Mini delays EV production in UK, citing industry uncertainties

Mini’s China-based EV production strategy was always a bit of a bold move. With mounting global tensions and citing “multiple uncertainties facing the automotive industry” in an Autocar UK interview, the BMW-owned automaker has pressed pause on gearing up production for EVs at its Oxford, England plant. Mini is the latest automaker to alter a formerly clear-cut electrification strategy.

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Mini turned down a £60 million ($76 million) grant, highlighting EV uncertainty

Circa 2023, Mini had a clear path forward for electrification. EV production for their EV Cooper and Aceman models would begin in China. Meanwhile, the Oxford plant—the original home of Morris Motors and where the brand has built vehicles for decades—would be retooled, an endeavor that has already cost over £600 million ($760 million). Mini targeted 2026 as a goal for European production to supplant the Chinese factories.

Production in China allowed Mini to manufacture vehicles quickly and inexpensively, but it couldn’t serve as a long-term solution if Mini wanted to sell their iconic Cooper models in the US. When you consider faltering EV sales, taking time to “review” the timeline certainly makes sense. Also important to note is that while Mini left a significant grant on the table, the brand reportedly remains “in close dialogue” with the government, according to the BBC.

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Mini’s murky road forward: Countryman EV and Leipzig electrification

While the Aceman never had a planned US arrival, the latest developments seriously call into question whether the US shores will ever see the current generation of electric Mini Cooper. A planned introduction to the market coinciding with Oxford production implied that we would see it stateside for the 2027 model year, already nearly halfway through the product’s life cycle. Any later than that and skepticism regarding profitability becomes reasonable.

Stateside Mini shoppers looking for an electric MINI are forced to consider the only one available: the Countryman EV. Those vehicles are produced at BMW’s Leipzig plant, where the model will remain in production as it has since January 2024.

Mini’s electric future in the US is even more muddled when you consider the current president’s penchant for tariffs. Oxford production may have already been a long shot with speculation that Trump could implement a 25 percent tariff on EU-produced cars.

That would spell bad news for the Countryman EV, too, which is already the most expensive in its segment. After delivery fees, the little SUV touts a supersized sticker price of $46,375, around $200 more than the Volvo EX30, its closest competitor.

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Final thoughts

The irony that Mini’s only electric offering in the US is an SUV can’t really be understated. Never say never, but the electric Mini Cooper is all but kaput for us, which is a tremendous shame. Since the Aceman coming stateside was never on the table, Mini’s current electrification strategy – particularly in the US – can be essentially summed up with a shrug emoji. It’s disappointing, especially for a brand that made its name on small, light, and engaging cars that seemed the perfect candidates for electrification.

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