-
We have to wait another two years for a production Mini EV, but when it arrives, we think it will look a lot like this.
-
You can tell the Mini Electric Concept is an EV because it's covered in the letter E.
-
"Aerodynamics and lightweight design aren’t just important in the world of motor sport; they are also essential factors for maximising electric range," said Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice president of BMW Group Design.
-
"The car’s surfaces have a sense of precision and contemporary clarity about them that lends added impact to the car’s efficient character. Plus, striking accents and vivid contrasts give the exterior that distinctive MINI twist," van Hooydonk continued.
-
At the rear, the LED tail lights are inspired by the Union Flag. We don't know if this will make production, but Mini owners do seem to love adding Union Flag decals to their order.
-
When the production car arrives in two years, it will mark a full decade since the Mini E of 2009. 450 of these were leased to drivers in the US.
-
But it was a very compromised car, since the 30kWH battery pack took up all the room normally devoted to rear seats and cargo.
It's almost time for this year's Frankfurt International Motorshow, but there must be something in the air because car makers seem to be jumping over each other to reveal their new products days or even weeks before doors open to the press. Last week, Ferrari jumped the gun with its new entry-level Portofino. Yesterday, Bentley did the same for its new Continental. Today, it was Mini's turn. It's bringing what we think is a thinly veiled concept to the show, called (imaginatively) the Mini Electric Concept. We say thinly veiled, because there's a production Mini electric vehicle due in 2019.
"With its characteristic go-kart feeling and powerful electric motor, the MINI Electric Concept is great fun to drive while also being completely suitable for everyday use—and producing zero emissions to boot. That’s how we at MINI envisage electric mobility in tomorrow’s world," said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, which is responsible for MINI, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad.
The front of the car has been given a redesign compared to the Minis on our roads today. As a battery EV, it has little need for a big air intake to feed a combustion engine. Asymmetric alloy wheels make use of 3D-printed bits to mimic the revised front grille, and it's covered in Es to signal to the onlooker that "this Mini is electric!" Oh, and the rear LED tail lights each form half of the Union Flag, a nod to Mini's British heritage.
Technically, when the production electric Mini hits the showrooms in a couple of years' time, it will be the second Mini EV on sale, as the brand does have a plug-in hybrid Mini Countryman in its lineup already. That car uses a similar (but less powerful) powertrain to the one found in one of my all-time favorites, the BMW i8 (although in this case, the 1.5L three-cylinder engine drives the front wheels and the electric motor powers the rears).
We’ve been here before
But there was actually a previous all-electric Mini—the Mini E of 2009. About 450 of these EVs came to the US as part of a test by parent company BMW to see how its customers might adapt to alternative powertrains, data that led to the BMW i program. The Mini E had a 30kWh battery pack that took up so much space that the car was strictly a two-seater with little room for cargo, something that was a bit of an issue for the guinea pigs who leased the car and participated in BMW's study at the time. (It was this, rather than range, that would most often cause a Mini E driver to reach for a different set of keys, apparently.)
We doubt Mini will make the same mistake a decade later. Batteries have come a long way since 2009, as have EV expectations, thanks to Tesla. Details like powertrain specifications or price haven't been released, but we have to imagine that 2019's electric Mini will have at least 200 miles of range and a price that undercuts the BMW i3. At this point, my biggest question for BMW is simple: what's taking you so long?
reader comments
56