BMW has announced that production of the all electric Mini will cease in 2023, when the company will be moving it to China instead. We reported last week that BMW is bringing production of the Mini Cooper Convertible back to Oxford next year, but at the same time moving Mini Electric production to China instead. Going forward, the Cowley factory will build Mini Cooper three-door and five-door Hatch models, as well as the Mini Convertible from 2025. All of these will be combustion only, however.
Currently, BMW produces around electric 40,000 Minis at the plant in Cowley, Oxford and the factory will instead be used to produce combustion only models designed for export to US, Japan and the Middle East. Production of combustion Minis will not stop until the 2030s, when the ban on new combustion car sales comes into play, for the UK at least.
BMW has entered into a new joint venture with Chinese car company, Great Wall Motor meaning new upcoming Mini Electric models will be produced in east China, as well as the new upcoming electric Mini Aceman SUV. There is some speculation that BMW is gearing up to sell the Cowley plant to Great Wall Motor, but this remains to be seen.
