Electric MINI Cooper Production Coming to the UK Allowing for US Imports

DimON · September 11, 2023

For those that read MotoringFile daily, this may seem like déjà. As we reported in March, MINI will be bringing production of its all new electric MINI Cooper (the J01) and MINI Aceman (J05) to the UK in 2026. This move not only brings production of the highly important new Cooper to its largest market but allows for easy import to countries with Chinese tariffs like the US.

This morning BMW Group made the announcement official with a promise to invest over £600 million into the MINI factories located in Oxford and Swindon. With this the Oxford plant will be gearing up to produce two new all-electric MINI models starting in 2026, the MINI Cooper 3-door and the compact crossover MINI Aceman. By 2030, their production volume will be exclusively electric, and BMW Group will have invested more than £3 billion in their Swindon, Hams Hall, and Oxford plants since the year 2000. The UK Government has been supportive of this development, which will help secure jobs at the Oxford manufacturing plant and the body-pressing facility in Swindon.

“With this new investment, we’re going to turn the Oxford plant into a place where the next generation of electric MINIs will be made. This sets us on the path to making only electric cars in the future.”
Milan Nedeljkovi?, a Member of the Board of Management at BMW AG responsible for production

Kemi Badenoch, the Business and Trade Secretary, expressed her support, saying, “This decision is a significant vote of confidence in the UK economy and in the efforts of our government to ensure the continued success of our world-leading automotive sector. We’re proud to support BMW Group’s investment, which will not only protect high-quality jobs but also strengthen our supply chains and boost economic growth in Britain.”

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Oxford remains the historic home of MINI, having celebrated its 110th anniversary this year. The plant has been successfully producing the current MINI Electric since 2019, seamlessly integrated into the production line alongside traditional (ICE) models.

MINI’s journey toward full electrification gains momentum with an expanded model lineup and improvements to their production network. At present, the MINI Plant Oxford manufactures the MINI 3-door, MINI 5-door, MINI Clubman, and MINI Electric. Starting in 2024, the plant will begin production of the next generation MINI 3-door and MINI 5-door with traditional combustion engines, as well as the new MINI Convertible. These will be joined by the all-electric MINI Cooper 3-door and MINI Aceman in 2026. The factory is expected to reach a production capacity of around 200,000 cars annually in the medium term. Initially, both internal combustion engine and battery electric vehicles will be built on the same production line. However, by 2030, the Oxford Plant will exclusively produce all-electric MINI models.

“MINI has always cherished its history, and Oxford will always be the heart of the brand. I’m thrilled that the two new, fully electric MINI models—the MINI Cooper and MINI Aceman—will also be made in Oxford. This confirms our commitment to an all-electric future.”
Stefanie Wurst, Head of the MINI brand

In just a few weeks, production of the new MINI Countryman will commence at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig. This larger crossover model in the MINI lineup will be available with both pure electric drive and traditional combustion engines, providing consumers with a range of options.

Additionally, production of the next-generation all-electric MINI Cooper 3-door and MINI Aceman will begin in China. This marks the establishment of a new manufacturing plant in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, through a joint venture with Great Wall Motor. Exports are set to begin in early 2024, further advancing MINI’s global push towards electrification. BMW Group is setting the stage for a bright electric future, with Oxford as the epicenter of this transformation.

The F66 MINI Cooper Production Dates

With the test mules progressing quickly, we believe we’ll see the refreshed F66 debut sometime in late 2023 or early 2024. We’d expect a tiered launch starting with the Cooper and Cooper S, followed by a JCW model. This will all happen in the shadow of the entirely new and all electric J01 MINI Cooper initially built in China and meant primarily for Asia, Europe and South America. Eventually we’ll see the J01 built in the UK and exported to the US.

F66 MINI Cooper (ICE) / Oxford, England	Start of Production
F66 ICE Cooper 3 door	03/2024 (07/24 – US)
F66 ICE Cooper S 3 door	03/2024
F66 ICE Cooper JCW 3 door	11/2024
F65 ICE Cooper 5 door	07/2024 (11/24 – US)
F65 ICE Cooper S 5 door	07/2024
F67 ICE Cooper Convertible	11/2024
F67 ICE Cooper S Convertible	11/2024
F67 ICE JCW Convertible	03/2025

The Entire New MINI Family

Things kicked off with the new J01 MINI Cooper electric and U25 MINI Countryman (electric & ICE) publicly debuting at the Munich Motor Show last week. While MINI hasn’t confirmed production timing, our sources have confirmed that the J01 will go into production this fall in China and will be sold in Europe, Asia and South America initially.

The J01 MINI Cooper electric and U25 MINI Countryman will be followed by the internal combustion U25 Countryman which will be shown later this year. Then we’ll see the heavily revised F56 morph into the F66 internal combustion MINI Cooper, built in Oxford. This will be MINI’s answer to all those who want a Cooper but aren’t ready for electric. Finally in 2024 we’ll see the all electric MINI Aceman crossover which effectively takes the place of the beloved MINI Clubman. Built initially in China, the small crossover (roughly the size of the original MINI Countryman) will expand with Oxford production in 2026.

The New MINI Family	Drivetrain	Pricing	Start of Production
J01 MINI Cooper E	Electric	32,900€	11/2023
J01 MINI Cooper SE	Electric	36,900€	11/2024
U25 MINI Countryman C	ICE (Petrol)	39.900€	11/2023
U25 MINI Countryman D	ICE (Diesel)	42.900€	11/2023
U25 MINI Countryman E	Electric	43.500€	03/2024
U25 MINI Countryman S ALL4	ICE (Petrol)	45.900€	11/2023*
U25 MINI Countryman SE ALL4	Electric	49.500€	03/2024*
U25 MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4	ICE (Petrol)	56.500€	03/2024*
F66 MINI Cooper	ICE (Petrol)	TBD	07/2024*
F66 MINI Cooper S	ICE (Petrol)	TBD	07/2024*
F66 MINI Cooper JCW	ICE (Petrol)	TBD	11/2024*
F65 MINI Cooper 5 Door	ICE (Petrol)	TBD	07/2024*
F65 MINI Cooper S 5 Door	ICE (Petrol)	TBD	07/2024*
F67 MINI Cooper Convertible	ICE (Petrol)	TBD	TBD*
F67 MINI Cooper S Convertible	ICE (Petrol)	TBD	TBD*
J05 MINI Aceman	Electric	TBD	TBD
J05 MINI Aceman S	Electric	TBD	TBD