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MINI Recharged Plans to Convert Classic Minis in Reversible Fashion

In some areas of London, you can only get to drive combustion-engined vehicles if you pay the congestion charge. That made cars such as the classic Mini disappear from places such as Oxford Street or Piccadilly Circus. BMW is now proposing something that will bring it back to these iconic places: the MINI Recharged project.
MINI Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible way 23 photos
Photo: MINI
Mini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible wayMini Recharged will convert classic Minis in a totally reversible way
According to the company, a team of specialists in the MINI Plant Oxford will convert classic Minis to electric in a totally reversible way. What BMW failed to reveal is how much that would cost, how many vehicles it plans to convert, and some other details we have already asked the company.

Summing up what happens, any classic Mini owner can ask BMW to replace its original powertrain with a 90 kW (121 hp) electric motor. The MINI Recharged project did not reveal how big or how heavy the battery pack is: it only said it provides a range of 100 miles (160 kilometers) and that it can be charged to up to 6.6 kW. We have also asked BMW about that.

The MINI Recharged will not only replace the original powertrain. It will also mark it and store it so that the owner can bring his classic Mini back to what it was. We have no idea how long the conversion process takes nor how much time it would take for the classic Mini to be restored to its original condition.

Although some people can be happy that the converted Mini will be able to go from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in around 9 seconds, the idea is not welcomed by a large number of Mini fans. They think this makes no difference to the vehicle’s already tiny carbon footprint and that it would be better as Alec Issigonis conceived it.

Despite that, many Mini owners may cherish the possibility to convert their cars in the plant where they were built, respecting their heritage and still being able to drive them everywhere. Demand will tell us who is right or wrong in this case.
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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
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Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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