After phasing out production of the BMW i3, the birthplace of electric mobility at the BMW Group has welcomed another fully electric car to its range. The MINI Countryman Electric represents a major step in the MINI brand’s transition to full electrification by 2030 and combines an electrified go-kart feel with zero local emissions mobility.
Consistent plant upgrades and flexible production system
To enable production of up to 350,000 units a year – 100,000 more than previously – Plant Leipzig has been continuously upgraded since 2018, with extensive additions and upgrades to the bodyshop, paintshop, assembly and logistics. « In recent years the BMW Group has invested around 1.6 billion euros in the Leipzig site to produce additional vehicles and electric components, and now we’re increasing vehicle volumes too – which is great news for our plant,» said Petra Peterhänsel, Plant Director. The main driver behind the volume increase is the MINI Countryman. A new production line was required only for the control electronics.
More staff and nightshifts for increased production volume
Higher production volume means secure employment and up to 900 additional employees in vehicle production alone. «Plant Leipzig first went on stream in 2005 with about 2,600 employees in production. » .
Made at Plant Leipzig: high-voltage batteries for the MINI Countryman Electric
Operations in all three are currently ramping up, with five cell-coating, three module-production and two high-voltage battery-production lines now in place. «We are in the middle of the transformation to e-mobility,» said Markus Fallböhmer, Head of Battery Production at the BMW Group. «Starting this year, Plant Leipzig will carry out every stage of our in-house high-voltage battery production process. » Plant Leipzig’s e-component production capacity has been increasing since 2021.
The e-component production unit at Leipzig currently employs some 1,000 people. To enable production of high-voltage batteries, spaces previously used for the BMW i3 and BMW i8 have been converted and new buildings added. The BMW Group has invested over 900 million euros in e-component production at Plant Leipzig to date.
Resource-saving painting processes
This is painted using a new overspray-free method that saves resources and is currently being readied for series operation. The burner technology used to dry the paint on contrast roofs was also converted for the start of MINI Countryman production and now consists of a bivalent system. The fuel-flexible burners can run on hydrogen as well as gas and even switch between the two while in operation. Five such bivalent hydrogen-capable burners are used to produce the contrast roofs for the MINI Countryman.
Further burners in the paintshop will also gradually switch to bivalent operations, with the next six hydrogen-capable burners just installed. This makes Leipzig a pioneer in the automotive industry and takes it ever closer to lower CO2 emissions. «Our vision at Plant Leipzig is to decarbonise production as far as possible by replacing fossil fuels with green hydrogen,» said Petra Peterhänsel, explaining the long-term focus of the facility. This will require sufficient green hydrogen from a grid.
A regional hydrogen grid is currently in planning, with Plant Leipzig set to benefit.
