BMW has confirmed a delay to the reintroduction of the production of electric vehicles (EV) in its iconic mini factory in Oxford and blames the confluence of factors that shape the besieged automobile sector.
The German car manufacturer said that the decision includes pausing a £ 600 million upgrade of the facility and rejecting a bid of £ 60 million from the government, although the enforcement of those close discussions with Westminster continue.
The British industry is struggling with ambitious EV goals imposed by the government, jointly known as the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, that the share of electric vehicles must sell that manufacturers must sell. Carm makers have long argued that these goals have been set too high for the current market, where Stellantis particularly points to the ZEV policy as a key factor in his decision to close his Luton of Factory at the end of last year.
Despite the re-evaluation of BMW of timelines, it means that there are significant elements of the original Oxford investment on good. His construction work is said to be “good in the hall”, including an ultramodern logistics hub.
The production of two electric minis of the next generation was initially planned for a launch of 2026, but revised schemes still have to be confirmed. A spokesperson for BMW said: “Given the multiple uncertainties with which the car industry is confronted, the BMW group currently assesses the timing for re-introducing battery-electric mini production in Oxford.”
Government officials have recognized the challenges that car manufacturers are confronted with and are currently consulting “Restoring the deadline of the electric vehicles from 2030, while also protecting jobs,” said a transport spokesperson. Ministers claim that more than £ 2.3 billion has been assigned to encourage both industry and consumers to switch to electric, where most manufacturers want to achieve or exceed existing ZEV goals.