For many years, BMW Plant Leipzig has been the home of the 1 Series, 2 Series Gran Coupe, and 2 Series Active Tourer. Since November 2023, the MINI Countryman has also been built there. The site where the i3 and i8 were once assembled is the company’s first German plant to build a BMW and a MINI under the same roof.
Considering 2024 was the Countryman’s first full year of production, the Leipzig factory’s record year is no surprise. The facility, located in the most populous city of Saxony, assembled over 248,000 vehicles in the past 12 months. This number includes not just production cars but also prototypes and vehicle parts for export.
The total number corresponds to an increase of 30%, or 57,493 vehicles, compared to the previous year. Since last September, the factory has operated on a three-shift operation after adding a night shift. It become a necessity to meet demand for BMW and MINI models. Around 1,300 vehicles are assembled daily, about 800 BMWs and 500 MINIs. The factory has a maximum annual capacity of 350,000 cars, so there’s certainly room for growth.
Operational since 2005, BMW Leipzig is the only plant from the Group’s production network to build cars for the two brands on the same line. Last year, the 1 Series led in terms of production numbers, followed closely by the Countryman. Around 11% of the vehicles made in 2024 were purely electric, and 3% were plug-in hybrids. We’ll remind you the 1 Series and 2 Series Gran Coupe are not electrified. You can buy the 2 Series Active Tourer as a PHEV, while the Countryman has an EV derivative.
But time might be running out for the minivan. According to a recent report, BMW intends to discontinue the family car in October 2027. However, nothing is official, especially since an older report had stated that the 2 Series Active Tourer would continue until October 2029. Whatever the case, it’s hard to imagine there will be a third generation, given the continuous shift to crossovers and SUVs.
Source: bmwgroupwerkleipzig / Instagram
