Against a backdrop of consumers falling out of love with buying cars in general, last year BMW Group’s sales of electrified BMW and Mini cars grew 38.4 per cent to 142,617. This division, though relatively small compared to the millions shifted by traditional BMW models, is clearly where the group sees its future.
“I’m confident that by the end of this year, there will be a total of half a million electrified BMW Group vehicles on the roads,” said Harald Krüger, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG in January. The new Mini Electric, unveiled today, is clearly a massive part of this mission of EV expansion.
From £24,400, the Mini Electric will not only be the BMW Group's newest full EV, it will also be its cheapest. The top-spec model will still cost less than the BMW i3, which launched in 2013. You can't buy a Mini Electric now, of course, but you can put your name down for one to be delivered in March next year.
First things first, the proposed performance of the EV looks very enticing. With specs close to the brand's hot-hatch Mini Cooper S, the Mini Electric will be good for a nippy zero to 62mph in 7.3 seconds with a maximum output of 184hp and torque of 270Nm. Top speed is limited to 93mph. What's more, the Electric will cost you £600 less than the equivalent Cooper S model.
There are four driving modes. "Sport" supposedly has more direct steering and a more rapid power delivery. "Mid" setting has less aggressive steering, while "Green" mode makes the accelerator's response more gentle.
In the last mode, "Green+", some comfort functions such as air conditioning are limited or deactivated to save some power and therefore increase range. BMW states the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) range of the Mini Electric will be between 124 and 144 miles.
A toggle switch to the left of the start/stop button in the cabin lets you select between intense or low-level power regeneration, harvesting energy from braking and coasting, regardless of whatever driving mode you are in. The 32.6kWh 12-module lithium-ion battery pack is arranged in a T-shape in the vehicle floor between the front seats and below the rear seats. Impressively, despite the bulky battery pack, the Mini's boot volume has not been compromised, retaining the usual 211 litres (expanding to 731 litres with the rear seats folded).
Potential owners will be pleased to note the Electric comes with both home and public charging cables as standard, for AC and DC charging. At a 50kW DC fast-charging station, the car can achieve an 80 per cent charge from zero in 35 minutes. For 11kW AC charging this rises to 150 minutes.
As EU law now requires, the car will be fitted with "acoustic pedestrian protection" for low-speed driving. This means that the Mini Electric will make a sound "created especially for the car" pumped out via a speaker system to warn unsuspecting members of the public on foot the car is approaching.
On the outside, the only design flourishes denoting the EV status are a logo on the car’s side scuttles, tailgate and front radiator grille, which is close rather than open as the air cooling is not required. It's on the inside where the Mini Electric shouts about its true nature.
A 5.5-inch colour digital dashboard displays various information including current flow of energy and range, while navigation is additionally displayed on the central 6.5-inch touchscreen. This screen lets you access Mini Online, Apple CarPlay, traffic updates that link to the navigation automatically updating the car's range. It is for this reason that the navigation system, usually an optional extra on Minis, is standard on the Electric. It can also detect when you are running low on power are re-route you to public charging stations within range. Once plugging in, the driver can control charging via a mobile phone.
Additional optional upgrades will include a Harmon Kardon sound system, head-up display, matrix LED’s, wireless phone charging and a pimped 8.8in version of that infotainment touchscreen.
Manufacturing will begin late 2019, and all Electric Minis globally will be produced at the brand's Oxford plant, where the assembly of the EV will run on the same lines as existing models. "We believe the Mini Electric could be a tipping point for those who have been thinking about choosing an electric car, to take that step now," David George, director of MINI in the UK, said. "We aim to introduce a whole new group of drivers in the UK to electric driving."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
