BMW Deploys Figure 03 Robots at Spartanburg as Profit Warning Sends Shares to New Lows

BMW introduces Figure 03 humanoid robot for logistics at Spartanburg plant, yet stock drops 39% in 2025 as EBIT margin forecast slashed to 1-3% due to China and Asia-Pacific challenges.

BMW is betting on humanoid employees to modernise its sprawling Spartanburg plant, but the same narrative of transformation has done little to arrest a punishing slide in the automaker’s stock. The shares closed Friday at €58.94, barely a whisker above the fresh 52-week trough of €58.40 hit earlier in the session, and have now lost roughly 39 percent since the start of 2025.

The centrepiece of the automation push is Figure 03, the latest generation of the humanoid robot developed by Figure AI. On June 25, BMW confirmed the robot would handle logistics inside the South Carolina factory: pulling components from bulk containers, sorting them into sequencing trolleys and preparing the parts for assembly. From there, automated guided vehicles or Smart Transport Robots carry the material directly to the assembly line. BMW calls the concept “Physical AI” — a fusion of digital models with physical robotic bodies. It sees the technology as a complement to existing automation, particularly for repetitive or ergonomically taxing tasks. No specific investment figures or earnings impacts were disclosed.

Figure 03 succeeds the Figure 02, which spent over ten months in Spartanburg last year and helped produce more than 30,000 units of the BMW X3. The new model is equipped with soft protective elements, wireless charging, voice communication and tactile sensors in its palms. Spartanburg itself is already a testbed for digital tools: BMW uses virtual 3D simulations, its BMW Virtual Factory and iFACTORY applications, and AIQX — a system that inspects quality via cameras and acoustic sensors, feeding back directly to workers through smart devices. BMW is evaluating whether to license AIQX to its suppliers.

But the robotics story stands in stark contrast to the financial reality. On June 13, BMW slashed its full-year EBIT margin forecast for the automotive segment from 4-6 percent to just 1-3 percent — effectively halving the mid-point. The company cites sustained weakness in China, intensifying competition across Asia-Pacific, the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict, and elevated energy prices. BMW also expects a slight decline in deliveries. The market’s reaction was brutal: the stock shed 3.31 percent on Friday alone, taking its decline from the December 2025 52-week high of €97.90 to nearly 40 percent.

Technically, the picture is dire. The 14-day relative strength index sits at 20.6, deep in oversold territory, and the price is trading roughly 29-30 percent below its 200-day moving average. Yet some analysts argue the sell-off has overshot. Goldman Sachs trimmed its price target from €107 to €84 but maintains a “Buy” rating, pointing to BMW’s strong net cash position in the industrial business. Bernstein Research also stays constructive with an “Outperform” rating and a target of €85.

BMW is attempting to regain narrative control with new product launches. On June 30, it will unveil the next-generation X5 in the United States. The model will be offered with five drivetrains — petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, battery-electric and hydrogen — and promises a roughly 40 percent reduction in its carbon footprint versus the previous generation. Additionally, a looming market shift could play into BMW’s hands: combustion-engine vehicles in Germany are expected to become cheaper than comparable battery-electric cars by June 2026, a scenario the company’s broad powertrain strategy is built to exploit.

Investors looking for the next hard data point will have to wait. BMW holds its pre-close conference call for the second quarter on July 10, with the full half-year report due on July 30. Until then, the Figure 03 robot will continue its work on the factory floor — a symbol of long-term ambition in the middle of short-term earnings pain.