BMW SA boss says X3 production is ‘maxed out’
BMW Group SA’s boss says production of the X3 at Plant Rosslyn is “maxed out”, adding that around half of the units currently being built in Mzansi are PHEVs…
- Production at Plant Rosslyn is “maxed out”, says BMW SA boss
- “About half” of X3 units currently being built in SA are PHEVs
- PHEVs represent approximately 10% of X3 sales in South Africa
The head of BMW Group South Africa says production of the G45-series X3 at Plant Rosslyn is “maxed out”, adding that about half of the units being built locally are the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version.
Peter van Binsbergen, CEO of BMW Group South Africa, was speaking during an interview conducted in Cars.co.za’s custom-built podcast booth at Naamsa’s South African Auto Week 2025 in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape at the start of October.
Back in 2018, Plant Rosslyn switched from producing the 3 Series to building the G01-series X3, before changing to the G45-series X3 in October 2024 (and becoming the only facility in the world producing the X3 30e xDrive PHEV). Van Binsbergen described the move to an SUV as “great strategy”.
“The [BMW] Group saw that the sedan market was declining worldwide, and the SUV market was growing. So, they predicted that we needed more SUV capacity and switched our plant to X3. So, great strategy and a great result,” he told us.
“In the last-generation X3, right until runout, we were fully sold out. And with the current generation of X3, which we started producing last year October, we are maxed out in our production at Rosslyn. So, we’re in a very good space right now because of good strategy.”
Interestingly, Van Binsbergen – who has been in the top job since the beginning of 2021 – said the company was “seeing a massive trend towards PHEVs right now”, revealing that “about half of our volume currently being produced in Rosslyn [including for export] is the PHEV”.
“Our PHEV sales are probably 3 times what our battery-electric vehicle sales are, so it’s definitely the more suitable product for South Africa given that you don’t have the issues with range when it comes to travelling further.
“For a one-car household, a PHEV fits into your daily routine – you can commute in the week electrically and on the weekend you can run on petrol, right? So, there’s definitely higher demand there. With the X3 itself, we’re seeing about 10% of our X3 mix locally sold is PHEV,” he added.
Plant Rosslyn in Gauteng currently builds the X3 20 (petrol), X3 20d (diesel), X3 40d xDrive (diesel) and X3 30e xDrive (PHEV). Producing units in both left- and right-hand drive, the facility exports to more than 40 countries.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Is production of the BMW X3 at Plant Rosslyn currently at full capacity?
A: Yes, according to Peter van Binsbergen, CEO of BMW Group South Africa, production of the G45-series X3 at Plant Rosslyn is currently “maxed out”.
Q: What proportion of the BMW X3 units being built at Plant Rosslyn are Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)?
A: Approximately half (about 50%) of the BMW X3 volume currently being produced at Plant Rosslyn (including units for export) is the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) version, the X3 30e xDrive, according to Van Binsbergen.
Q: What percentage of the X3 sales mix in South Africa are PHEV models?
A: Locally in South Africa, the PHEV models account for approximately 10% of the overall BMW X3 sales mix, says Van Binsbergen.
Related content
How many X3 units were built in SA in 2024?