BMW is preparing its factories in the UK for full production of electric cars

The BMW Group will invest more than £600 million (€699 million) in its MINI plants in Oxford and Swindon (UK) to convert them into a fully electric production center from 2030.

“With this new investment we want to prepare the Oxford plant for the production of the new generation of electric MINIs and pave the way for the manufacture of purely electric cars in the future,” explained a responsible member of the BMW Board of Directors. Production Milan Nedeljkovic said in a statement.

In this way, the Oxford plant is preparing to build two new fully electric MINI models from 2026, the three-door MINI Cooper and the MINI Aceman compact crossover. The plant currently produces the MINI three-door, the MINI five-door, as well as the MINI “Clubman” and the MINI “Electric”.

In the medium term, the factory will reach a production capacity of about 200,000 cars annually, and initially combustion and battery-powered electric cars will be manufactured on the same production line.

All this, with the aim of production volume in 2030 being exclusively electric, following an investment estimated by the BMW Group at £3,000 million (€3,500 million) in its factories in Swindon, Hams Hall and Oxford since 2000.

The BMW Group noted that this development has been supported by the UK Government and will help secure jobs at the Oxford manufacturing plant and at the vehicle body pressing facilities in Swindon.

In this regard, the UK Secretary of State for Trade and Business, Kemi Badenoch, expressed his “pride” in supporting the BMW Group’s investment, which will ensure “high-quality jobs, strengthen the country’s supply chains and strengthen the British economy.” growth.