Oxford to build new Mini Electric from 2023
The new-generation Mini Electric will be built in the UK after all, CAR magazine can exclusively reveal. An announcement is imminent, with BMW executives believed to be meeting this week to rubber-stamp the decision.
The Plant Oxford factory will switch over to build the new three- and five-door Mini hatches this year. The three-door will be available as a pure electric model, or with 1.5-litre three-cylinder or 2.0-litre four-pot petrol engines.
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But didn’t BMW say Plant Oxford would lose the Mini Electric?
Mini boss Stefanie Wurst (below, with new Countryman) said last autumn that while the next Mini Cabriolet would return to Oxford (it’s currently assembled in the Netherlands), the next wave of electric cars were set to be built in China.
That’s certainly true: BMW has established a joint-venture with Great Wall Motors (GWM) called Spotlight Automotive, and production of the Aceman crossover is confirmed for the Jiangsu factory.
However a source told CAR that with Mini’s volume target rising from 293,000 to 500,000 annual sales by 2030, and with Mini pledging to be all-electric by the end of that year, it would need more electric factories.
Other plants in the BMW network were invited to make a case for investment, and Plant Oxford made the winning argument.
An electric Mini is good news for UK manufacturing
It’s great news for UK plc, with tooling being installed to build models underpinned by the new A0 architecture shared with Great Wall: the new Ora Funky Cat is based on this components set.
The all-new electric Mini Cabriolet, which goes into production in 2025, will also be offered as a zero emissions model.
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