BMW has recently announced the production of Mini’s first electric model which will hit the Chinese market by 2019. BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA), which is the existing joint venture of the German automaker, caters to the demand for BMW in the domestic market.
The carmaker sold around 560,000 cars in China last year and 35,000 Minis were sold across the same timespan. Meanwhile, BMW Germany built around 1.15 million cars in 2017.
According to reports, the plans for the new joint venture are supposed to be only at the stage of a letter of intent. However, BMW has alluded to more electric Mini models on the way which will be also made by Great Wall.
The Mini Electric was demonstrated by a concept revealed last year. The first prototypes have been spotted testing ahead of a 2019 launch. The model will have highly stylized bodywork and yellow flashes on the exterior.
In China, BMW has three facilities under the BBA including two production plants and a battering factory. Apart from the announcement regarding the Mini EV production, these facilities will also get a boost in investment.
Source: https://goo.gl/M732Lh
