BMW cited “multiple uncertainty” concerning industry concerning its decision to postpone the production of electricity production to its Oxford factory
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by Brad Anderson
February 24, 2025 at 05:27
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- BMW has already engaged more than $ 750 million to improve the emblematic installation of Oxford of Mini.
- The site will produce the electric version of the Mini Cooper and the new Mini Aceman.
- The automaker will not accept a subsidy of 60 million pounds from the British government.
While sales of electric vehicles continue to grow worldwide and are expected to reach record heights this year, demand has not equaled the expectations of many car manufacturers. This has forced a number of brands to make production changes and delay investments. The last to follow is BMW, who announced that he would delay his plans to start producing the mini All-Electric in the United Kingdom.
While Mini already built an EV, it was also to be manufactured in the Oxford historic factory of the company from 2026. In 2023, BMW announced an investment of 600 million pounds Sterling ($ 758 million) In the site to allow him to start building the three-DOOR mini cooper EV and the mini Aceman. By 2030, the factory was to go entirely to EV production.
Read: Future Mini-EVS could go RWD thanks to BMW
However, BMW says that it delays the introduction of these new models to the Oxford factory and has also decided not to accept a subsidy of 60 million pounds sterling ($ 76 million) from the British government to help its production plans.
“Plant Oxford is at the heart of the mini-production, manufacturing and export of a range of models, which are sought in in the United Kingdom and in the world,” BMW said in a press release. “However, given the multiple uncertainties faced by the automotive industry, the BMW group is currently examining the reintroduction calendar of battery mini-production in Oxford.
“We have informed the British government of our decision to examine the calendar of reintroduction of battery electricity production in Oxford. As part of this discussion, we agreed not to take the grant announced previously, but we remain a close dialogue on our future plans. »»
BMW did not provide any indication as to the production of electric models in Oxford could begin. However, he said that he continued to use the investments announced before to “return the factory to the future” and undertake to establish a new “advanced logistics center”, reports the BBC.
