BMW Group’s Automated Driving In-Plant (AFW) technology has recorded one million driverless vehicle movements across its production network, four years after trials began in Germany.
The system allows newly manufactured vehicles to move through designated factory and logistics areas without anyone behind the wheel.
BMW currently records around 3,500 automated vehicle movements daily across four plants: Dingolfing, Leipzig and Regensburg in Germany, and MINI Plant Oxford in Britain.
At Oxford alone, more than 53,000 such movements were completed over the past year.
Unlike conventional autonomous driving systems, AFW relies primarily on infrastructure installed within the factory rather than sensors fitted to individual vehicles.
External LiDAR sensors monitor the surroundings, while cloud-based systems and motion-planning software guide vehicles along designated routes.
The technology can detect people, other vehicles and temporary obstacles, allowing vehicles to navigate changing factory conditions.
At Oxford, AFW is also integrated with existing production control systems. Vehicles can automatically position themselves beside lifting equipment for specific manufacturing operations.
BMW began testing the technology at Dingolfing in 2022 before expanding it to other plants.
The system was developed with Swiss technology company Embotech, which has worked with BMW through its Startup Garage programme.
BMW plans to introduce AFW at its Spartanburg plant in the United States in 2027, extending its use beyond Europe.
