BMW And The UK Government Cooperate To Keep Mini Production In The UK

Mini Cooper SE at Okford. (Doc. BMW Group)

JAKARTA - BMW Group has announced a new investment of more than 600 million pounds or Rp11.5 trillion at the MINI plant in Oxford and Swindon which is fully supported by the British government.

"With this new investment we will develop an Oxford factory for the production of a new generation of electric MINI and pave the way for the manufacturing of pure electric cars in the future," said Milan Nedeljkovi totaling, a member of the BMW AG Management Board in charge of production, in a company release, September 11.

The Oxford plant will be updated to produce the new three-door Mini Cooper EV, as well as the existing Aceman crossover model Clubman. Meanwhile, the body compression facility in Swindon will also be updated in order to accommodate these new models.

Stefanie Wurst, the head of the MINI brand, said MINI is always aware of its history where Oxford is and will remain the heart of the brand.

"I am pleased that two new fully electric MINI MINI Cooper and MINI Aceman models are also produced in Oxford, thus affirming our path to a fully electric future," he added.

Starting in 2024, the Oxford Mini Factory will also start producing the next generation of three-door Mini Cooper and five-door combustion engines. They will also produce the latest Convertible model.

It is said that the Oxford factory will only reach full production capacity by 2026. This factory will produce around 200,000 cars annually, both with internal combustion engines (ICE) and electric vehicles (BEVs) built on the same platform.

Then starting in 2030, the Oxford Factory will switch to production of only electric vehicles, and Mini will be a fully electric brand.

Factories in China have also been built specifically for electric models, so Mini will no longer have an ICE factory. Electric three-door Mini Cooper and Aceman will be produced in China, to be precise at Mini and Great Wall Motors factories at Zhangjiagang. Exports from China will begin in 2024.

Meanwhile, in a few weeks, the production of the new MINI Countryman will also begin at the BMW Group Leipzig factory. This larger crossover model in the MINI lineup, will be offered with pure electric drive and combustion engine.

According to an AutoExpress report, September 11, of the 600 million investment, around 75 million or around IDR 1.4 trillion was financed by the British Government to secure jobs in the two factories.

This decision is a form of great trust in the UK economy and the Government's efforts to ensure the sustainability of the world's leading automotive sector. We are proud to be able to support the BMW Group's investment, which will ensure high quality employment, strengthen our supply chain, and increase British economic growth," said Kemi Badenoch, UK Minister of Business and Trade.