More Brexit booty! BMW will move ‘Mini’ production from the UK to the Netherlands

BMW will move production of the iconic ‘Mini’ from the UK to the Netherlands in the case of a no-deal Brexit. With many British companies preparing for all scenarios, BMW has revealed that it will find a new home in the Netherlands, or at least upscale their workforce

Looks like another big win for the Netherlands! Brexit prompted damage-control reactions across a range of industries, like the European Medicines Agency (EMA). BMW increasing production in the Netherlands (as reported by De Telegraaf) is a matter of maintaining production smoothness in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

Included in this big win for the Netherlands? The Mini, an icon of British design, with significant roots and heritage value to the UK’s auto-manufacturing industry.

BMW will increase production in the Netherlands

BMW’s Oxford site still builds more cars, producing 210,971 vehicles last year compared to the 87,609 cars made by VDL in the same period. VDL in Born could produce up to 200,000 if it operated in split-shifts.

BMW is deciding where to make an electric version of its Mini this year: Germany, the Netherlands, and England are still hungry for BMW’s business. The Netherlands boasts experience in implementing plug-in charging capabilities, making it attractive for BMW.

Will BMW increase production in the Netherlands?

“The UK remains an important location for us. Much will depend on how Brexit is ultimately negotiated. At the BMW Group, we are preparing for different scenarios. Our production network offers us flexibility,” said Harald Krüger, the current CEO of BMW at the company’s annual results conference.

The Netherlands has a high capacity for a auto-manufacturing facility: VDL Nedcar. VDL bought another 38 hectares of land from the province of Limburg last week and the first cars could roll off the belt in four years’ time.

BMW has 4,500 workers at a plant in Oxford manufacturing parts for Mini. Their “Mini Countryman” and the “Mini Cabrio” models, as well as the X1, are made out of VDL’s facility in Born, Limburg. BMW will fully survey their options, the Netherlands is an ideal candidate for maintaining production standards and improving on their electric models.

What do you make of all the companies jumping ship for our ample Dutch shores? You can follow the discussion and all things Brexit-Netherlands on our Facebook!

Jesse Rintoul
Jesse Rintoulhttps://textmood.co/
I'm a 24-year-old writer living in Amsterdam, pursuing videography and media. The coffee I am drinking in my profile picture is a black coffee.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related posts

Latest posts

This money-saving app will help you make the most out of Black Friday

You’re probably not interested in hearing about inflation and the rising costs of living again, so we’ll keep it short: it sucks. Luckily, there...

Women in the Netherlands are effectively working for free until the end of the year (yes, you read that right)

As the end of the year approaches, our attention is drawn to a sobering figure: women in the Netherlands will essentially work for free...

Friday’s NS strikes will have ‘very strong’ impact on travellers: Here’s what we know

Friday morning’s train strikes around Utrecht and Amersfoort will have serious consequences for passengers — and the NS warns travellers to prepare for major...

It's happening

Upcoming events

The latest Dutch news.
In your inbox.