PressClub Canada · Article.
MINI Plant Oxford goes Electric: £600m investment for all-electric MINI production in the UK.
Mon Sep 11 12:00:00 CEST 2023 Press Release
Investment will transform MINI Plant Oxford to an all-electric production site from 2030. Production of two new electrified models – MINI Cooper 3-door and MINI Aceman - will start in the UK in 2026.
Press Contact.
Marc Belcourt
BMW Group
Tel: +1-905-428-5078
Fax: +1-905-428-5071
send an e-mail
Author.
Marc Belcourt
BMW Group
Oxford. BMW Group has announced today a new
investment of more than £600 million in the MINI factories at Oxford
and Swindon. “With this new investment we will develop the Oxford
plant for production of the new generation of electric MINIs and set
the path for purely electric car manufacturing in the future,” says
Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG
responsible for production.
The Oxford plant is gearing-up to build two new all-electric
MINI models from 2026, the MINI Cooper 3-door and the compact
crossover MINI Aceman. By 2030 production volume will be exclusively
electric and the BMW Group will have spent over £3bn on its Swindon,
Hams Hall and Oxford plants since 2000.
This development has been
supported by the UK Government and will help to secure jobs at the
Oxford manufacturing plant and at the body-pressing facility in Swindon.
Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch says, “This decision
is a big vote of confidence in the UK economy and the work of this
Government to ensure the continued strength of our world-leading
automotive sector. We are proud to be able to support BMW Group’s
investment, which will secure high-quality jobs, strengthen our supply
chains and boost Britain’s economic growth.”
Oxford to remain the Home of MINI.
The Oxford plant celebrated its 110th anniversary this year and
has been successfully producing the current MINI Electric since 2019,
where it is fully integrated into the production line with the
conventional (ICE) models.
Stefanie Wurst, Head of the MINI brand, says, “MINI has always
been aware of its history – Oxford is and remains the heart of the
brand. I am delighted that the two new, fully electric MINI models –
the MINI Cooper and MINI Aceman – are also being produced in Oxford,
thereby confirming our path to a fully electric future. The continuing
high demand for our locally emission-free vehicles shows the openness
of the global MINI community to electromobility, which we will be able
to serve optimally, also thanks to Oxford”.
MINI accelerates toward full electrification with new model
line-up and enhanced production network.
The MINI
Plant Oxford currently produces the MINI 3-door, the MINI 5-door as
well as the MINI Clubman and the MINI Electric. From 2024 the plant
will start producing the next generation MINI 3-door and MINI 5-door
with combustion engines, as well as the new MINI Convertible, before
they are joined by the new all-electric vehicles in 2026 – the MINI
Cooper 3-door and the MINI Aceman.
The factory will reach a production capacity of around 200,000
cars per year in the medium term, with ICE and battery electric
vehicles initially being built on the same production line. From 2030,
the Oxford Plant will produce all-electric MINI models exclusively.
In a few weeks, production of the new MINI Countryman will begin
at the BMW Group plant Leipzig. This larger crossover model in the
MINI line-up, will be offered with both pure electric drive and
combustion engines.
Production of the next generation all-electric MINI Cooper
3-door and MINI Aceman will begin in China. The new manufacturing
plant in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province is based on a joint venture
with Great Wall Motor. Exports will begin in early 2024.
In case of queries, please contact:
Corporate Communications
Julian Kisch, Spokesperson Product Communications MINI
Phone:
+49-151-60138072
E-mail: julian.kisch@mini.com
Andreas Lampka, Head of Communications MINI
Phone:
+49-175-4381050
E-mail: andreas.lampka@mini.com
Martina Hatzel, Spokesperson Production Network BMW
Group
Phone: +49-151-60111966
E-mail: Martina.Hatzel@bmwgroup.com