BMW Group has announced a new investment of over £600 million in the MINI factories at Oxford and Swindon. The goal is to develop the Oxford plant for the production of the next generation of electric MINIs and pave the way for future electric car manufacturing. Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for production, stated, “With this new investment we will develop the Oxford plant for production of the new generation of electric MINIs and set the path for purely electric car manufacturing in the future.”
The Oxford plant is preparing to manufacture two new all-electric MINI models, the MINI Cooper 3-door and the compact crossover MINI Aceman, starting from 2026. By 2030, the production volume will be exclusively electric. BMW Group has already invested over £3 billion in its Swindon, Hams Hall, and Oxford plants since 2000. The UK Government has been supportive of this development, as it aims to secure jobs at the Oxford manufacturing plant and the body-pressing facility in Swindon.
Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch expressed her confidence in the UK economy and the government’s efforts to strengthen the automotive sector. She said, “We are proud to be able to support BMW Group’s investment, which will secure high-quality jobs, strengthen our supply chains, and boost Britain’s economic growth.”
The Oxford plant, celebrating its 110th anniversary this year, has been producing the current MINI Electric since 2019 alongside conventional models. According to Stefanie Wurst, Head of the MINI brand, Oxford remains the heart of the MINI brand. She stated, “The continuing high demand for our locally emission-free vehicles shows the openness of the global MINI community to electromobility, which we will be able to serve optimally, also thanks to Oxford.”
The MINI Plant Oxford currently manufactures the MINI 3-door, the MINI 5-door, the MINI Clubman, and the MINI Electric. From 2024, the plant will produce the next generation MINI 3-door and MINI 5-door with combustion engines, as well as the new MINI Convertible. In 2026, the plant will introduce the all-electric MINI Cooper 3-door and MINI Aceman. Initially, both internal combustion engine (ICE) and battery electric vehicles will be built on the same production line, with a production capacity of approximately 200,000 cars per year. However, from 2030, the Oxford Plant will exclusively produce all-electric MINI models.
In addition, the new MINI Countryman, a larger crossover model, will begin production at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig in a few weeks. The MINI Countryman will be available with both pure electric drive and combustion engines. Production of the next generation all-electric MINI Cooper 3-door and MINI Aceman will commence in China through a joint venture with Great Wall Motor, with exports expected to start in early 2024.