- BMW will deploy humanoid robots in series production at its Leipzig plant for the first time.
- Pilot builds on a 2025 trial where a humanoid robot supported production of 30,000+ BMW X3 SUVs.
- Leipzig testing will focus on battery assembly and component manufacturing.
BMW is taking its next digital leap, and this time it walks on two legs.
The BMW Group has confirmed it will deploy humanoid robots in series production in Germany for the first time, launching a pilot project at its Leipzig plant. The move forms part of the company’s push into what it calls “physical AI”, or the the combination of artificial intelligence with real-world robotic systems.
According to Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG Board Member for Production, “The symbiosis of engineering expertise and artificial intelligence opens up entirely new possibilities in production.”
From Spartanburg to Leipzig
BMW isn’t starting from scratch. In 2025, its Spartanburg plant in the United States completed a pilot with Figure AI’s humanoid robot, Figure 02.
Over ten months, the robot assisted in the production of more than 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles, handling the precise removal and positioning of sheet metal components.
During that period, the robot moved over 90,000 parts and covered approximately 1.2 million steps across roughly 1250 operating hours. BMW says the results demonstrated that humanoid robots can perform repetitive, millimetre-accurate tasks safely within a live automotive manufacturing environment.
Insights from that project are now feeding into the Leipzig deployment.
Testing multifunctional roles
The European pilot is being conducted in collaboration with Hexagon Robotics and centres on its humanoid platform, Aeon. Initial laboratory tests were completed in late 2025, with further test deployment planned from April 2026 ahead of a full pilot phase starting in summer 2026.
In Leipzig, the focus will be on battery assembly and component manufacturing. The robot’s human-like form allows different tools and grippers to be attached, enabling it to handle varied tasks in areas that are ergonomically demanding or repetitive.
BMW has also established a new physical AI centre to consolidate its AI and robotics expertise across its global network.
The company frames humanoid robots not as replacements, but as complements to existing automation, particularly in safety-critical or physically taxing roles.
For BMW, the message is clear: the factory of the future isn’t just automated. It’s learning.
