The BMW Group is pushing the boundaries of digital manufacturing with artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics at the heart of its next-generation high-voltage battery production. The company’s sixth-generation (Gen6) BMW eDrive batteries, which promise higher energy density, faster charging, and longer range, are set to enter series production at five global sites: Germany, Hungary, China, Mexico, and the United States.
Patrick Zimmermann, Data Scientist and IT Project Manager at BMW Group, plays a pivotal role in this transition. “I coordinate an interdisciplinary team that oversees the entire data processing chain — from data collection in the plants to cloud-based analytics platforms,” Zimmermann explained. His team integrates the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) with AI-driven quality assurance to achieve BMW’s ambitious zero-defect manufacturing approach.
A key element in this strategy is the use of OPC UA interface technology, enabling standardized digital twins and seamless data transfer across BMW’s production network. This allows the company to deploy uniform analysis dashboards worldwide, ensuring rapid process optimization and consistent quality control.
Zimmermann emphasized the unique opportunity of building entirely new battery plants on greenfield sites, which provides “much bigger leaps in IT compared to retrofitting older facilities.” The company’s pilot sites in Parsdorf, Hallbergmoos, and Munich have already proven the robustness of this architecture, now being scaled globally.
BMW’s innovative processes also include AI-driven in-line inspections, laser welding precision, and an advanced foaming method that enhances safety and durability. Each battery undergoes 100% end-of-line inspection before deployment.
The Gen6 battery project is seen as a cornerstone for BMW’s Neue Klasse era, combining sustainability, efficiency, and digitalization. “We’re shaping the Industrial Internet of Things and data analytics on a large scale right from the start,” said Zimmermann.
With AI at the core of its battery strategy, BMW is not only securing technological leadership in electrification but also redefining how digital intelligence transforms automotive manufacturing.
