Production launch of the MINI Countryman Electric at BMW Group Plant Leipzig

5 March 2024, 17:03:26

Four months after launching production of the combustion-engined MINI Countryman, the all-electric version is now rolling off the lines at Leipzig as well. After phasing out production of the BMW i3, the birthplace of electric mobility at the BMW Group has welcomed another fully electric car to its range. The MINI Countryman Electric represents a major step in the MINI brand’s transition to full electrification by 2030 and combines an electrified go-kart feel with zero local emissions mobility. It comes in two fully electric variants:

MINI Countryman E - 150 kW, 204 hp, 17.4-15.7 kWh/100 km
MINI Countryman SE ALL4 - 230 kW, 313 hp, 18.5-16.8 kWh/100 km

With the production launch of the MINI Countryman Electric, all three stages of the Gen 5 high-voltage battery production process are now represented at BMW Group Plant Leipzig: cell coating, module production and battery assembly. Operations in all three are currently ramping up, with five cell-coating, three module-production and two high-voltage battery-production lines now in place.

Plant Leipzig’s e-component production capacity has been increasing since 2021. It will now manufacture not just the high-voltage batteries for the MINI Countryman Electric but also e-components for the BMW iX1, BMW iX2, BMW i4, BMW i5 and BMW iX made at other sites. The e-component production unit at Leipzig currently employs some 1,000 people. To enable the production of high-voltage batteries, spaces previously used for the BMW i3 and BMW i8 have been converted and new buildings added.

At launch, the fully electric MINI Countryman comes in three additional body colours: British Racing Green, Chili Red, and Blazing Blue – and with MINI’s trademark contrast roof, if desired. This is painted using a new overspray-free method that saves resources and is currently being readied for series operation. The term “overspray” refers to the mist of excess paint particles that forms when bodies are painted the conventional way. With the new technique, this mist no longer occurs. Overspray-free painting also helps save CO2 emissions.

"Our vision at Plant Leipzig is to decarbonise production as far as possible by replacing fossil fuels with green hydrogen," said Petra Peterhänsel, explaining the long-term focus of the facility.

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