Photo: Guido Ten Brink/SB-Medien
The MINI brand is all about fun. For many people and for many years, the notions of fun and electric powertrains were intrinsically incompatible, but recent developments are beginning to change their minds.
Had they driven the MINI E concept from nine years ago, their opinion would have probably changed a lot quicker. That test car was a standard MINI Cooper with three doors (the only kind available at that time) converted by the company's engineers into a decent electric vehicle.
The only real downside to its conversion - but it was a significant one - was that the battery packs took up the space you would have normally used to transport two more persons. Turned into a two-seater, the MINI E lost none of that go-kart attitude the modern MINI cars have always been so famous for.
But while the MINI E felt like a project done by a few engineers in their spare time, the MINI Electric Concept is completely different. For one thing, it has custom styling that's both new and absolutely MINI at the same time. We'd even go as far as to say that this might be the best integration of EV-specific elements into an already existing design we've seen so far. If this MINI came with a gasoline engine, it would sell like crazy.
It's worth remembering that, even though BMW confirmed an electric MINI is coming two years from now, this thing we're looking at is still a concept, so changes might occur. But considering there's nothing crazy going on, we see no reason why the styling should suffer too many changes.
The front bumper with its pronounced apron might be a little too much, just like those winglets on the side skirts. The rear bumper, however, is just perfect the way it is with that swooping line in the center where the two exhaust pipes on the S models would sit being a brilliant touch. The LED taillights shaped like two halves of the Union Jack are not far behind.
You'll notice we focused on the Concept's appearance, and that's because MINI didn't go into any details surrounding the vehicle's drivetrain. The technical aspects are either kept under wraps or are far from being finalized yet since not even the faintest bit of info transpired about them.
However, we expect the EV MINI will launch in 2019 to offer plenty of performance while its range will highlight its main destination as an urban mobility solution. In other words, don't expect it to be a road trip master - even though if you want to experience everything a MINI has to offer, you do have to take it out of the city.
The only real downside to its conversion - but it was a significant one - was that the battery packs took up the space you would have normally used to transport two more persons. Turned into a two-seater, the MINI E lost none of that go-kart attitude the modern MINI cars have always been so famous for.
But while the MINI E felt like a project done by a few engineers in their spare time, the MINI Electric Concept is completely different. For one thing, it has custom styling that's both new and absolutely MINI at the same time. We'd even go as far as to say that this might be the best integration of EV-specific elements into an already existing design we've seen so far. If this MINI came with a gasoline engine, it would sell like crazy.
It's worth remembering that, even though BMW confirmed an electric MINI is coming two years from now, this thing we're looking at is still a concept, so changes might occur. But considering there's nothing crazy going on, we see no reason why the styling should suffer too many changes.
The front bumper with its pronounced apron might be a little too much, just like those winglets on the side skirts. The rear bumper, however, is just perfect the way it is with that swooping line in the center where the two exhaust pipes on the S models would sit being a brilliant touch. The LED taillights shaped like two halves of the Union Jack are not far behind.
You'll notice we focused on the Concept's appearance, and that's because MINI didn't go into any details surrounding the vehicle's drivetrain. The technical aspects are either kept under wraps or are far from being finalized yet since not even the faintest bit of info transpired about them.
However, we expect the EV MINI will launch in 2019 to offer plenty of performance while its range will highlight its main destination as an urban mobility solution. In other words, don't expect it to be a road trip master - even though if you want to experience everything a MINI has to offer, you do have to take it out of the city.
Google News