MINI Passes Oxford to All-Electric

MINI continues its independence from China and invests 700 million euros in an entirely electric production facility in the United Kingdom.

The Oxford plant celebrates its 110th anniversary this year and has been successfully producing the current MINI Cooper SE since 2019. This model is fully integrated into the production line alongside conventional (ICE) models. By 2030, the brand plans to transform its historic factory into a facility dedicated entirely to electric cars. The goal is, of course, to refocus its industrial activity in Europe while the brand still relies on its Chinese manufacturing units. If the schedule is maintained, the production of two new 100% electric models, the MINI Cooper and the MINI Aceman, will begin in the UK in 2026.

History of Oxford

Since 2000, BMW Group, owner of the MINI brand, has invested over 3 billion pounds in its factories in Swindon, Hams Hall, and Oxford. By 2030, production will be exclusively electric. This development is supported by the UK government and will help secure jobs at the Oxford manufacturing plant and at the body-in-white factory in Swindon.

The factory will reach a production capacity of around 200,000 vehicles per year in the medium term, with both combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles assembled on the same production line. From 2030 onwards, the Oxford plant will produce more than just MINI models, focusing entirely on electric vehicles.

MINI Still Dependent on China

While the site becomes fully operational, production of the next generation of 3-door MINI Cooper and the fully electric MINI Aceman will start in China to begin exports in early 2024. The new Zhangjiagang manufacturing plant, in Jiangsu Province, is a joint venture with Great Wall Motor.

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