The new electric MINI Countryman will be built at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig.

While other MINIs have contained German parts, this will be the first MINI model is produced entirely in Germany. BMW’s site in Leipzig is the company’s pilot project for establishing a “green plant,” a long-term, sustainable strategy for energy generation and consumption.

“We are delighted to be able to hand over the first MINI “Made in Germany” to our customers in a CO2-neutral manner thanks to the plant’s sustainable energy supply. In this way, the new all-electric MINI Countryman demonstrates what the brand stands for: electrified go-kart feeling and a strong focus on a minimal environmental footprint,” says Stefanie Wurst, Head of MINI.

Plant Director Petra Peterhaensel, and Project Manager Sonja Hengstler are responsible for the Leipzig plant moving toward manufacturing more electromobility, and the sustainable production of the E-components as well as the entire vehicles. It has a 5,600 strong workforce who create around 1,000 daily.

MINI Countryman is made alongside the BMW 1 Series, BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé and BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. It will be the first plant where BMW and MINI brands are co-manufactured.

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ABOVE: electric MINI Countryman BMW Group plant in Leipzig

Sustainability

Sustainability has become a driving force at the Leipzig factory. There are four 190 meter tall wind turbines on site. They generated 21.9 GWh in 2021, the equivalent of 5,000 3-person households. 700 high-voltage batteries from BMW i3 have been installed, and since 2017 have been used as a battery storage farm.

“Our Leipzig vision is the complete decarbonization of production by replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen. At the BMW Group plant in Leipzig, we are the first automotive plant in the world to use a newly developed burner technology in our paint shop that can use green hydrogen instead of natural gas. Hydrogen has already been used in plant logistics since 2013. Today, five hydrogen filling stations provide energy for over 130 fuel cell-powered industrial trucks, the largest fleet in Germany,” emphasizes Plant Director Petra Peterhaensel.

MINI Countryman is the largest of the electric MINIs, spearheading a drive to become an all-electric brand by 2030. Many space-saving components, including a flat high-voltage battery, also produced Leipzig factory, the MINI Countryman will offer additional space and even greater comfort in the future.

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