PressClub South Africa · Article.
Fully electric and made in Germany: The next generation MINI Countryman.
Wed Apr 05 09:00:00 CEST 2023 Press Release
The new MINI Countryman combines electrified go-kart feeling with a minimal ecological footprint and continues the success story of the largest MINI model. The start of production at the BMW Group Plant Leipzig in November 2023 will be the first time a MINI model is produced in Germany.
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Hailey Philander
BMW Group
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Author.
Hailey Philander
BMW Group
As a stylish all-rounder and spacious everyday companion, the MINI
Countryman continues the MINI brand's product offensive of
all-electric models.
With five doors and a variable-use interior, the largest model
in the new MINI family of vehicles is leading the brand into an era of
locally emission-free electromobility. With its optional all-wheel
drive, the adventurer also ensures safe and unbridled driving pleasure
off the beaten track.
The first generation of the MINI Countryman was already an
instant success for MINI, and from 2010 it expanded the model family
to include a compact SUV vehicle with all-wheel drive, five doors and
- for the first time in a MINI model - over four meters in length. In
the first generation, the trunk of the versatile adventurer could be
flexibly expanded from 370 litres to up to 1,170 litres thanks to the
sliding and folding rear seat.
From 2017, the second-generation MINI Countryman featured the
MINI Cooper SE Countryman ALL4 as the first plug-in hybrid MINI model
to offer an additional 65 kW electric motor on the rear axle.
The new generation of the largest MINI model is fully electric
and locally emission-free. The MINI Countryman E delivers 140 kW,
whereas the MINI Countryman SE ALL4 is the brand's first
all-wheel-drive fully-electric vehicle. Two highly integrated drive
units on the front and rear axles together generate an output of 230
kW, including a temporary boost. The battery capacity is 64.7 kWh.
With an estimated range of around 450 kilometres, the MINI Countryman
feels just as comfortable in city centres as on longer distances
across the countryside. With the all-electric MINI Countryman, MINI is
further expanding the proportion of electrified models. Every fifth
MINI is already electric today.
With its length increased by 13 centimetres to 4,429 mm, the
spacious adventurer offers even more space and comfort for its
occupants. The height grew by almost six centimetres to now 1,613 mm,
offering even more headroom.
The new MINI Countryman combines locally emission-free
electromobility with the greatest possible environmental compatibility
in production as well. This includes dispensing with all decorative
elements in the exterior and interior and manufacturing the cast
light-alloy wheels from up to 70 percent secondary aluminium. In
combination with the use of green electricity in production, CO2
emissions can be significantly reduced compared with conventional
manufacturing processes.
The surfaces of the dashboards, steering wheel, vehicle
headliner and floor, and floor mats are made of recycled polyester
obtained from PET bottles and carpet remnants. This high-quality,
colourful and comfortable alternative to traditional materials reduces
CO2 emissions along the value chain by up to 85 percent and emphasises
the focus on minimising the ecological footprint of the next MINI
model generation.
The long-term sustainable strategy for energy generation and
consumption of the BMW Group's "green plant" at the Leipzig
site includes four wind turbines with a height of 190 meters on the
factory premises. This could generate 21.9 GWh of electricity from
wind energy in 2021. The plant's own storage farm can temporarily
store up to 700 high-voltage batteries from BMW i3 models. The BMW
Group is expanding on-site e-component production capacity by eight
production lines by 2024 and investing more than 800 million euros.
The complete decarbonisation of production by replacing fossil fuels
with hydrogen is the focus of what is already one of the most modern
and sustainable automotive production facilities in the world.
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 2022 was € 23.5 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.6 billion. As of 31 December 2022, the BMW Group had a workforce of 149,475 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.
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