BMW announces that the production of the iX1 has already commenced at its Regensburg Plant in Germany, setting various milestones for the automaker. The iX1's high-voltage battery is also being produced at the said plant.
Apart from the iX1 being the first electric version of the small Sports Activity vehicle, its production at the Regensburg Plant means that all drive technologies of BMW are now manufactured on a single line as part of the plant's flexible production process. This also means that all of BMW's German plants can now produce electric vehicles as announced two years ago, moving internal combustion engine production to the UK and Austria.
Gallery: BMW iX1 Production Begins At Regensburg Plant
Apart from the production announcement, BMW has also set its next EV milestone. According to Milan Nedeljković, a member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production, at least one in three Bimmers coming out of its Bavarian plants will be electric by 2024.
The automaker also boasts its digital production process called the BMW iFactory. Aside from digital mapping, which results in efficient planning of future plant structures and production facilities, the plant also incorporates artificial intelligence in its manufacturing processes. The plant's paint shop is among those assisted by AI, with paint surfaces scanned to ensure flawless quality and then finished using a fully-automated program.
Additionally, the Artificial Intelligence Quality Next (AIQX) uses AI-supported image recognition methods that assist employees with quality inspections, which stands as a supplement to conventional, camera-based quality inspections.
Looking exactly like the X1 but with blue accents, the BMW iX1 is the brand's first all-wheel-drive electric vehicle in the compact segment. It went on sale in October in Europe. It's unsure whether the iX1 will be offered in the US, with the third-generation X1 only available stateside in xDrive28i guise.
