DEBRECEN, Hungary—BMW AG is ramping up its new state-of-the-art assembly plant located 155 miles east of Budapest. It has been designed specifically for the production of electric vehicles, such as the new BMW iX3 SUV, which will be built on the automaker’s Neue Klasse platform. The facility also holds the distinction of being the first BMW factory to operate entirely without the use of fossil fuels.

“Our highly efficient and ergonomic assembly line immediately started running without any issues,” claims  Hans-Peter Kemser, managing director of BMW Group Plant Debrecen. “We achieved this thanks to virtual planning and tests, as well as the outstanding collaboration between our new, highly motivated employees in Debrecen and our experts within the BMW Group’s global production network.

“The innovative vehicle architecture of the Neue Klasse opens totally new possibilities with regard to assembly: greater efficiency thanks to modularization, fewer different connecting elements and a simplified installation of the wiring harness,” explains Kemser. “An innovative cockpit assembly also accelerates the process.

“Some components are modularized when one module is formed from many small individual parts,” says Kemser. “The variation of connecting elements has also been radically reduced for the Neue Klasse. This in turn reduces the number of different plugs, screws and clips. All of this makes assembly significantly more simple.”

According to Kemser, a wide range of quality checks can be performed digitally while vehicles are still on the assembly line. A flexible cockpit assembly process also accelerates production at the Debrecen plant.

“Cockpit pre-assembly is located right next to the main line,” explains Kemser. “Once the cockpit has been pre-assembled, it is then installed directly in the vehicle just a few meters ahead.”

Another unique feature of the Debrecen plant is its layout. It uses what BMW calls a “finger structure” or “comb structure,” because it resembles the fingers on a hand or the teeth of a hair comb. The design improves material flow in the factory, enabling components and preassembled modules to be transported directly to the assembly lines.

“A record proportion of parts—up to 80 percent—can be delivered directly in Debrecen, as the fingers will enjoy logistics supply from both sides for the first time,” says Kemser. “This is the highest ratio in [our entire] production network. The finger structure allows subsequent extension and the integration of further assembly steps [for greater] flexibility.”