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This Is Where BMW And MINI Are Made

By: Author Stefan K.

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Categories Buyer Questions

This Is Where BMW And MINI Are Made

We have already written several times about luxurious BMWs and MINI on this blog. However, what we haven’t talked about yet is where these cars are made. That is why we have listed all BMW and MINI factories worldwide today. This way, you know exactly where which BMW comes from. First, a quick answer:

BMW has six plants in Germany, one in Austria, a single plant in the United States, Mexico, South Africa, India, Thailand, and Brazil, and two in China. BMW also has four factories in England, two for MINI and one for Rolls Royce. BMW also has a factory in Born, the Netherlands, where MINIs are made.

For the United States, a large part of the BMW X-series (X3, X4, X5, X6, and X7) is made in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The X1 and X2, and most other series sold in the United States are imported from one of the six factories in Germany. The only exceptions are the 3-series sedan and 2-series coupe made in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

However, that is not all that has been said yet. Below we have listed the countries and factories. In addition, we provided information about which models are being made at all factories and, if the information was available, we also added the production capacity.

What's Inside show

All BMW Factories Globally

Before we dive into all the factories that BMW has (and which cars are made there for who), it’s essential to understand that some factories are only used for MINIs and Rolls Royce productions. BMW owns both MINI and Rolls Royce, but BMW still owns the factories. Furthermore, some factories make bodywork and metal sheets for all three brands. All of this will be discussed below.

1. Germany

BMW has five factories in Germany engaged in the production of cars.

Below is an overview of the factories and the different purposes:

  • Eisenach: for the production of high-quality bodies and metalwork for small-scale series. They do this for BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce, among others.
  • Leipzig: The factory opened in 2005 and has since then been involved in the production of the BMW 1 Series and 2 Series. 860 cars of these series are produced here per day. In addition, the BMW i3 will be produced from 2013 and the BMW i8 from 2014 onwards. This brings the total production of this factory to 960 vehicles per day.
  • Munich: BMW’s main factory in Munich. This factory was opened in 1922 and today has 7,800 employees. Cars made here are the M3, 3-series sedan/touring and the PHEV of the 330e and 320e, the 4-series gran coupe, and the i4. Furthermore, most petrol and diesel engines are also made here for BMWs and MINIs. Sheet metal work is also part of the work.
  • Landshut: Landshut lays the foundation for many new, innovative technology that BMW uses. They do light metal work, carbon fiber production, electric/specialty motors, and technology for both the interior and exterior of the car. Drive shafts are also made.
  • Regensberg: The factory in Regensberg has been open since 1986. This is where the 2-series gran tourer, X1 (+PHEV), X2 (+PHEV), and 1-series is made.
  • Dingolfing: This is BMW’s largest production plant in Europe (but that doesn’t mean they’re cheaper to buy there) The factory has been here since 1973. Around 230,000 vehicles are produced here annually. Models of the BMW 4/5/6/7/8-series are made here as well as electric iX models. Components for electric BMWs and bodies for Rolls Royces are also made here. In addition, this is the factory that produces spare parts for all BMWs.
1) Eisenach 2) Leipzig 3) Munchen 4) Landshut 5) Regensberg 6) Dingolfing

2. United States

The United States has just one factory for BMWs and despite this, it’s actually cheaper to buy a BMW in the US thanks to the VAT (value added tax) found in Europe.

  • Spartanburg, South Carolina: This factory opened in 1992 and today makes 1,500 vehicles a day. 30% of the cars made here supply the entire American market. The remaining 70% is exported to 125 countries. This is where the BMW X3, X3 M, X5, X5 M and X7 SAV, and the X4, X4 M, X6 and X6 M SAC are made.
1) Spartanburg

3. Austria

  • Steyr: Half of all engines in a BMW or MINI worldwide are made in the factory in Steyr. In addition to engines, this factory is also involved in the development of electric drives, including noise testing and the development of e-drive and transmissions.
1) Steyr

4. England

  • Hams Hall: Opened in 2001. Manufactured BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engines.
  • Oxford: One of the larger MINI production sites in Europe. Bodywork is made here, but the cars are also painted and put together.
  • Swindon: A large part of the sheet metal work is manufactured here, which is then used for the bodies of the MINIs, which are assembled in Oxford.
  • Goodwood: Rolls Royce’s are assembled at the Goodword factory. Rolls Royce is part of BMW.
1) Hams Hall 2) Oxford 3) Swindon 4) Goodwood

5. The Netherlands

  • Born: Since 2014, MINIs have been produced in Born, The Netherlands, by VDL Nedcar and its 5,500 employees. Production started with the 3-door MINI (also made in Oxford, England). Then the MINI convertible was added, which is only made in Born. The MINI Countryman entered production in 2016 and a plug-in hybrid is also being made.
1) Born

