It’s been 4 months for the reason that BMW Group kicked off manufacturing of the brand new MINI Countryman with combustion engines. Now, the absolutely electrical model is rolling off the meeting line on the identical manufacturing facility in Leipzig. The German plant is placing collectively the not-so-mini crossover after a choice was made a couple of years in the past to deliver manufacturing in-house. The previous-generation mannequin got here to life in Born, The Netherlands the place it was manufactured by VDL Nedcar.

The electrical Countryman is made the place the i3 was once constructed till 2022 when BMW ended manufacturing of the quirky hatchback after 9 years and 250,000 items. It’s probably not a direct successor as a real entry-level mannequin from the BMW Group isn’t due till seemingly 2027 or 2028 as a yet-to-be-confirmed i1. The closest factor to an attainable EV proper now could be the MINI 3-Door, which is presently made solely in China, with manufacturing in Oxford, UK to start out in 2026.

The brand new electrical Countryman picks up the place the outdated plug-in hybrid left off. For the brand new technology, BMW has determined to eschew the PHEV model altogether. The purpose for 2024 is to assemble almost 500 items per day, together with these with combustion engines. That’s on prime of the 800 autos produced each day at Leipzig the place the 1 Collection, 2 Collection Energetic Tourer, and a pair of Collection Gran Coupe are additionally made.

Set to get replaced by new-generation fashions later this 12 months, the hatchback and sedan are supplied strictly with combustion engines. The minivan is the one mannequin of the 4 compact automobiles that may be had as a PHEV. BMW has been upgrading the Leipzig plant since 2018 to spice up its annual manufacturing capability by 100,000 to 350,000 items.

To make it occur, greater than 900 jobs are being added in manufacturing, bringing the workforce complete to about 7,000 individuals on the finish of the 12 months. An evening shift shall be added this September, which implies the Leipzig manufacturing facility will produce automobiles across the clock. On the identical facility, BMW additionally makes the batteries for the electrical Countryman, which is obtainable in front- and all-wheel-drive variations because the single-motor E and dual-motor SE ALL4.

Supply: MINI