As the “official launch” date of pure electric mini model is getting closer and closer, the trend of mini brand has also attracted more attention.
Recently, foreign media reported that BMW group was considering selling Mini Oxford factory to Great Wall Motor Company Limited(601633) as part of broader brand reform, but BMW group later denied the news.
In response to this matter, the relevant person in charge of BMW China also said in an interview with the reporter of the daily economic news that the above news was “untrue.” “It is the group’s strategy to realize the full electrification of mini brand by 2030, and the Oxford factory is where Mini starts, so there must be no such plan.” The relevant person in charge of BMW China said.
the new model will appear at the Beijing auto show
In fact, the rumor that mini Oxford factory was sold to Chinese carmakers may stem from its increasingly close relationship with the Chinese market.
At the end of 2021, mini released a new brand strategy, focusing on the concept of sustainability, multi brand culture, digital innovation and other fields. Under the brand-new brand strategy, the Chinese market has become the focus of mini brand’s global strategy.
Recently, it was reported that the first batch of two mini pure electric vehicles for the Chinese market will be produced by the beam car located in Zhangjiagang, but at the same time, China will still have the sales of imported Mini models from the Oxford factory and the localized models produced in Shenyang.
In this regard, the relevant person in charge of BMW China said in an interview with reporters: “we do not comment on the speculation information, and there is no more information to provide for the time being.”
Public information shows that up to now, the mini brand has launched five core models in China, including the new season mini three door version, the new season Mini five door version, the new season Mini cabrio convertible, the MINI Clubman, and the mini countryman.
Official data show that in 2021, mini brand delivered about 30500 new cars in the Chinese market, a year-on-year increase of 5.2%. According to the previously disclosed information, in the future, the focus of Mini’s work in the Chinese market will not only consolidate the brand foundation, but also continue to update the product array and expand the user group.
It is understood that this year, all five core models of mini brand will launch special models at the same time. All new cars will make their debut at the 2022 Beijing auto show and officially land in the Chinese market in the first half of the year.
In addition, mini believes that the Chinese market will be at the forefront of Mini’s global digital development, and the pace of progress will be faster. To this end, mini has specially developed Mini app application software, which was launched in China in April 2021. In January this year, mini upgraded the mini app and launched the mini community function to further strengthen the user experience.
beam automobile production line is undergoing joint commissioning
It is noteworthy that with the clock set into 2022, the mini pure electric vehicle is one step closer to being launched.
As early as November 2019, the beam automobile project jointly established by BMW Group and Great Wall Motor Company Limited(601633) was officially launched in Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province. The total investment of the project is 5.1 billion yuan, with an annual standard production capacity of 160000 vehicles and about 3000 employees. It is expected that the mini pure electric vehicle will be put into operation from 2023.
According to the plan, by 2027, the proportion of mini pure electric vehicles in the world will reach 50%, and the proportion in the Chinese market will be higher. By the early 2030’s, mini will become the first brand of BMW Group to realize pure electrification.
“At present, the beam automobile projects are advancing as planned, the main building of the factory has been completed, and the production line is undergoing joint commissioning.” The relevant person in charge of BMW China told reporters.
The Great Wall Motor Company Limited(601633) (601633. SH) also said on the investor interaction platform on February 15: “the beam car project jointly invested by the company and BMW is currently operating normally. Please pay attention to the listing information of new products for the specific listing time of products.”
The reporter found that since the beginning of 2022, beam automobile has released a large number of recruitment posts, covering vehicle R & D, process planning, production and manufacturing, quality management, supporting procurement, functional management and other fields. In addition to Guangliang automobile, six parts supporting companies of Great Wall Motor Company Limited(601633) also participated in the recruitment, including Zhangjiagang Great Wall Motor Company Limited(601633) R & D Co., Ltd., nobo auto parts (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd., Jingcheng engineering auto parts (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd., figer Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. and nobo Auto Technology Co., Ltd, And norbor Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. East China technology R & D branch.
Zhangjiagang Great Wall Motor Company Limited(601633) R & D Co., Ltd. is the second R & D center of Great Wall Motor Company Limited(601633) ; Norbor Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. East China technology R & D branch covers the R & D, design and test engineering projects of automobile interior and exterior decoration and seats; Nobo auto parts (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd. is a first-class supplier of interior and exterior decoration, seats, rubber, automotive electronics and software system products; The products of noble Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. cover information entertainment and cockpit control system, etc; The products of FIGO Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. include ibooster, EPB, EMB, etc; Jingcheng engineering auto parts (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd. is an intelligent manufacturing factory of Jinggong chassis, mainly producing chassis products such as front and rear suspension.
Previously, BMW Group said that different from the traditional mode of cooperation between Chinese automobile enterprises and overseas automobile enterprises, the beam automobile project is not simply to localize the production of foreign models, and its core value lies in the research and development of new products and technologies. In the future, BMW Group and Great Wall Motor Company Limited(601633) will conduct joint research and development of pure electric vehicles through beam vehicles, and the research and development of beam vehicles will be led by BMW Group, and the chief technical officer of beam vehicles will also come from BMW Group.
“Beam car will enable us to further improve our production capacity and create a more attractive Mini pure electric vehicle. At the same time, mini brand has also taken a key step in the electrification strategy.” Peter, financial director of BMW Group, once said.
\u3000
