Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Dec 05, 2023

BMW invests in Oxford plant as it plans more electric Minis

BMW invests in Oxford plant as it plans more electric Minis

Carmaker BMW is preparing to invest up to £600m in its Mini plant at Cowley, near Oxford, the BBC understands.
The money is expected to be used to prepare the plant for a future building electric models.

The government has offered support worth £75m to BMW.

The first generation of electric Minis was launched at the Cowley plant in 2019. The original model was based on an existing design, converted to run with an electric motor and batteries.

But last year, the company announced production of most of its electric cars would move to China, to be built by a joint venture between BMW and Great Wall Motor.

One electric model, the Countryman, would built at Leipzig, in Germany.

At the time, BMW suggested that building both conventionally fuelled and electric cars in the same factory was inefficient.

It also insisted Oxford would remain the "home of the Mini" and no jobs would be lost.

However, with the sale of new non-hybrid petrol and diesel powered cars due to end in 2030, the factory will ultimately have to build electric cars again, if it is to continue operating.

All Minis will be electric by 2030.

In a statement, BMW said it had a "continuous and productive dialogue with UK Government", but it declined to comment on any future production plans.

An announcement from BMW would a positive move at a time when analysts have been questioning the future prospects of the British car industry - with the sector undergoing profound change globally.

In 2022, UK production fell to its lowest level since 1956, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Honda's factory in Swindon closed in 2021, while Ford shut its engine plant in Bridgend the year before.

In January, Britishvolt, which had been planning to build a "gigafactory" battery plant near Blyth, collapsed into administration.

The company has been bought by an Australian firm, Recharge Industries - but its priority is no longer expected to be batteries for electric cars.

Some new investment is planned, however.

Ford is investing £380m in its Halewood plant, preparing it to build motors for electric vehicles. Stellantis is preparing its Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire to build electric vans - a project backed by £100m of public money.

A similar level of government funding is also going towards the construction of a gigafactory next door to Nissan's plant in Sunderland - where the electric Leaf is built.

But last month a senior executive at Nissan warned that ongoing government support and a reduction in manufacturing costs would be needed to justify building other electric models in this country.

Chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta told the BBC "the economics have to work".

The government is known to be keen for the UK to secure a stake in the emerging electric car industry, as conventionally powered models are phased out.

The £75m that is being offered to BMW comes from the government's Automotive Transformation Fund.

The government is also understood to be in talks with Jaguar Land Rover's parent company Tata over a package of funding for a possible gigafactory here.

However, Spain is also believed to be in the running for that investment.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
Close
0:00
0:00
The BBC Caught Again with Questionable Journalistic Standards, as Ugly Facts Undermine Its Attractive Yet Flawed Arguments
Biden Advocates for Palestinian Authority to Govern Gaza and West Bank
Apple and Disney Halt Ads on X Following Elon Musk's Antisemitic Post, US Reacts
The UK’s Supreme Court, in a move that surprised no one who respects international law and human rights, has just delivered a landmark ruling against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s immigration strategy.
Top German journalist received €600,000 from Putin ally, leak reveals
A Dramatic Video from Gaza, Provided by IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari, Offers Undeniable Evidence of Hamas Establishing Terror Operation Bases Near Schools, Above Hospitals, and Inside Civilian Areas.
Moody's Downgrades U.S. Credit Outlook to Negative Amid Fiscal Concerns
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Swedish Embassy in Baghdad Engulfed in Flames Amidst a Firestorm of Protests
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Today, we're unveiling the splendor of one of Saudi Arabia's most exclusive and stunning retreats – the Jeddah Yacht Club
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Hospitalized Due to Dehydration Amidst Summer Heatwave
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Saudi Arabia Joins the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia
The Renowned Crown Prince Camel Festival Set to Return to Taif on Aug. 1
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
An Ominous Shift in Warfare: Western Powers Risk War Crimes and Violate International Norms with Cluster Bomb Supply to Ukraine
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
Tensions Escalate as Iran Challenges Saudi Arabia's Sovereignty over Al-Durrah Gas Field
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
Saudi Arabia and China Forge New Frontiers in Space Exploration
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
×