- The BMW plant uses AI-enabled automation and renewable power
- It has a public-private 5G network both indoors and outdoors, SNS Telecom & IT said
- Like Tesla, BMW is focused on rolling out private 5G across multiple plants
BMW’s latest electric vehicle-focused plant in Debrecen, Hungary, is being promoted as the world’s first AI car factory, but that is largely enabled by the 5G network that supports the deployment.
SNS Telecom & IT’s 5G Research Director Asad Khan told Fierce that a hybrid public-private 5G network had been deployed at the new automobile plant. Unlike many private networks in Europe and North America, operator Magyar Telekom has deployed the network in the Debrecen plant.
It is not yet clear which RAN vendor BMW has used for its Debrecen factory. It has previously used both Celona and Nokia for private networks and testbeds.
SNS’s Khan said that the network will provide connectivity for worker devices — primarily tablets, cameras, sensors, and autonomous transport robots. BMW said in a statement that it has nearly 1,000 industrial robots in the press shop at Decebrecen.
The robots were "digitally simulated in detail beforehand," BMW said. Much of the manufacturing process was automated by AI and machine learning algorithms.
BMW said that the factory is the first BMW Group car plant to rely entirely on electricity from renewable energy during normal operation. “On-premise RAN infrastructure covers the entire area of the Debrecen facility, which spans approximately 400 hectares, about 15% of which is indoor space,” noted Khan.
The new iX3 EV is going to be first car produced by the plant. It should start shipping before the end of the year.
BMW is one of the car manufacturers going big on 5G private networking. Other auto makers following the private 5G path include Tesla and Porsche. “Other BMW plants where private 5G networks have been deployed include Spartanburg, Dingolfing, Leipzig, Landshut and Shenyang." SNS’s Khan concluded.