6. Mexico

  • San Luis Potosi: This factory has a production capacity of 175,000 vehicles per year. The complete production consists of BMW 3-series sedan and BMW 2-series coupe.
1) San Luis Potosi

7. South Africa

  • Rosslyn: 85% of the cars made in this factory are intended for export to other countries. The factory makes 75,000 vehicles per year and only makes 3 Series cars.
1) Rosslyn

8. India

  • Chennai: Opened in 2007, this factory is engaged in the production of BMW 3 series, BMW 3 series gran turismo, BMW 5 series, BMW 6 series gran turismo, BMW 7 series, BMW X1, BMW X3, BMW X4, BMW X5, BMW X7 and MINI Countryman.
1) Chennai

9. China

  • Dadong: The Chinese plant in this region, together with the plant in Tiexi, produces about 650,000 vehicles per year. A large part of these vehicles is intended for the Chinese market. Dadong makes the 5-series Li, 5-series PHEV E-range Extension and the iX3, among others.
  • Tiexi: This factory opened its doors in 2012 and today it produces the X1 (+PHEV), X2 and 1-series sedan.
1) Dadong 2) Tiexi

10. Brasil

  • Araquari: This is one of the smallest BMW factories with an annual capacity of 30,000 vehicles. This factory makes the BMW 328i ActiveFlex. That is a BMW that was specially made for the Brazilian market.
1) Araguari

11. Thailand

  • Rayong: This factory produces the 2-series, 3-series, 5-series, 7-series, X1, X3, X5, and X7 for a large part of Asia. In addition, various BMW motorcycles are made here and they make parts for the Asian continent.
1) Rayong

Where Does BMW Get Its Steel From?

As one could imagine, making BMWs and MINIs requires an incredible amount of steel daily. So, where does BMW get its steel from?

In the United States, BMW currently sources more than 70% of its metals from the country itself. However, BMW has also invested in Boston Metal, a company producing CO2-free steel. The company uses an electrolysis cell that will produce molten iron. This molten iron is later converted into steel which results in zero CO2 emissions.

In Europe, BMW has signed a contract with two companies to deliver low-carbon and carbon-free steel from 2026 and 2025 onwards. From 2026 onwards, Salzgitter AG will produce low-carbon steel. The goal is to have 40% of production be low-carbon in 2030. From 2025 onwards, the Swedish company H2 Green Steel will provide carbon-free steel to BMW, although it’s unclear what quantity this will happen.

Also read: Why Are Used BMWs So Cheap? (Fast Depreciation Explained)

Who Makes BMW Transmissions?

Another vital component of a BMW is its transmission. Before 2019, most BMW transmissions used in the United States market were sourced in Europe. However, from the later part of 2019 onwards, ZF is responsible for making BMW transmissions in the United States. They have a dedicated plant for this in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

In Europe, BMW also mainly makes use of ZF transmissions. These transmissions are made throughout different plants in Europe. Below, we found an image from ZF that gives us a clear understanding of their plants.

Also read: How Unreliable Are BMW Really? (We Did Our Research)

Who Makes Batteries For BMW?

Another essential part of a car is its batteries. Not only is this important for regular cars, but battery cells are also a vital component for hybrid or electric cars such as the i3, i8, and iX. Worldwide, three companies deliver batteries to BMW. These are CATL, Samsung SDI and Northvolt.

CATL is headquartered in Ningde, Fujian Province, China, and operates manufacturing bases in Fujian Province; Xining, Qinghai province; Liyang, Jiangsu province; Yibin, Sichuan province; Zhaoqing, Guangdong province and in its first overseas plant located in Erfurt, Germany.

Samsung SDI is a subsidiary of Samsung and focuses on producing lithium-ion batteries. They have several production facilities worldwide. One in Auburn Hills, Michigan; Premmstaetten, Austria; Goed Hungary; Bac Ninh, Vietnam; and Seremban, Australia. Furthermore, they have four in South Korea, in Cheonan, Cheongju, Gumi, and Ulsan. Finally, they have three in China, in Xi’an, Tianjin, and Wuxi.

Northvolt has two production facilities. In Skellefteå, Sweden, they make the components for their batteries which are then assembled in Gdansk, Poland.

Also read: Are BMW Cheaper In Germany? (Our Conclusion)

Who Makes BMW Seats?

Another essential part of a car is, of course, the seats that are used. For this, BMW seems to use two different suppliers. The first supplier is Magna, which replaced the previous supplier (Lear) in 2018. Magna has several locations worldwide and a few in the United States. However, it seems especially their plants in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Chomutov, Czech Republic, are used to produce BMW seats.

Furthermore, Brose seems to be in charge of the production of the front seat structures of several different BMWs. They have a production facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Also read: The Complete Cost Of Maintaining A BMW

Sources

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