BMW AG is unveiling a fully electric platform for its Mini brand as the automaker looks to leverage its popular three-door hatchback to compete with a range of smaller Chinese battery-powered vehicles pushing into Europe.
The new generation of the Mini Cooper EV will be on display at next week’s IAA car show in Munich, after BMW’s partner Great Wall Motor Co. helped develop the new all-electric underpinnings and will produce the car in China for import to Europe.
With cost pressures eating into margins for smaller EVs, European carmakers including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are handing over development and production to Chinese joint-venture partners. Mini still strongly identifies as a British brand and has vowed to keep its roots in the UK, where the government and BMW have been in talks over a potential deal to support investment in the company’s Oxford plant.
The new electric Mini Coopers will charge faster and have a 30% better range than their previous version. New software will also provide improved speech recognition and over-the-air updates. Mini is also overhauling other models. The Countryman sport utility vehicle, now based on a BMW platform, will be manufactured in Leipzig, Germany. In 2024, Mini will also introduce a 5-door-crossover called Aceman to replace current hatchback and station-wagon variants. While Great Wall will manufacture the electric Cooper and Aceman models in China, Mini’s UK plant in Oxford will produce the combustion-engine versions of both models.
BMW, which is seeking government incentives to increase investment in the Oxford plant, and UK officials have yet to announce a deal. Securing an agreement would be a significant marker for the UK, which is struggling to compete with US and Europe for green-tech investments.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
YMCA of Cape Breton gets $1.1 million from Canadian government to help people with disabilitiesSYDNEY, N.S. — The Government of Canada is investing $73 million into programs across the country that help people with disabilities find employment and ...
Read more »
City council decides against regulating snow dumpsThe Sault gets only a limited number of complaints about snow disposal sites
Read more »
Guy Never Permitted Grandparents To Babysit His Kid, Asks For Help After Divorce But They RefuseThis internet user took to one of Reddit’s most judgmental communities to ask its members if they’re indeed a jerk for refusing to babysit their son’s kid whom he never let them watch prior to his divorce.
Read more »
These 4 Danish words might help you better navigate lifePsychology professor Marie Helweg-Larsen shares how Danish words can help reframe stressful moments, create community, and prioritize intimacy.
Read more »
Carmen Electra gets 'lots' of feet picture requests on OnlyFansShe charges $25 for special requests, though it\u0027s free to subscribe to her page, and she\u0027s revealed the weirdest fetish she\u0027s fulfilled.
Read more »
Trans Mountain pipeline gets extra government support as costs balloonThe Trans Mountain pipeline received additional support from the Canadian government after the cost to expand the controversial Alberta-to-British Columbia oil conduit jumped 44 per cent in March.
Read more »