Well… today was another AWESOME day in Germany! We had two company visits today, first with Webasto and second with BMW. Both are German companies with involvement in the automotive industry. Webasto produces roof units for various car companies, alongside charging solutions for electric vehicles and heating solutions for vehicles. BMW produces automobiles (if you didn’t know that already), as well as batteries for electric vehicles. Both companies were excellent hosts, and offered us plenty of information.

At Webasto, we were treated to drinks prior to learning about their production line and goals for the future. Sustainability is a key value of Webasto, and they are working to implement this into their supply chain and resources. I find their commitment to their values admirable. We then toured their extensive testing facility, where they experiment with prototype car roofs. Webasto has a variety of machines for testing, including UV stations, massive shakers, impact testers, and audio testers. These machines allow Webasto to make sure that every roof they produce is of fine quality and safety rated.

Later in the day, we traveled to Munich where we visited BMW. As one of the most well-respected car brands in the world, BMW lived up to their reputation and provided us with an awesome inside look at their production facility. The level of automation here was incredible, as mechanized arms grabbed heavy metal car frames and moved them as if they were weightless. The level of precisions these machines were able to achieve was incredible. They reminded me of the little robot from Tony Starks garage in the Iron Man movies (for all my Marvel fans reading this).

Finally, we toured the BMW museum, which also was incredible. BMW has a long and interesting history. In summary, BMW started as a company which produced airplane engines, and then began producing motorcycles. They then acquired a German automobile company, and began producing cars. BMW followed this trajectory to land where they are today. The museum had plenty to look at, including some eye-popping classic cars.

This phrase is becoming pretty common in my posts, but I had a lot of fun today. I might have to buy a house out here. I like this place too much to leave!