Hyperdrive
BMW Reviews £600 Million Investment in UK to Make Electric Minis
- Carmaker intended to reintroduce EV mini production in Oxford
- Plans on ice due to uncertainties in the automotive industry
The production line at BMW AG's Mini final assembly plant in Cowley near Oxford, UK.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
German carmaker BMW AG is reviewing plans to reintroduce battery-electric Mini production in the UK, due to uncertainties facing the automotive industry.
The decision represents a U-turn for the group, which in 2023 announced it was investing £600 million ($758 million) including in the Oxford plant where the Mini brand originated to make electric models, backed by a grant from the UK government to prop up the country’s car industry. The carmaker was planning to start production of electric vehicles by 2026 and shift the plant to all-EV production from 2030 onward — a timeline that’s now called into question by the latest announcement.