Humanoid Robots 'the Future' of Car Making, Says BMW as Aeon Robots Enter Leipzig Factory

BMW's head of process management told the BBC on June 1, 2026, that humanoid robots will be 'the future of automotive production,' as the company deploys Hexagon Robotics' Aeon humanoid robots at its Leipzig factory—the first humanoid deployment in European automotive manufacturing. The 5ft 5in Aeon robots will handle parts feeding and battery assembly pick-and-place tasks, with BMW citing the economic advantage of deploying human-form robots over redesigning existing production lines. The deployment follows Figure O2 robots contributing to 30,000 X3 SUV builds at BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina plant.