MINI's new EV concept

Nearly 10 years since the debut of MINI’s first electric concept, the car maker announced plans to present the new MINI Electric Concept at the IAA cars 2017 show in Frankfurt, Germany. MINI says that the EV will retain the nippy feeling that is so integral to the brand’s heritage, and bring a car to market that is designed for urban mobility and city life. “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,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad. Schwarzenbauer says that this is how MINI sees itself in the future. The brand’s first series-production model with a plug-in hybrid drive system was presented in spring 2017 in the shape of the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4. The new model variant enables electric and therefore locally emission-free mobility for the first time. In the future, all electrified products from the MINI brand will be grouped together under the “MINI Electric” banner, the company says. The concept will make use of 3D printing technologies in its inlays and air intakes. MINI says this will improve both the aerodynamics of the model and the overall aesthetic. For now, there is no information available on the cars power and performance specs. MINI says it hopes to bring an all-electric production model to market in 2019. The announcement of MINI’s Electric Concept follows BMW group’s (which MINI belongs to) announcement of their i3 model, that will be available globally late this year.