On 11th September the BMW group announced a £600 million investment in the development of their Oxford manufacturing plant for all-electric MINI production in the UK. The next generation EVs will include the MINI Cooper 3-door and the compact crossover MINI Aceman. This comes as a vote of confidence for the UK EV industry.

MINI’s all electric future stays connected to the UK

This investment dispels any doubts about the future of the quintessential car brand in the UK. It marks a change on a decision the BMW group made last year to move all EV production to China, one that had caused outrage. The decision ensures MINI’s 110-year legacy in Oxford and signifies a resolute step towards full electrification by 2030. However, this change was possibly inevitable when considering MINI’s history and heritage as well as strict UK government ICE phasing out targets. To ensure long-term viability, the production had to transition to next generation EVs, or eventually, the plant would have faced closure.

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