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By Motoring Reporter

Journalist


BMW begins production for 7 Series

Since production of the first 7 Series began in 1977, more than 1.9 million BMW 7 Series cars have been built in Dingolfing.


Production of the new BMW 7 Series Sedan got underway at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing just a few days ago.

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Roughly three-and-a-half years after the sixth generation was launched, the BMW brand’s top model has been thoroughly revised and given greater presence.

“The BMW 7 Series has defined our identity at this site for over 40 years. We are proud that BMW’s top model, the new BMW 7 Series Sedan, will also be built here in Dingolfing. Our goal as the brand’s primary plant for the luxury class is to ensure that every vehicle our experienced and competent team puts on the roads guarantees excellent quality,” says Ilka Horstmeier, Director of BMW Group Plant Dingolfing.

The so-called “digital launch” presented a particular challenge for the production start: It means production of a new vehicle is ramped up to the full daily volume from one day to the next.

To ensure high quality standards are fulfilled from the very first vehicle, complex components underwent virtual testing for fit accuracy prior to the start of production.

Since production of the first 7 Series began in 1977, more than 1.9 million BMW 7 Series cars have been built in Dingolfing.

From the very beginning, the global market was crucial to the success of the luxury sedan. The BMW 7 Series is easily the number-one export from the plant in Lower Bavaria.

Last year, over 90 percent of all units produced were exported abroad. The Chinese market plays an especially important role for the model: In 2018, 44 percent of global sales were delivered to customers in China.

For the first time in a BMW Group vehicle, a plug-in hybrid will be available with a six-cylinder engine. In the BMW 745e / 745Le, a 286 horsepower six-cylinder inline engine is combined with a 113 horsepower electric engine, for a total system output of 394 horsepower. The new BMW 7 Series is the first BMW Group vehicle with a fourth-generation battery.

The latest battery-cell technology gives the luxury sedan an all-electric driving range of up to 58 kilometres, ensures local emission-free driving and is virtually silent.

The battery installed in the BMW 745e / 745Le is manufactured in Dingolfing, just a few kilometres away, at the Competence Centre for e-drive Production.

 

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