MINI’s Oxford Plant Construction Approved For J01 MINI Cooper Production
MINI has officially been given the green light for construction to the Oxford Plant which is set to be radically transformed ahead of electric vehicle production. This move will allow MINI to produce the new generation of electric MINI Cooper along with the forthcoming Aceman in the UK.
The result will see the J01 MINI Cooper and J05 MINI Aceman being built along side the ICE powered F66 MINI Cooper family starting in 2026. This should allow the next generation electric MINIs to be sold in markets like North America around that timeframe.
The plans include demolishing two of its building giving the plant more room to expand as its output increases. It also will extend its integrated logistics center and another logistics building on site.
The investment will total £600m and will ensure future growth, future-proofing the plan and safeguarding jobs for the area.
Currently the MINI Oxford Planet plant employs more than 3,400 employees and can build up to 1,000 MINIs a day.
For a look at how MINI Coopers are made at the plant currently, make sure to check out our video tour.
This is exciting news. After watching those videos on the Oxford Plant I’m even more impressed with where MINI is headed, especially the blend of automation and human quality control.
I just wish other companies could pivot as fast as Chinese companies do. Tesla’s Giga Shanghai went from a watermelon field to factory in less than a year! Now it’s not only serving multiple Asian countries, but it also exports to Europe and Canada as well.
BMW/MINI should be retooling factories in North America to produce their full lineup of EVs if they ever hope to be competitive in that space in the US. Otherwise they’ll have a distinct disadvantage as their vehicles won’t qualify for the $7,500 EV point-of-sale rebate starting in 2024.
The longer they wait the more time their competitors have to design, produce, and ramp more affordable vehicles and locally-sourced batteries. Chevy’s redesigned Bolt could arrive in 2025 and Tesla is supposedly further along than many realized with its robotaxi/$25K vehicle.
Even Fiat is trying to beat MINI to the punch by releasing the Fiat 500e in the US, after pulling out of the market years ago due to poor sales. I think they’re doomed to fail again though, because they don’t qualify for the rebate either.
I want MINI to succeed and be a viable option in the world’s EV future, including the US market.
Great to hear but 2026 is so far away. Disappointing that they don’t have an interim solution for the USA figured out.
The UK will probably get their homegrown MINI EVs in the Summer of 2026. The US probably won’t get them until Spring of 2027 (over 3 years from now). You could always lease the current MINI Cooper SE until then. I’m considering it myself IF my apartment complex’s garages have outlets. You have to rent them separately.
This is wonderful news! I can’t wait I know it won’t be for a while but to me 26 or 27 isn’t nearly as far as 2029, which I was worried how long it would be for the US to get a new electric mini made in England. Wouldn’t really want a mini made anywhere else.