BMW Group and Embotech reach 1 million autonomous vehicle movements inside factories

BMW Group and Embotech announced on October 27, 2026, that their autonomous driving technology has moved a total of 1 million vehicles inside factories. The system operates at four BMW Group sites in the United Kingdom and Germany, moving about 3,500 vehicles per day, with an availability rate of more than 99.5%. Automated Driving In-Plant operates around the clock.

According to the announcement, Automated Driving In-Plant moves about 3,500 vehicles per day across four sites and operates with an availability rate of more than 99.5%. When automating vehicle transport inside factories, operational considerations include not only throughput but also continuous operation and a safety architecture certified by TÜV SÜD.

The focus of this case is not only the total of 1 million vehicle movements, but also the operating metrics: about 3,500 vehicles per day, availability of more than 99.5% and round-the-clock operation. To integrate autonomous vehicle movements inside factories into routine production and logistics processes rather than limited trials, systems must be able to handle growing volumes and operate without stopping. However, these figures come from the announcement; it does not provide site-by-site availability rates or details on downtime. The technical setup distinguishes between Embotech’s AI-based software for perception, prediction and planning and a deterministic safety architecture independently certified by TÜV SÜD. This design operates the software responsible for movement decisions separately from the system that defines safety boundaries. Because vehicles travel through production and logistics areas in factories, evaluating integration into real operations involves not only operational capability but also how safety functions are defined and verified. Embotech’s CEO said the first 500,000 vehicle movements took 15 months and the next 500,000 took 7 months. The announcement noted the faster growth in the cumulative total but did not explain the reason or the contribution of each site. The expansion from an initial pilot in 2022 to four sites has a point of connection with the shift from prototyping toward production discussed in a report on Jabil’s humanoid robot development and mass-production plans, in terms of moving to real-world operations at scale. However, that report concerns humanoid robot development and mass production; its technologies and processes differ from autonomous vehicle movements inside factories. The next points to examine are availability rates at each of the four sites, the vehicle types and movement tasks covered, the frequency of operational interventions, and the work required for deployment and maintenance. The announcement mentions expansion to different sites, vehicles and processes, but does not provide these operational details or costs. It also says operational experience will be used for ongoing software improvements, but does not explain what information will be evaluated or how it will be applied. In addition to cumulative vehicle movements, repeatable safety and the conditions for deployment across sites will help determine whether the system can be applied at other production facilities.

The sites are Dingolfing, Leipzig and Regensburg in Germany, and MINI Plant Oxford in the United Kingdom. The system has expanded to four sites from an initial pilot in 2022. At each site, it supports multiple vehicle movement tasks in production and logistics areas. Embotech provides AI-based software for perception, prediction and planning, along with a deterministic safety architecture independently certified by TÜV SÜD. Embotech’s CEO said the first 500,000 vehicle movements took 15 months and the next 500,000 took 7 months.