The age of the humanoid robot is dawning in the car manufacturing industry, as BMW has unveiled the next step in its plans to produce vehicles.
From the European summer of this year (June to August), BMW will have a fully integrated pilot phase with its humanoid robots operating at the Leipzig plant, the home of production to front-drive models such as the 1 Series and Mini Countryman.
It follows BMW undertaking the brand’s first deployment of humanoid robots at its Spartanburg plant in the US in 2025, at the time collaborating with tech firm Figure AI, whose robot Figure 02 supported the production of more than 30,000 BMW X3s within 10 months.
According to BMW, “Figure 02 handled the precise removal and positioning of sheet metal parts for the welding process – a task that is particularly demanding in terms of speed and accuracy while also being physically exhausting”.
While the previous US pilot took place in the plant’s body shop, the upcoming deployment in Leipzig will see the humanoid robots – named AEON and developed by German firm Hexagon – initially used for multifunctional applications.
Following this, the AEON robot will be used to assemble high-voltage batteries for EVs and PHEVs, as well as assist in component manufacturing.
“Our aim is to be a technology leader and to integrate new technologies into production at an early stage,” said Michael Nikolaides, senior vice president production network, supply chain management at BMW Group.
“Pilot projects help us to test and further develop the use of Physical AI – that is, AI‑enabled robots capable of learning – under real-world industrial conditions.
“The successful first deployment of humanoid robots at our BMW Group plant in Spartanburg in the USA proves that a humanoid robot can function not only under controlled laboratory conditions but also in an existing automotive manufacturing environment.”
As reported in January, industry analysts from both Gartner and Warburg Research told Automotive News they believe there will be at least one carmaker building cars with robot-only production lines within the next four years, marking a big shift for the manufacturing world.
Hyundai also recently announced its plans to add humanoid robots to its upcoming Georgia EV factory in 2028, supplied by Boston Dynamics.
Likewise, Mercedes-Benz is already running a pilot program at its digital factory campus in Berlin.
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