Revealed; Production Date of The Last ICE MINI Cooper
As expected, today MINI announced it’s building the new all electric MINI Cooper in Oxford starting in 2026. The move will bring production of the car to the UK alongside a heavily refreshed ICE range of MINI Coopers that will form the swan-song for the band ICE offerings. When will the last ICE MINI roll-off the assembly line? Through sources we have uncovered the exact date.
Background – The Last ICE MINI
MINI just debuted two new all electric models in the last two weeks yet they aren’t letting go of internal combustion engines (ICE) yet. In 2024 MINI will heavily revising the F56 to create the dramatically refreshed F66. Why not an entirely new model? New cars are billions to develop and MINI can’t afford two all new Coopers.
The big investment was made on the all electric version (the J01) which we now have confirmation will be made not just in China but the UK starting in 2026. But MINI still needs to serve markets where the charging infrastructure and size mean EVs aren’t a single solution yet. The answer is an unprecedented move; two next generation MINI Coopers built (initially) on opposite ends of the planet on two different platforms.
As you can tell by its codename, the F66 is an evolution of the F56 which is shared a chassis with. However MINI is refreshing the exterior design to better match the all new J01 electric MINI Cooper. That means we’ll see revised lights front and rear and even a fractionally shortened front overhang. The key theme appears to be creating design consistency with the future of the brand – the all electric J01 MINI Cooper. The goal is clearly to unify the design language across all models allowing consumers to have a choice that feels strictly about the drivetrain and nothing else.
There will be three body styles and three levels of performance. However one key options missing will be the manual transmission.
| The New MINI Family | Drivetrain | Pricing | Start of Production |
| F66 MINI Cooper | 155 HP (Petrol) | TBD | 07/2024 |
| F66 MINI Cooper S | 200 HP (Petrol) | TBD | 07/2024 |
| F66 MINI Cooper JCW | 231 HP (Petrol) | TBD | 11/2024 |
| F65 MINI Cooper 5 Door | ICE (Petrol) | TBD | 07/2024 |
| F65 MINI Cooper S 5 Door | 200 HP (Petrol) | TBD | 07/2024 |
| F67 MINI Cooper Convertible | ICE (Petrol) | TBD | TBD |
| F67 MINI Cooper S Convertible | 200 HP (Petrol) | TBD | TBD |
| F67 MINI Cooper JCW Convertible | 231 HP (Petrol) | TBD | TBD |
You can read much more on our extensive report on the F66 ICE MINI here.
The Exact Date of the Last ICE MINI Ever
Now that you know MINI’s plans for its last ICE generation of cars, let’s dive into when production will end. In its release about the J01 electric MINI Cooper coming to the Oxford Plant, they mentioned only electric production would be happening there by 2030. But that’s a little misleading given what we know.
The last ICE MINI Cooper is currently scheduled to roll off the assembly line in Oxford on December 31st 2030. This is the current plan that MINI has defined internally and for its large Tier 1 suppliers. So while that date may seem arbitrary, you can bet a lot of planning as already taken place to define that date.
So of you’re already thinking about wanting one of the last petrol powered, ICE MINI Coopers, you’ll want to etch 12.31.30 into your memory now.
But there is one more petrol powered MINI – in fact it was just was released. The German made U25 MINI Countryman debuted in electric form last week but will have a ICE version sold alongside of it as well. Its end of production date, perhaps unsurprisingly is identical; 12.31.30. If that holds true MINI’s switch to electric will be a rather dramatic event with the end of production for ICE models happening simultaneously in two different countries.
For more coverage of the new generation MINI, check out the following articles and videos.
MINI Cooper EV: Premier | MINI Cooper EV: Hands-On Review | MINI Cooper EV: Video Review
MINI Countryman EV: Premier | MINI Countryman EV: Hands-On Review | MINI Countryman EV: Video Review
New MINI Family: 1st Look Video | MINI Circular Display & MINI OS9 Hands-On Review
The Chief Executive of BMW has warned that European Union (EU) plans to ban combustion engine vehicles are forcing European makers of cheaper cars into a price war with Chinese competitors.
“The base car market segment will either vanish or will not be done by European manufacturers,” said BMW boss Oliver Zipse, in reference to the rapid rise of Chinese electric car brands such as BYD.
China has emerged as the dominant force in the global transition to electric vehicles and currently has far greater access to much of the supply chain than the UK or US.
A slew of brands, primarily made up of electric carmakers including BYD, Tang, SAIC and Airways, have been looking into the Eurooean market and challenge traditional automakers.
In reference to the growing competition, Zipse said, “I want to send a message: I see that as an imminent risk,” according to comments made at Munich’s annual IAA Mobility conference and first reported by the Financial Times.
The EU has plans to to ban the sale of of combustion engine vehicles by 2035 but its automotive sector has voiced ongoing concern over the impact, particularly amid a lagging rollout of electric infrastructure and reduced access to critical minerals.
Zipse questioned whether the sector could meet the current deadline for a phase-out, arguing that European charging infrastructure was “far behind expectations”. “There are countries where they are not developing anything at all,” he added.
Meanwhile, China currently dominates the lithium market (a key component in battery making), holding around 60 to 90 per cent of the global processing share.
Estimates suggest the country also has a colossal 283 battery plants in the works or built, while the US has 34 and the UK just 2, including the new Tata Group plant.
Zipse, who took BMW’s helm in 2019, insisted he was “not worried” about the carmaker and claimed it had not been impacted by the aggressive price wars in the country between major manufacturers such as Telsa and BYD
So if BMW builds the J01 in the UK in 2026 does that mean the US will get it at around the same time? I was hoping for 2025, but I guess that’s not feasible.
If we look at Euro to USD conversions the new MINI is going to be quite expensive, even the base trim Cooper E (potentially more in 2.5 years). Will this vehicle ever qualify for the US $7,500 EV point-of-sale rebate?