BMW is putting humanoid robots on the factory floor. Not in a concept video. Not at a trade show. In actual production facilities in Germany.
The automaker announced it’s bringing Figure’s humanoid robots into its manufacturing operations at its Spartanburg, South Carolina plant — and now, critically, expanding that deployment to Germany. This marks one of the most significant real-world deployments of general-purpose humanoid robots in European automotive manufacturing to date, according to The Next Web.
From Pilot to Production: BMW and Figure’s Expanding Partnership
BMW first partnered with Figure, the robotics startup founded by Brett Adcock, back in January 2024. The initial deal focused on deploying Figure’s robots at BMW’s U.S. plant in South Carolina. That pilot has apparently gone well enough that BMW is scaling up — and crossing the Atlantic to do it.
Figure’s robots are being tasked with jobs that are physically demanding, repetitive, or ergonomically challenging for human workers. Think: carrying heavy components, inserting parts into assemblies, and handling logistics tasks within the plant. These aren’t autonomous decision-makers running production lines. They’re handling the dull, dirty, and dangerous work that automakers have struggled to fully automate with traditional industrial robots.
And that distinction matters.
Traditional industrial robots are bolted to the floor, programmed for one specific task, and surrounded by safety cages. Humanoid robots like Figure’s can theoretically move through human-designed spaces, adapt to different tasks, and work alongside people. That flexibility is the whole pitch — and why companies like BMW, Amazon, and others are betting on them.
Figure has raised over $1.5 billion to date, including a massive $675 million Series B round in early 2024 that valued the company at $2.6 billion. Investors include Microsoft, OpenAI, Jeff Bezos, and Intel. The company’s Figure 02 robot integrates AI models that allow it to understand and respond to natural language commands, a capability developed partly through its partnership with OpenAI.
So this isn’t just a hardware play. It’s an AI integration story.
Why Germany Matters More Than You Think
Expanding to Germany is a strategic signal. BMW’s German plants — including its headquarters operations in Munich and its facility in Dingolfing — represent the heart of the company’s manufacturing network. Deploying humanoid robots there means BMW is confident enough in the technology to bring it into its most established, highest-scrutiny production environments.
Germany also has some of the strongest labor protections and works council structures in the world. Any deployment of automation technology in German factories requires negotiation with worker representatives. The fact that BMW is moving forward suggests these conversations have progressed — or that the robots are being positioned as supplements to human workers rather than replacements. BMW has framed the deployment in exactly those terms, emphasizing that the robots will take on tasks that are physically taxing for employees.
But let’s be honest. The long-term trajectory here is obvious.
Every major automaker is watching labor costs rise, facing demographic shifts that shrink available workforces, and dealing with increasing production complexity from the EV transition. Humanoid robots offer a potential answer to all three problems simultaneously. BMW isn’t doing this for PR. They’re stress-testing a technology they believe will be fundamental to manufacturing within the next decade.
The competitive dynamics are intensifying fast. Tesla continues developing its Optimus humanoid robot, with Elon Musk claiming thousands will be working in Tesla factories by 2025. Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics is pushing its Atlas platform toward commercial applications. Chinese companies like Unitree and Fourier Intelligence are racing to bring lower-cost humanoid robots to market. Mercedes-Benz has been testing Apollo robots from Apptronik in its facilities.
BMW picking Figure — a U.S. startup barely two years old — over more established players says something about Figure’s technical progress and commercial readiness.
What to Watch Next
The real test isn’t whether these robots can work in a factory. It’s whether they can do so reliably, at scale, with a cost structure that makes sense. Uptime, maintenance requirements, task versatility, and integration with existing production systems — these are the metrics that will determine whether humanoid robots become standard equipment or remain expensive experiments.
BMW hasn’t disclosed how many Figure robots it plans to deploy in Germany or on what timeline. That ambiguity is worth noting. Pilot programs often get announced with fanfare and quietly scaled back. But the expansion from one country to two, from pilot to broader deployment, suggests genuine traction.
For the automotive industry, this is a leading indicator. If BMW’s deployment works, expect every major OEM to accelerate their own humanoid robotics programs within 12 to 18 months. If it stumbles, it’ll set back the entire sector’s confidence in the technology.
Either way, the factory floor is where humanoid robots will prove themselves. Not in demos. Not in keynotes. In the unforgiving reality of production schedules, quality standards, and 24/7 operations.
BMW just raised the stakes.
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