BMW’s China Venture Recalls Mini Electric Vehicles
Spotlight Automotive, a 50:50 joint venture between BMW and Great Wall Motor, is recalling a total of 70 domestically produced Mini electric vehicles (EVs) due to potential safety hazards related to their power batteries. The recall affects 55 Mini Coopers produced between June 1, 2024, and August 17, 2024, and 15 Mini Acemans produced between January 10, 2024, and September 18, 2024.
According to an announcement on the website of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), issues in the production process of the power batteries may cause the anode and cathode plates of some battery cells to shift. This could lead to excessive self-discharge of the cells, potentially resulting in overheating of the power battery in extreme cases.
To address the safety concern, Spotlight will replace the defective power battery modules in the recalled vehicles free of charge. The company, established in December 2019, is BMW’s first pure electric vehicle joint venture project globally and has an annual production capacity of 160,000 vehicles. Its headquarters and vehicle production base are located in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province, eastern China.
The Mini brand currently offers pure electric vehicles including Mini Cooper, Mini Aceman, Mini JCW, and Mini JCW Aceman. This recall marks a setback for Spotlight in a highly competitive Chinese electric vehicle market.
