All New Mini Countryman Going (more) German: To Be Built in Germany

BMW Group's plant in Leipzig is set to begin production of the new MINI Countryman in 2023, marking the first time a MINI model will be entirely produced in Germany. The all-rounder will be available in both pure electric drive and combustion engines, and the plant's sustainable energy supply will allow the first MINI "Made in Germany" to be handed over to customers in a CO2-neutral manner. The plant's core workforce of 5,600 employees will produce around 1,000 vehicles every day, including the BMW 1 Series, BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé, and BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, making it the first plant where BMW and MINI brand vehicles are manufactured together.

The BMW Group is expanding its e-component production capacities by eight production lines at the Leipzig site by 2024, investing over 800 million euros in the process. The future production area of 150,000 square meters will produce E-components, making it a sustainable investment in the plant's future viability. The expansion is expected to create job security and even job growth, with more than 1,000 employees to be employed in E-component production by 2024.

Sustainability is a key factor at the plant, and part of the energy required for automotive production is generated by four wind turbines on the plant site. In 2021, 21.9 GWh of electricity was generated from wind power, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of over 5,000 3-person households. The plant is committed to complete decarbonization of production by replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen, and it is the first automotive plant in the world to use a newly developed burner technology that can use green hydrogen instead of natural gas.

The all-electric MINI Countryman is the brand's largest model and marks the start of the brand's transformation to an all-electric brand by 2030. Thanks to space-saving components such as the particularly flat high-voltage battery, which is also produced at the BMW Group Plant Leipzig, the MINI Countryman will offer additional space and greater comfort in the future.