Wei Jianjun and Klaus Frohlich.
An agreement to produce Mini electric vehicles through a joint venture based in China has been signed by the BMW Group and Great Wall Motor.
The deal was done during an event for autonomous and connected driving attended by China’s premier Li Keqiang and Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.
The joint venture, “Spotlight Automotive Limited”, covers development and production of electric vehicles in China and will be based in Jiangsu Province, where both partners will create a new production facility.
As well as Mini EVs, electric vehicles will also be produced for Great Wall Motor.
The new company’s establishment is subject to approval from the relevant Chinese authorities and the completion of business registration procedures.
The move is another significant step towards the electrified future of the Mini brand, coming in addition to the start of production next year of the first battery electric Mini at the main plant in Oxford.
“This strategic partnership is a clear win-win for the BMW Group and Great Wall Motor, enabling us to contribute to China’s ambitious plans to ramp-up new energy vehicles and reduce emissions in the mobility sector,” BMW AG management board chairman Harald Kruger says.
The agreement was signed by Great Wall Motor founder and chairman Wei Jianjun and BMW AG management board development member Klaus Frohlich.
“The strengths and expertise of both companies complement each other well,” Frohlich says.
“With our joint approach, we can quickly scale up production and increase efficiency in the highly competitive segment of compact electric vehicles.”
Wei Jianjun says the joint venture will accelerate EV uptake.
About 560,000 BMW brand vehicles were delivered to customers in China in 2017 – more than in the next two largest markets, the US and Germany, combined.
China was also Mini’s fourth-largest market last year with around 35,000 units delivered.
