By 2030 Mini will be fully electric

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The BMW branch in Oxford (England) has experienced some confusion and confusion in recent years. Sometimes the portfolio had to be expanded to ten vehicles, sometimes they did repairs on trendy lofts in New York and dreamed of selling 500,000 vehicles a year or more. In reality it was mostly different.

In any case, there is not much left of his dreams of becoming a full electric brand based on the Smart model. Even with the active support of future Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor behind you, the Mini will only be fully electric by the turn of the decade in 2030. Two weeks ago, Mini confirmed that the current generation of the electric Mini will soon also be available as an electric convertible. But the Mini Cooper SE Convertible will only be available in a limited series of 999 units and for a reasonable price of around 60,000 francs – so there won’t be many electric units for now.

new production in china

But unlike Smart, whose leadership is now largely dominated by Daimler and Geely executives, Mini and BMW remain the sole say in the brand’s electric drive. Great Wall Motor acts primarily as a development and manufacturing partner. In addition to production in Oxford, UK, two models will be produced first in China. Based on the example of the BMW iX3, it will be exported to the whole world from here.

In any case, Mini boss Bernd Körber (48) is confident: “The Mini will benefit tremendously from the fact that we are developing two vehicles in China in an environment where there are huge product demands in terms of range, battery costs, connectivity and safety.” related capabilities of the embedded network .»

This is how the mini gets electrified

The base model of the British company remains the Mini Hatch. Just 3.86 meters long, the hatchback will be named the Mini Cooper E in the future and will offer a range of 300 kilometers with 184 hp (135 kW) and a 40 kilowatt-hour battery. A more powerful version, the Mini Cooper SE, has 218 hp (160 kW) with a 50 kilowatt-hour battery and a range of 400 kilometers. On the same basis, the convertible will launch in 2025 as the last new internal combustion model of the Mini.

With a length of 4.43 meters, the new Countryman will be the largest of the group. With 272 hp (200 kW) and a range of 420 kilometers, it is the only all-wheel drive vehicle in this trio. Available with front-wheel drive, the engine delivers 190 hp (140 kW). The big SUV and Cooper will celebrate their premieres at the International Motor Show IAA in Munich (D) in September 2023.

The Mini Cooper and Countryman will be offered as combustion and electric models, while the Aceman will be an all-electric model. The first all-electric crossover, with a length of 4.08 meters and front-wheel drive, hits the road with an output of 130 or 160 kW. The battery size is 40 or 54 kilowatt hours, providing a range of 300 to 400 kilometers.

Aceman, the model of the future

“The Aceman concept car reflects how Mini is reinventing itself towards an all-electric future. “Electric go-kart feel, an immersive digital experience and a strong focus on a minimal ecological footprint,” says Mini brand boss Stefanie Wurst (55).

Mini’s chief designer Oliver Heilmer (47) sees a lot of potential in the Aceman: “The all-electric vehicle concept makes it possible to direct design more in principle to the traditional core values ​​of Mini. Creative space creating models that take up little space on the street. use of.

The open Mini Cooper SE Convertible and an additional five-door model are already firmly planned for the next generation. On the other hand, the Rocketman study, which is a micro mini that has been discussed for years, should not be given a chance. Plug-in hybrids are also obsolete. The equipment structure should also be significantly simplified. There will no longer be maximum customization with low volumes and low profit margins. Instead, there are ready-made packages for popular special models.

Source: Blick