London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

BMW revs up £500m plan to secure Mini production in Britain

BMW revs up £500m plan to secure Mini production in Britain

The German car giant hopes to announce the investment in its plant at Cowley – which will include a £75m government grant – in several weeks’ time.

BMW, the German car manufacturer, is applying the finishing touches to plans to invest hundreds of millions of pounds into its Oxford plant, securing future production of the iconic Mini in Britain.

Sky News has learnt that BMW hopes to announce its decision later in the spring, with one industry insider saying on Wednesday that it was expected to be unveiled in several weeks' time.

If confirmed, the investment package - which is thought to be worth close to £500m - would deliver a major boost to Britain's car industry.

One source confirmed that roughly £75m of the funding would be from the government's Automotive Transformation Fund, having been signed off by the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt.

Sky News reported the discussions between BMW and the government last month.

It was unclear exactly how the total investment would be structured, or the specific implications for job creation and retention at the company's Oxford site.

Responding to an enquiry from Sky News, a BMW spokesperson said the company did not comment on "media speculation", but added: "With its high degree of flexibility, competitiveness and expertise, the Oxford plant plays an important role in the BMW Group's production network.

"For the next MINI generation, Oxford will produce the majority of MINI models, the MINI Cooper three-door and five-door models, as well as the MINI Convertible - one of our most important vehicles and a worldwide bestseller."

BMW has said previously that its all-electric Mini models - a hatchback and a small crossover - are to be produced in China as part of a partnership with Great Wall, one of the country's biggest carmakers.

The MINI Electric is to be produced outside of the UK


From this year, the Mini Countryman will be built in Leipzig, Germany.

Assuming the latest plans bear fruit, they will represent a fillip to the UK car industry weeks after it emerged that the sector had had its worst year in production terms since the 1950s.

In 2022, carmakers produced just 775,000 vehicles, a slump of nearly 10%, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Supply chain issues such as component bottlenecks were a major factor in the decline, but the gloom enveloping the industry has been deepened by the recent collapse of Britishvolt, the fledgling electric vehicle battery manufacturer.

Britishvolt's technology has been acquired by Recharge Industries, an Australian company.

Production of the Mini at Cowley dates back to the 1950s, and resumed under BMW's ownership in the early 2000s.

Roughly 200,000 Minis are built at Oxford each year, with about 80% destined for export markets.

The plant employs about 4,000 people, making it easily one of the most significant in Britain.

Nissan and Ford have both announced new investments in their UK facilities in the last year, with the latter saying in December that it would spend £150m at its Halewood plant in Liverpool to expand production of electric vehicle parts.

BMW announced in 2021 that it would cease making the electric Mini in Oxford, adding last October that the UK plant would instead build the Mini Cooper three-door and five-door Hatch models.

"Additionally the Mini Convertible will be returning to Oxford from 2025 - this is one of our most important cars and a global best-seller," it said at the time.

"Electric MINIs - a hatchback and small SUV - will start their production in China through our partnership with Great Wall and the electric Countryman will be built in Leipzig [in Germany]."

A government spokesperson said last month that the UK was "one of the best locations in the world for automotive manufacturing.

"Investment through the Automotive Transformation Fund will develop a high-value end-to-end electrified automotive supply chain in the UK, and this includes unlocking private investment in gigafactories.

"We're also working with industry through the Automotive Council's Skills Working Group to ensure the UK automotive industry can support and develop the skills needed for sustainable success."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×