BMW decides to cease production of electric Minis at its UK facility and instead manufacture them in China and Germany.
Electrical Minis in China
By the end of next year, BMW will cease production of around 40,000 electric Minis per annum at its Cowley, Oxfordshire plant, as part of a broader strategy to revamp Mini’s product lineup starting in 2024.
The first all-electric Mini was manufactured in Oxfordshire in July 2019. As Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Enterprise, Vitality, and Industrial Strategy, declared:
The iconic Oxford-made motorcar is a true delight to behold?
Oh, properly.
BMW has formed a strategic partnership with Chinese automotive manufacturer Nice Wall Motors to produce the electric versions of its Mini hatchback and small SUV models in Baoding, China. Will the electric Mini Aceman, slated for a 2024 debut, potentially roll off Chinese assembly lines?
BMW is relocating the production of its electric Countryman model to its Leipzig, Germany manufacturing facility.
The UK plant will manufacture a range of Mini Cooper models, including three-door, five-door, and convertible variants, for export to international markets like the US and Japan. According to a BMW representative, the company does not anticipate any impact on employment at its Cowley manufacturing facility. BMW has confirmed that it will continue to produce internal combustion engine-powered Mini models until at least the 2030s, despite increasing pressure to switch to electric powertrains.
Stefanie Würst, the newly appointed head of Mini, announced that BMW will be relocating its electric vehicle production to China due to “inefficiencies at the Cowley plant, which had been forced to manufacture both electric and gasoline-powered vehicles on a single assembly line.”
The city of Oxford will not be prepared to support electric vehicles. “Electrical Minis are long overdue for renovation and substantial investment,” she emphasized, citing the uncertainty surrounding their potential return to Oxford, adding “at this stage, there’s no concrete timeline in sight.”
Oxford has been asked whether the company might, at an unspecified point in the future, produce vehicles under its own brand akin to those of Great Wall Motors and Mini. In response, Oxford’s representative said, “Possibly.”
A spokesperson for NICE’s automotive division has revealed that discussions about the possibility of manufacturing their branded vehicles at the Cowley facility were indeed a subject of internal deliberation.
As Britishvolt’s financial woes deepen, the startup is scrambling to secure emergency funding, seeking a £200 million injection from carmakers and investors to stave off insolvency before Christmas.
Electrek’s Take
A year ago, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to support a £1 billion “electric vehicle revolution” in the UK at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. That plan is nowhere near being a priority on embattled Prime Minister Liz Truss’ agenda.
As turmoil ensues between BMW’s China-Germany announcement and the Conservative authorities’ precarious position on an hourly basis, it seems unlikely the UK will spearhead an electric vehicle revolution anytime soon, a significant letdown. Can Britishvolt truly endure without government support?
Had I been based in the UK, I would have opted for owning two Minis manufactured at Cowley, but my true desire was to own an electric Mini produced at Cowley as well, had circumstances allowed it. The Mini brand’s heritage stems from its British roots, yet it’s disheartening to see the Oxfordshire factory removed from the electric vehicle production pipeline. As a passionate advocate for local craftsmanship, regardless of my geographical location.
Can Nice’s manufacturing infrastructure accommodate an annual production of more than 40,000 electric Minis? Will they deliver these products from China to Europe and the US, thereby generating a multitude of carbon emissions across various transportation modes throughout the supply chain? Would a surge in Chinese production of BMWs lead to an influx of miniaturized electric vehicles in the market? We’ll just have to wait and see.
The MINI brand unveils a pioneering concept: the Aceman, an all-electric crossover that sets the stage for a fresh design direction.
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