If the future of MINI is electric, the brand will have to make strides in what BMW describes as the world’s largest market for electromobility. Making battery-powered MINIs in China is crucial, and BMW has taken the first step by signing a letter of intent with Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor (GWM).
The next steps will be to agree on the details of a possible joint venture and cooperation agreement and clarify aspects such as the choice of production location and concrete investments. This is just for manufacturing and BMW has no plans to set up an additional sales organisation in China.
The proposed JV with GWM is separate from BMW’s longstanding Chinese partnership with Brilliance. In addition to two production locations, BMW Brilliance Automotive already runs an engine plant, which includes a battery factory for electrified BMW brand vehicles produced in Shenyang. It’s the first battery factory operated by a premium carmaker in China.
Around 560,000 BMW brand vehicles were delivered to Chinese customers last year. For perspective, that’s more than BMW sales in the next two largest markets, the US and Germany, combined. In 2017, China was MINI’s fourth-largest market, with around 35,000 units delivered.
Munich says that sales and production growth in China has not led to a decrease in production at the company’s German plants. On the contrary, between 2007 and 2017, production in Germany increased by close to a quarter to around 1.15 million vehicles per year. At the same time, almost half of all BMW production now takes place at plants outside Germany. The carmaker reasons that a similar growth strategy for MINI will not affect its commitment in the UK. The MINI EV will roll out of the Oxford plant from 2019.
By the way, setting up JVs with local manufacturers is compulsory for foreign carmakers intending to set up shop in China, so it’s just a matter of who you’re getting in bed with.
GALLERY: MINI Electric Concept
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“By the way, setting up JVs with local manufacturers is compulsory for foreign carmakers intending to set up shop in China, so it’s just a matter of who you’re getting in bed with. ”
And that’s where Geely is different than others.
They’d simply buy you.
Geely, Volvo, Mercedes, Lotus > all
great wall need partners that can electrify their profile, hence this JV with bmw
rightnow bmw is JV with brillance in china, producing most bmw series including most hybrid models
starting 2018 chinese government will practice new merit system, manufacturer that sells an internal combustion car with ‘high’ fuel consumption score a negative points, and hybrids or EVs get plus points. those manufacturers with low cumulative point get fines by chinese government, so it basically forcing all car manufacturers to have hybrid or EV in their portfolio.
great wall scramble up resources to face changes in their governement policy, that’s because rightnow great wall has no single hybrid model.
chinese government play big part and guide automotive industry to electrification, and make policy to reduce reliance on petroleum imports since 2/3 of chinese imports is use up by moving cars. national interest taken care of. and company make decision adhere to policy changes, in a good way.
our government best policy is, being busy stamping AP to P*KEMA and buka tender for car plate numbers, so what do we aspect..