Next Mini Countryman range will include an EV

November 21, 2020November 21, 2020 John Carey 1935 Views Countryman EV, Countryman EV 2023, Mini Countryman EV

BMW-owned Mini confirms an EV version of its next Countryman will be part of a broad pivot to plug-ins by the brand.

Today, Mini has only two electrified models, the Mini Electric EV and the Countryman Hybrid, which is a plug-in. This is about to change…

“We’re going to go into full-blown electrification,” said Mini chief Bernd Korber in a recent interview with respected British title Autocar.

“The next step of Mini will be in 2023, when we have the next generation of the Mini hatch and the family around it, where we add a crossover and move the Countryman a little higher with electrification.” The exec said the brand also aims to move into new market segments that have never before seen a Mini.

The third generation of the Countryman is due in 2023. There will also be ICE-powered versions. Front-drive and all-wheel-drive will be combined with petrol and diesel engines. They will be produced alongside the EV.

While BMW Group has officially announced the new Countryman will be manufactured in its Leipzig factory, it has not released any technical details on the EV, or the ICE-powered versions.

Leipzig has been turning out the BMW i3 since 2013, and it made the i8 plug-in hybrid throughout its life. Today, as well as the i3, the plant also produces the BMW 1 Series range and 2 Series Active Tourer.

Beginning next year, BMW will expand Leipzig, which already has an annual production capacity of 350,000. A 10,000 square metre area dedicated to the assembly of electric drivetrain components will be added. It will include a highly automated line to assemble lithium-ion cells into basic modules and complete battery packs.

The all-new, and as yet unnamed, Mini crossover referenced by brand boss Korber will be instead manufactured in China. And it’s believed a Chinese factory will also produce the next generation of the Mini Electric.

China is becoming an increasingly important part of the German company’s global electrification strategy. The BMW iX3, the EV version of the current X3, is already being produced there for markets all over the world. It’s due to reach Australia in 2021.

John Carey

Grew up in country NSW, way back when petrol was laced with lead. Has written about cars and the car business for more than 35 years, working full-time and freelance for leading mags, major newspapers and websites in Australia and (sometimes) overseas. Avidly interested in core EV technologies like motors and batteries, and believes the switch to electromobility definitely should be encouraged. Is waiting patiently for someone to make a good and affordable EV that will fit inside his tiny underground garage in northern Italy, where he's lived for the past decade. Likes the BMW i3, but it's just too damned wide...