BMW will also be building the electric Mini in England in the future with government support. The Munich car manufacturer announced on Monday that more than 600 million pounds (560 million euros) would be invested in the Swindon and Oxford locations. From 2026, the two new fully electric models Mini Cooper as a three-door and Mini Aceman will be built there.
The government in London supports the conversion of the plants. BMW will secure 4,000 jobs through the investment, said Economics Minister Kemi Badenoch (43). In addition, supply chains would be strengthened and economic growth would be stimulated. The decision is a vote of confidence in the British economy.
BMW explained that initially electric and conventionally powered vehicles will be produced together in the more than 100-year-old factory. From 2030 onwards, only electric cars will be built. In total, BMW will then have invested more than three billion pounds in the Swindon, Hams Hall and Oxford plants. BMW boss Oliver Zipse (59) had repeatedly warned in the past against rushing the shift to mobility and was against an early phase-out of combustion engines Germany pronounced. The supposed one “Electric brakes” Zipse also promotes the development of new electric models.
Mini only electric from 2030 – first E-Minis from China from 2024
The Munich-based company has already announced that it will only produce Mini and Rolls-Royce electric cars by 2030. In addition to the English factories, Mini has a production facility in China; A model is also being built at the BMW factory in Leipzig. In the People’s Republic, the electric mini models are manufactured in a joint venture with Great Wall Motor and are expected to be exported worldwide from the beginning of 2024.
The government in London did not give any figures as to how much money it would provide to BMW for converting the systems. Total investment in the automotive sector in recent years has amounted to over £6 billion, it said.
Just two months ago, the Indian Tata Group announced that it would spend the equivalent of 4.6 billion euros on the construction of a battery plant Great Britain to stick. Experts see the move by Jaguar Land Rover’s parent company as crucial for the continued survival of the British car industry in the electric age.