BMW's Brilliance Dadong Plant reaches a production milestone of 3.5 million vehicles, with the 5 Series model surpassing 2 million units.
BMW Brilliance Automotive, a joint venture between BMW Group and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings, is facing a tougher environment in China due to weaker demand for combustion models and rising competition from domestic EV makers. Despite these challenges, the company is adapting and innovating, as shown by the developments at its Dadong plant in Shenyang.
On August 1, 2024, Birgit Böhm-Wannenwetsch was appointed as CEO of BMW Brilliance, taking over from Franz Decker who had been leading the successful development of the joint venture since April 2022. Since January 1, 2023, Decker served as President & CEO of BMW Brilliance Automotive.
The Dadong plant, part of BMW's iFACTORY plan, emphasizes lean, green, and digitalized production. It has been upgraded with extensive digital and automated systems in 2022. The plant produces the BMW 5 Series long-wheelbase, X3 and X5 long-wheelbase for the Chinese market, and is the only factory worldwide that builds the fully electric BMW iX3 for global export.
The production capabilities of the Dadong plant were not previously mentioned, but it now has the capability to produce combustion, hybrid, and fully electric vehicles on the same production line, providing flexibility as China's market shifts.
The Dadong plant's commitment to quality is evident in its meticulous processes. Each BMW 5 Series is scanned with over 100,000 images to check light and shadow on the body surface before delivery. The paint finishing system at the Dadong plant continues analyzing data outside of working hours to improve accuracy.
A platform called AI Quality Next is used at more than 30 production stations to monitor assembly in real time and flag possible defects. This technology, coupled with the plant's focus on digitalization, ensures a high standard of quality in every vehicle produced.
Despite these advancements, BMW Brilliance Automotive's sales dropped by 15% in 2024, totaling 603,800 vehicles. Exports from the company also decreased by more than a third in 2024. However, the BMW 5 Series remains one of BMW's strongest models in China, leading the premium executive sedan segment.
The Shenyang production hub (which includes Dadong and Tiexi plants) is on track to hit a combined output of 5 million vehicles later in 2024. This milestone, along with the ongoing innovations at the Dadong plant, demonstrates BMW Brilliance's resilience in the face of challenging market conditions.
The landmark car produced at the Dadong plant was a 5 Series Shadow Edition, nicknamed the "Black Warrior." More than 2 million units of the BMW 5 Series have been produced locally at the Dadong plant since its opening in 2003. As BMW Brilliance continues to navigate the evolving Chinese market, the Dadong plant will undoubtedly play a significant role in its future success.
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