The carmaker said on Tuesday that the new battery-electric Mini will be a variant of the brand's core 3-door Hatch model, which will go into production in 2019.
SMMT chief Mike Hawes said the latest investment is “welcome news” for the UK automotive sector that confirmed Britain as a “leader in the electric vehicle market”.
Hawes said: “Alternatively fuelled vehicle registrations have experienced significant growth in recent times, up 27.5% this year alone, but consumer adoption is still at a relatively low level. As part of a broad industrial strategy, government must create the conditions for this technology to flourish including infrastructure and long-term incentives for this new generation of vehicles is to be the car of choice of more motorists.”
The battery electric Mini’s electric drivetrain will be built at the BMW Group’s e-mobility centre at Plants Dingolfing and Landshut in Bavaria before being integrated into the car at Plant Oxford.
Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, also welcomed the announcement, describing it as a “landmark decision”.
Business Secretary @GregClarkMP welcomes news that @BMW will assemble first fully electric version of the Mini in the UK #IndustrialStrategy pic.twitter.com/6Uh0nkhQFJ
— Dept for BEIS (@beisgovuk) 25 July 2017
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey added: “This announcement is a huge and totally deserved boost to a world class workforce that has endured a tough few months.
"Around the world and for generations the Mini means made in Britain. With the electric Mini being built in Cowley the tradition continues but with the added bonus that this is one of the important innovations of tomorrow.”
