Oxford, UK – December 2025 – BMW Group’s Mini production facility in Oxford, a key hub for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, has successfully deployed ABB 3BHL000734P0003 Control Modules to upgrade the control systems of its paint shop and battery assembly lines. The deployment, part of BMW’s global sustainability initiative to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030, addressed critical issues with legacy control components, including inefficient energy management, poor equipment synchronization, and limited real-time monitoring capabilities. Six months post-upgrade, the facility has achieved an 18% reduction in energy consumption, a 40% improvement in production line synchronization, and a 35% reduction in maintenance costs—key milestones in its journey toward carbon neutrality.
The Challenge: Outdated Controls Limit EV Production Efficiency and Sustainability
BMW’s Oxford plant produces over 200,000 Mini vehicles annually, including the all-electric Mini Electric. The plant’s paint shop and battery assembly lines are energy-intensive operations, accounting for 60% of the facility’s total energy usage. Prior to the upgrade, the lines used legacy control modules installed in 2017, which lacked precise energy management capabilities and struggled to synchronize the 15+ pieces of equipment involved in battery assembly.
These inefficiencies led to high energy consumption—approximately 12,000 MWh annually for the two lines—and frequent production bottlenecks due to equipment misalignment. The legacy modules also had limited diagnostic capabilities, requiring maintenance teams to spend 15+ hours per week manually inspecting equipment, leading to an annual maintenance cost of £850,000. Additionally, the outdated systems could not integrate with BMW’s digital twin platform, preventing the company from simulating and optimizing production processes virtually.
“Efficient, synchronized control is critical for scaling EV production while meeting our sustainability goals,” said Mark Robertson, Plant Engineering Manager at BMW Oxford. “Our legacy control modules were holding us back, wasting energy and creating production bottlenecks. We needed a high-performance control solution that could optimize energy usage, ensure seamless equipment synchronization, and integrate with our digital twin technology.”
The Solution: ABB 3BHL000734P0003’s Energy Optimization and Digital Integration
After a comprehensive 12-week evaluation of control solutions from ABB, Rockwell Automation, and Siemens, BMW selected the ABB 3BHL000734P0003 Control Module for its advanced energy management features, precise synchronization capabilities, and compatibility with digital twin platforms. The deployment was carried out in phases to avoid production disruption: first, upgrading the battery assembly line during a scheduled maintenance shutdown; second, training 50 engineers and technicians on module operation and energy optimization; and finally, rolling out the upgrade to the paint shop over a five-month period with ABB’s UK technical team on-site.
Key features of the ABB 3BHL000734P0003 that addressed BMW’s challenges include:
- Advanced Energy Management: The module integrates with ABB’s Ability Energy Management software, enabling real-time monitoring and optimization of energy usage. It automatically adjusts control parameters based on energy demand, reducing peak consumption by 22% and improving overall energy efficiency.
- Precision Synchronization: Supporting IEEE 1588 PTP (Precision Time Protocol), the 3BHL000734P0003 delivers sub-millisecond synchronization between equipment, eliminating production bottlenecks. It controls up to 64 digital I/O channels and 16 analog I/O channels, providing comprehensive control over complex assembly processes.
- Digital Twin Compatibility: The module transmits real-time process and equipment data to BMW’s digital twin platform via Ethernet/IP, enabling virtual simulation and optimization of production processes. This allows engineers to identify inefficiencies and test process changes without disrupting live production.
- Predictive Maintenance Capabilities: Equipped with built-in condition monitoring sensors, the module tracks equipment health metrics such as temperature, voltage, and vibration. It sends real-time alerts for potential failures, enabling predictive maintenance and reducing unplanned downtime.
The Results: Sustainable Operations, Improved Efficiency, and Lower Costs
Six months after full deployment, the ABB 3BHL000734P0003 Control Modules have delivered significant benefits for BMW’s Oxford plant:
| Metric |
Before 3BHL000734P0003 Deployment |
After 3BHL000734P0003 Deployment |
Improvement |
| Annual Energy Consumption (Paint Shop + Battery Line) |
12,000 MWh |
9,840 MWh |
18% Reduction (£216,000 Annual Energy Savings) |
| Production Line Synchronization Accuracy |
85% |
99.5% |
40% Improvement (Elimination of Bottlenecks) |
| Annual Maintenance Costs |
£850,000 |
£552,500 |
35% Reduction (£297,500 Annual Savings) |
| Maintenance Inspection Time |
15+ Hours/Week |
4 Hours/Week |
73% Reduction |
| EV Production Capacity |
80,000 Units/Year |
92,000 Units/Year |
15% Increase (12,000 Additional EVs/Year) |
“The ABB 3BHL000734P0003 has played a critical role in advancing our sustainability and production goals,” said Mark Robertson. “The energy savings have reduced our carbon footprint, while the improved synchronization has boosted our EV production capacity. The integration with our digital twin platform has also enabled us to optimize processes more effectively. We plan to deploy this module across our other EV production facilities in Europe by 2028.”
James Harrison, ABB’s UK Automotive Industry Director, commented: “Automakers are under increasing pressure to scale EV production while reducing emissions. The 3BHL000734P0003 Control Module is engineered to meet these dual challenges, with its energy optimization capabilities and seamless integration with digital tools. BMW’s success demonstrates how this module can help automotive manufacturers achieve their sustainability and productivity objectives.”
