Electrification continues at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig: Four months after the start of production of the MINI Countryman with combustion engine, the fully electric version is also rolling off the lines in Leipzig. After phasing out production of the i3, the plant has welcomed another all-electric car to its lineup. It now produces four models with three powertrain types from two brands, all on one production line: the 1 Series, the 2 Series Active Tourer (including the plug-in hybrid version), the 2 Series Gran Coupé and the Mini Countryman in both versions, fully electric and combustion.
Two versions
The latter is available in two fully electric variants: the Countryman E (150 kW, 204 HP | electricity consumption 17.4 – 15.7 kWh/100 km | CO2 emissions 0 g/km) and the more powerful Countryman SE ALL4 all-wheel drive (230 kW, 313 HP | electric consumption 18.5 – 16.8 kWh/100 km | CO2 emissions 0 g/km).
An updated system
To enable the production of up to 350,000 units per year – 100,000 more than previously – the Leipzig plant has been continuously upgraded since 2018, with extensive additions and upgrades to bodywork, paintwork, assembly and logistics. “Our cars and components are in high demand. In recent years the BMW Group has invested around 1.6 billion euros at the Leipzig site to produce further electric vehicles and components, and we are now also increasing vehicle volumes, which is great news for our plant,” said Petra Peterhänsel, Plant Director. The main driver of the increase in volumes is the Countryman itself. During 2024, production will rise to nearly 500 units per day, in addition to the approximately 800 BMW vehicles the plant produces. A higher production volume means secure employment and up to 900 more employees in vehicle production alone. By the end of 2024, the Leipzig plant will employ around 7,000 BMW employees. Working hours will have to be adapted across all technologies, with night shifts in assembly starting for the first time in September this year and 24-hour car production in three shifts. “The Leipzig plant came into operation in 2005 with around 2,600 production employees, 19 years later there are over 7,000,” explains Works Council Chairman Jens Köhler. “Over the years, the plant has grown steadily and considerably. The start of night assembly shifts represents another important milestone in the success story of our plant and is a clear demonstration of our company's confidence in the Leipzig site.”
#Production #Mini #Countryman #Electric #begins #Leipzig #FormulaPassion.it
