The beginning of MINI Countryman manufacturing marks numerous firsts and milestones for BMW Group Plant Leipzig: for the primary time, a MINI mannequin is being made in Germany – on the identical manufacturing line because the BMW 1 Collection and a pair of Collection. It’s all made potential by the plant’s versatile constructions and growth.
Over the past 5 years the BMW Group has invested €700 million to prepared Leipzig for elevated automobile volumes and adapt it for MINI-specific necessities. By the top of 2024 the workforce in manufacturing will improve by over 900. As well as, the brand new MINI Countryman is a catalyst for improvements in sustainable manufacturing.
“By launching manufacturing of the MINI Countryman right here in Leipzig, we’re introducing multibrand operations to our versatile manufacturing system,” defined Milan Nedeljković, Board Member for Manufacturing. “Plant Leipzig additionally affords numerous highlights when it comes to useful resource conservation in manufacturing, offering additional proof of the profitable rollout of our long-term masterplan: the BMW iFACTORY.”
Seamless integration by means of versatile constructions
In the case of manufacturing of the brand new MINI Countryman, the BMW Group is constructing on the abilities and excessive flexibility of Plant Leipzig to forge new pathways in manufacturing. Seamlessly built-in into the manufacturing course of, the MINI Countryman now rolls off the identical meeting line because the BMW 1 Collection, BMW 2 Collection Gran Coupé and BMW 2 Collection Lively Tourer.
Due to its versatile meeting constructions, Plant Leipzig is able to produce two manufacturers with three completely different drives – combustion, plug-in-hybrid and absolutely electrical – all on the identical manufacturing line. The third-generation MINI Countryman might be obtainable with a petroleum, diesel or absolutely electrical powertrain, with the high-voltage batteries for the MINI Countryman Electrical additionally being made in Leipzig. It’s going to attain dealerships on 17 February 2024.
Investments and recruitment to extend manufacturing quantity
The BMW Group has invested some €500 million in Leipzig to extend manufacturing quantity for brand spanking new fashions. Since 2018 the bodyshop, paintshop, meeting and logistics have undergone in depth additions and upgrades, taking manufacturing capability up from 250,000 models beforehand, to as a lot as 350,000 models a yr at current.
To adapt the manufacturing system to MINI-specific necessities, the BMW Group invested round €200 million. Initially approx. 100 MINI Countryman vehicles a day will roll off the manufacturing strains, rising to 500 in the course of the course of subsequent yr – along with the virtually 1,000 BMW vehicles already popping out of the manufacturing unit day by day. This won’t solely safe present jobs but in addition create as much as 900 new ones in automobile manufacturing alone.
Electromobility and MINI manufacturing drive growth
One other essential milestone within the growth and extension of Plant Leipzig is its transition to electromobility. “Leipzig stays electrical,” says a cheerful Petra Peterhänsel, Plant Director. “With the BMW i3 and i8, we had been on the vanguard of e-mobility on the BMW Group, and from 2024, we might be producing our subsequent absolutely electrical automobile: the MINI Countryman Electrical. We’ll manufacture the high-voltage batteries for it in-house as nicely.”
Beginning subsequent yr BMW Group Plant Leipzig will run the complete manufacturing course of for the present fifth era of high-voltage batteries. This consists of three phases: cell coating, module manufacturing and battery meeting. The 5 cell coating strains, three module manufacturing strains and the primary high-voltage battery meeting strains are all within the strategy of going into operation, with a second high-voltage battery meeting line scheduled for launch in 2024.
Capability for e-component manufacturing has additionally been rising, since 2021, making Plant Leipzig an essential a provider throughout the BMW manufacturing community. The elements are utilized in absolutely electrical automobiles such because the BMW iX1, BMW i4, BMW i5 and BMW iX. E-component manufacturing in Leipzig at present employs over 800 folks, and there are plans to develop it additional, with investments totalling greater than €800 million.
Sustainable supplies and manufacturing
The MINI Countryman Electrical is a significant step within the MINI model’s transition to full electrification by 2030 and combines an electrified go-kart really feel with a diminished environmental footprint. In creating the brand new mannequin, the MINI model’s accountable angle was very a lot within the focus with regard to supplies and manufacturing: chrome not options anyplace within the inside or exterior, and the light-metal alloy wheels are solid from as much as 70 % secondary aluminium.
The completely electrically excited synchronous motors are extremely environment friendly and made totally with out uncommon earth minerals.
The inside is made purely from modern, high-quality supplies which are straightforward on the atmosphere. The dashboard, door facias, flooring protecting and foot mats, for instance, are made from recycled textiles. A high-quality different to traditional supplies reminiscent of plastics, recycled textiles scale back CO2 emissions alongside the worth chain and require much less water to fabricate.Modern portray technique for distinction roofOne of the hanging design options of the MINI exterior is the distinction roof, which may be ordered in a distinct color from the remainder of the physique. Within the MINI Countryman it is going to be painted utilizing a brand new, resource-friendly technique generally known as overspray-free portray. Presently being readied for collection operation, overspray-free portray does away with the surplus paint – or overspray – generated by standard portray strategies and makes surfaces with a couple of color simpler to provide, as they not require the laborious strategy of masking. Overspray-free portray additionally helps save CO2 emissions, as exhaust air from the cabin requires much less cleaning. Plus it requires significantly much less conditioned air, i.e. air that is delivered to a set temperature and humidity. In consequence, much less power is required to mood air and deal with exhaust.
One other sustainable innovation working at Plant Leipzig is the burner know-how used to dry the paint on distinction roofs. Final yr Leipzig grew to become the primary automobile plant on this planet to pilot the brand new know-how, which might run on not solely pure gasoline but in addition hydrogen. The versatile burners can burn hydrogen (H2), pure gasoline (methane – CH4) or a mix of the 2 and may even change between them with out having to halt operations. After profitable exams, Plant Leipzig has now put in 5 hydrogen-capable bivalent burners for collection operations, which are actually being used for the distinction roof of the MINI Countryman. Plans are in place to transform additional burners within the paintshop to bivalent operations.
Plant Leipzig – Constructed for sustainability
At Plant Leipzig, the main focus has all the time been very a lot on environment friendly processes and a long-term technique for power era and consumption, ever since planning started. “Sustainability is within the DNA of BMW Group Plant Leipzig. There’s one instance that everybody can see: our 4 wind generators, which generate electrical energy for the plant,” Petra Peterhänsel defined.
They had been erected in 2013 and ship 10 MW (producing approx. 25 GWh/yr). The second milestone got here in 2017, when the battery storage farm went on stream. Outfitted with as much as 700 second-life high-voltage batteries from BMW i3 automobiles, it affords interim electrical energy storage for power from the wind generators and elsewhere, serving to to optimise native power administration and stabilise the grid.
“Our imaginative and prescient at Plant Leipzig is to decarbonise manufacturing so far as potential by changing fossil fuels with inexperienced hydrogen,” stated Petra Peterhänsel, explaining the long-term focus of the ability. This can require enough inexperienced hydrogen from a grid. A regional hydrogen grid is at present in planning, with Plant Leipzig set to learn.
Nov 13, 2023