BMW will build engines for new hybrid sports car at UK factory
GERMAN carmaker BMW delivered yet another boost the UK auto industry yesterday, saying that the engines for its new hybrid sport model will be built at a factory near Birmingham.
The i8 petrol-electric car will go on sale at the end of next year, with a three-cylinder petrol engine to extend its capacity beyond what is possible with a plug-in hybrid battery. The engines will be manufactured at BMW’s Hams Hall factory in North Warwickshire, with the body assembled at the company’s facilities in Leipzig.
BMW announced its plans at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) annual conference at Canary Wharf yesterday.
In a speech at the conference, business secretary Vince Cable cheered the UK automotive industry, saying it had attracted said £5.5bn of investment in the last 18 months.