment, and Dingolfing hosts the largest LiDAR infrastructure in Europe.
MINI Plant Oxford connects AFW to control systems
Oxford accounted for more than 53 000 automated vehicle movements in the past year. It is also the first BMW Group location to link automated vehicles directly with existing control systems. AFW positions each car precisely next to a lifting device where a specific operation is carried out, with a cloud-based solution handling the interaction between vehicle and equipment. The plant, regarded as the home of MINI, has more than 100 years of industrial history.
Embotech partnership and Spartanburg rollout
The technology was developed with Swiss company Embotech. After a multi-year partnership between Embotech and the BMW Startup Garage, the group’s venture capital fund, BMW i Ventures, acquired a financial interest in the firm in December 2024.
Further expansion is planned, with AFW due to be introduced at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the United States in 2027.
Supplied by Newspress UK (MINI UK)
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