--- title: "BMW's Oldest Plant Has Always Made Gas Cars. Starting Next Year, It'll Only Make EVs" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/295128348.md" description: "BMW's Munich plant, the brand's oldest facility and headquarters, will exclusively produce electric vehicles starting next year. This transition marks a significant shift as production of the combustion-engine BMW i3 begins, phasing out internal combustion models for the new Neue Klasse EVs. The move symbolizes BMW's future focus on electrification while maintaining its heritage, with additional benefits including a 10% reduction in manufacturing costs due to improved automation." datetime: "2026-08-06T16:31:48.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/295128348.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/295128348.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/295128348.md) generator: "portal-rs" --- # BMW's Oldest Plant Has Always Made Gas Cars. Starting Next Year, It'll Only Make EVs The times are officially changin'. Now that i3 production has begun, BMW's oldest manufacturing facility, its home-turf Munich plant, will exclusively build electric vehicles starting next yeaer. This marks a huge turning point for the brand, as it phases out internal combustion models for its Neue Klasse EVs. It isn't only a production milestone for the brand but a symbolic one. Munich is the site of BMW's HQ and its Bavarian home, and it's about to be fully electric. “The start of production of the BMW i3 heralds a new era for our main plant. With the fully-electric BMW i3, we are bringing together what belongs together: The 3 Series embodies BMW more than almost any other model—and Plant Munich represents our brand more than almost any other production site,” said Raymond Wittmann, BMW board member responsible for production. ![BMW i3 Munich](https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://cdn.motor1.com/images/static/16x9-tr.png?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg) Photo by: BMW Wittmann is right. BMW is the 3 Series company. The BMW 2002—the precursor to the 3 Series—turned the brand into the Ultimate Driving Machine we know today. And Munich has always been the main 3 Series production facility, even when BMW started to expand production elsewhere. More than nine million 3ers have left Munich since 1975, when the first one was introduced. While the combustion 3 Series will live on for at least another generation, it will be built elsewhere and the Neue Klasse-based i3 is the future of the model. So to see the i3 replace the combustion 3 Series in Munich is a big deal. What do you think? View Comments An added bonus for BMW is a 10% reduction in manufacturing costs. Improvements to automation and digitization are increasing efficiency and bringing costs down. ![BMW i3 Munich](https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://cdn.motor1.com/images/static/16x9-tr.png?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg) Photo by: BMW The of the Munich factory becoming EV-only is that BMW's main HQ is shaped like four cylinders bunched together, to represent the four-cylinder engines that made BMW famous. Now, no engines are being built in Munich. The main building represents BMW's past and its history, while the factory represents its future. Here are some related stories BMW Is Opening i3 Orders Way Ahead Of Schedule Due To Huge Demand The Electric BMW M3 Is Coming. Here's What It Might Look Like We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Insideevs.com? Take our 3 minute survey. \- The InsideEVs team Share this Story - Facebook - X - LinkedIn - Flipboard - Reddit - WhatsApp - E-Mail - copy GO TO COMMENTS ( ) Got a tip for us? Email: tips@insideevs.com View all comments ( ) ### Related Stocks - [BMWYY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BMWYY.US.md) - [BMW.DE](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BMW.DE.md) - [BMW3.DE](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BMW3.DE.md) ## Related News & Research - [BMW upgrades Regensburg plant with new high-voltage battery module pre-assembly line for Neue Klasse ramp-up](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297996503.md) - [BMW hits 2 million battery-electric vehicle deliveries since 2013 launch of i3](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297145327.md) - [UBS Cuts BRILLIANCE CHI TP by Half to HKD2, Reiterates Neutral Rating on Deteriorating Profitability of BMW JV](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297862967.md) - [Defender’s smaller off-road EV spotted testing ahead of its debut](https://longbridge.com/en/news/298051167.md) - [Jindal Worldwide shares hit 20% upper circuit as arm plans 100 electric scooter showrooms](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297877973.md) --- > **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**