BMW’s move to produce electric Mini in China a chance for German carmaker to attract young buyers, say analysts

Spotlight Automotive, BMW’s 50-50 venture with Great Wall Motor, will initially manufacture two electric Mini models

Sales of electric Minis on the mainland rose 5.2 per cent year on year to 30,546 units last year

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BMW produces 40,000 Mini electric cars in Cowley, UK. Photo: Handout

Published: 7:30am, 18 Oct 2022

BMW’s plan to relocate production of electric Mini cars from the UK to China will help the brand raise its profile and attract young buyers, as the century-old carmaker aims for a bigger share in the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) market, analysts said.

The German carmaker said it was moving some of its Mini production from its Cowley plant in Oxford to China next year. But BMW insisted that Oxford will “remain at the heart of Mini production”.

Spotlight Automotive, a 50-50 venture between BMW and its Chinese partner Great Wall Motor, will begin assembling electric Mini cars in Zhangjiagang, in eastern Jiangsu province next year, BMW had announced last November.

“The end of electric Mini production in Oxford represents a strategic shift in BMW’s focus to the mammoth Chinese EV market,” said Gao Shen, an independent analyst in Shanghai. “The compact electric car segment has great potential in China, and BMW’s Mini is a brand worth the attention given the popularity of its internal combustion engine products.”

BMW acquired Mini in 1994 when it bought the Rover Group. Photo: dpa

Mini has been manufactured in Oxford since 1913, with BMW acquiring the marque in 1994 when it bought the Rover Group.