According to BMWBlog, MINI may not produce the J01 Cooper Electric and J05 Aceman at its Oxford plant in the United Kingdom. Additionally, both electric vehicles (EVs), which originate from the Spotlight Automotive joint venture between BMW and Great Wall Motor (GWM), will reportedly not have successors.
To add to the brand’s potential woes, industry sources indicate that MINI will not offer a convertible version of the Cooper Electric, which carries the internal code J03. With these developments, the long-term direction of the MINI is in doubt.
Two independent sources told BMWBlog that dealers in the UK have received a letter from MINI management that the J01 and J05 will continue to be built in China rather than moving to Oxford. In September last year, the company announced that it would invest over 600 million pounds (about RM3.4 billion) to produce all-electric models. The Oxford plant currently makes the ICE-powered Cooper 3-Door, 5-Door and Cooper Convertible, while the Countryman in both ICE and EV guises is built at BMW Group’s Leipzig plant.
At the time, it was revealed the both the Electric Cooper and Aceman will begin production at the Oxford plant from 2026. The latest news suggests a revision of MINI’s production plans, likely due to lower-than-expected demand for EVs in this segment.
To add, it was later revealed in mid-November this year that MINI USA will not import both EVs for the time being. As first reported by Motoring File, this deferment is until there is more clarity around tariffs and UK production. It was expected that producing the EVs in Oxford would help reduce costs and avoid import tariffs, the latter being a big concern especially with EVs that are made in China, which the J01 and J05 currently are.
On the matter of successors to the J01 and J05, it was reported that the joint venture’s slower-than-expected demand for small EVs led to the decision not to pursue follow-ups with Spotlight Automotive. This segment is highly competitive with no shortage of offerings from Chinese automakers, which makes it difficult for MINI to achieve strong profit margins.
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