Classic Minis might not get their doors blown off – but electric motors are on the horizon!
The BMW Group, which owns Mini, launched “Mini Recharged”; Converting the classic British watch into sustainable Electric Vehicles (EVs).
The idea started with Mini’s team at its Oxford factory offering a service to take customers’ old Minis and give them an electric feel, and has now evolved into a concept being taken on board by its owner was taken.
Image: BMW Group
After its original launch in 1959, the Mini enjoyed great popularity, becoming synonymous with 1960s British culture and eventually gaining a huge cult following. Those in charge of the project made sure not to mess with what made the car so popular.
The BMW Group has shown that all changes made in the rebuild are reversible, but put simply, the petrol engine is replaced with a zero-emission powertrain.
Minis are known for zipping around the streets at great speed because of their size, and that doesn’t fade with the electric conversion – its battery can propel the car to 100km/h in just nine seconds.
Image: BMW Group
Mini Recharged has stated that the battery will give the car a range of around 100 miles on one charge.
With the conversion – to ULEZ standards – the classic car can be driven through central London without the need for a new license plate.
Bernd Körber, head of the Mini brand, said: “What the project team is developing retains the character of the classic Mini and allows its fans purely electric performance. With Mini Recharged we connect the past with the future of the brand.”
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