PressClub South Africa · Article.
The first MINI "Made in Germany": BMW Group Plant Leipzig prepares production of the all-electric MINI Countryman.
Wed Mar 01 00:01:00 CET 2023 Press Release
The new, fully electric MINI model generation continues to grow: in 2023, production of the new MINI Countryman will begin at the BMW Group plant Leipzig. The crossover model will be offered with both pure electric drive and combustion engines. Preparations for the start of production of the first MINI "Made in Germany" are already in full swing.
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BMW Group
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Author.
Hailey Philander
BMW Group
Leipzig. MINI's fully electric future will start in
2023 with, among others, the new MINI Countryman at the BMW Group
plant in Leipzig. This will be the first time that a MINI model is
produced entirely in Germany. The locally emission-free all-rounder is
an excellent fit for the BMW Group's sustainable production site in
Leipzig, one of the most modern and sustainable automotive factories
in the world. As the company's pilot project for establishing a
"green plant," a long-term, sustainable strategy for energy
generation and consumption comes into play here.
"We are delighted to be able to hand over the first MINI
"Made in Germany" to our customers in a CO2-neutral manner
thanks to the plant's sustainable energy supply. In this way, the new
all-electric MINI Countryman demonstrates what the brand stands for:
electrified go-kart feeling and a strong focus on a minimal
environmental footprint," says Stefanie Wurst, Head of MINI.
Petra Peterhaensel as Plant Director and Sonja Hengstler as
Project Manager for the new MINI Countryman are responsible in Leipzig
for the transformation toward more electromobility and sustainable
production of the E-components, as well as the entire vehicles. A core
workforce of 5,600 employees produces around 1,000 vehicles every day.
The new MINI Countryman comes off the production line in Leipzig
together with the BMW 1 Series, BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé and BMW 2
Series Active Tourer. This makes the location the first plant at which
vehicles of the BMW and MINI brands are manufactured together, once
again demonstrating maximum flexibility.
Electromobility as a driver.
The expansion of electromobility is an integral part of the BMW
Group's sustainability strategy. Today, one in five MINI models is
already electrified, a testament to MINI fans' enthusiasm for locally
emission-free driving fun. The next major milestone and stimulus for
the plant is the production of the new MINI Countryman, which will
roll off the production line in Leipzig from the end of this year. The
high-voltage batteries for the all-electric MINI Countryman will then
come from the plant's own production facilities.
To this end, the BMW Group is expanding its capacities for
e-component production at the Leipzig site by eight production lines
by 2024 and investing more than 800 million euros. The future
production area of 150,000 square meters on which E-components will be
manufactured represents a sustainable investment in the future
viability of the Leipzig plant. The expansion is associated with job
security and even job growth. By 2024, more than 1,000 employees are
to be employed in E-component production.
Long-term commitment to
sustainability.
Sustainability is in the genes of the
plant Leipzig. Part of the energy required for automotive production
can be generated by four wind turbines 190 meters high directly on the
Leipzig plant site. In 2021, 21.9 GWh of electricity was generated
from wind power. This corresponds to the annual electricity
consumption of over 5,000 3-person households. Since 2017, the
electricity generated can be temporarily stored in the battery storage
farm housing up to 700 high-voltage batteries from BMW i3 models.
"Our Leipzig vision is the complete decarbonisation of
production by replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen. At the BMW Group
plant in Leipzig, we are the first automotive plant in the world to
use a newly developed burner technology in our paint shop that can use
green hydrogen instead of natural gas. Hydrogen has already been used
in plant logistics since 2013. Today, five hydrogen filling stations
provide energy for over 130 fuel cell-powered industrial trucks, the
largest fleet in Germany," emphasises Plant Director Petra Peterhaensel.
As the brand's largest model, the all-electric MINI Countryman leads the new MINI family into an era of locally emission-free electromobility. The transformation to an all-electric brand by 2030 begins with this model generation. Thanks to space-saving components such as the particularly flat high-voltage battery, which is also produced at the BMW Group Plant Leipzig, the MINI Countryman will offer additional space and even greater comfort in the future.
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2022, the BMW Group sold nearly 2.4 million passenger vehicles and more than 202,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2021 was € 16.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 111.2 billion. As of 31 December 2021, the BMW Group had a workforce of 118,909 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.