The electric Mini will be produced in China in the future

Since 2000, the Mini has been manufactured at a single location: Oxford (United Kingdom). BMW will launch the new generation of the Mini in 2023. A very important change compared to the current generation is that the 100% electric version will be relocated from the UK (Oxford) to China (Zhangjiagang), mimicking Mercedes' strategy for the electric Smart, which is being relocated from France and Slovenia to China. These relocations were likely decided due to lower labor costs in China and the much larger market for 100% electric cars (BEVs) in China than in Europe. For example, the Chinese electric car market will be 4.5 million units in 2022, compared to only 1.3 million units in Europe, three times less. And the gap between the two markets will continue to widen due to the strong growth of BEV sales in China. So there is the possibility of selling three out of every four electric cars produced in China, which is an argument that should not be underestimated.


The electric Mini, to be launched in 2023, will be produced by a JV linking BMW with China's Great Wall Motors, which has not yet had the opportunity to work with a foreign carmaker, as SAIC, FAW, Dongfeng, BAIC, Chery or GAC have long done.


This JV's plant in Zhangjiagang, near Shanghai, is designed to produce 160,000 electric Mini per year, while the UK plant in Oxford currently produces 40,000 Mini per year, representing 20% of Mini sales. By contrast, the next-generation electric Countryman, scheduled for 2023, will be made at the German plant in Leipzig. Today, this version is not yet available, as the Countryman is only available with an internal combustion engine and as a plug-in hybrid.


22-26-2
 
    
 

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