BMW has announced the commencement of production of the Mini Countryman Electric at its Leipzig plant, marking a significant step in the automaker’s electrification efforts. The production of the all-electric models comes four months after the start of production of the Mini Countryman with combustion engines at the same facility.
The Leipzig plant has adopted a flexible production approach, allowing for the manufacturing of combustion engines, plug-in hybrids, or purely electric cars on a single line. This flexibility is being utilized with the introduction of the electric Countryman, as there are currently no purely electric models of the BMW 1 and 2 Series in production at the plant.
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Battery packs for the Countryman Electric will be completely assembled in Leipzig, representing all three stages of the Gen 5 high-voltage battery production process at the BMW Group Plant Leipzig. The plant has set up several production lines for cell painting, module production, and high-voltage battery assembly, which are currently in the ramp-up phase.
Markus Fallböhmer, Head of Battery Production at the BMW Group, stated, “We are in the middle of the transformation to e-mobility. Starting this year, Plant Leipzig will carry out every stage of our in-house high-voltage battery production process. It’s our next great step forwards.”
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The drive units for the electric models are also assembled on a single line in the unit assembly department at the Leipzig plant. A new assembly line was set up for the control electronics of the electric models, while the combustion models are produced at an initial rate of 100 vehicles per day.
With the introduction of the electric version, production is expected to ramp up to 500 vehicles per day. BMW can adjust the distribution of production between electric and combustion models depending on demand. To support the increased production, the Leipzig plant has been continuously expanded since 2018, including upgrades to the body shop, paint shop, assembly, and logistics.
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The Mini Countryman Electric will be available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The single-engine version, known as the Mini Countryman E, delivers 150 kW of power and 250 Nm of torque, while the all-wheel drive Countryman SE ALL4 offers 230 kW of power and 494 Nm of torque. Both models feature a 66.5 kWh battery, with the front-wheel drive version offering a range of 462 kilometers and the all-wheel drive version offering a range of 433 kilometers.
The Mini Countryman Electric can be charged with up to 22 kW AC and supports fast charging at a DC charging point with up to 130 kW peak power. The model also features battery preconditioning via the navigation system and Plug&Charge functionality.
The Mini Countryman Electric starts at 43,500 euros, with the all-wheel drive model priced at 49,500 euros.
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