BMW Group-owned Mini brand has launched the Mini Recharged program to electrify its classic models, in which you can turn an old British brand car into a 100% electric car.
The program covers classic Minis from 1959 to 2000. The manufacturer proposes to replace the four-cylinder engine with an electric motor with a capacity of 123 hp. This will allow the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in about 9 seconds – much faster than any of the original Minis.
A four-speed manual transmission gives way to a single-speed one. At the same time, the removed original units can be mothballed and stored, if the client wishes, they will be returned to the car in the future, having been converted.
Capacity of Mini Recharged
The capacity of the traction battery was not disclosed. The power reserve is modest – 160 km. Recharging power up to 6.6 kW is supported. Instead of a fuel gauge, a classic-style range indicator is installed.
After conversion, according to the rules of the UK, re-registration of the Mini Recharged is not required.
Mini boss Bernd Körber, who will move to BMW’s product management in February, said the project “retains the character of the classic Mini and allows its fans to enjoy the dynamics of an electric vehicle” and that the Mini “connects the brand’s past with the future” with its launch.
The cost of the Mini Recharged has not yet been announced.
Recall that the first mass-produced electric car of the British brand was the Mini Cooper SE , which was launched in 2019. It is equipped with a 184-horsepower electric motor, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes 7.3 seconds, top speed is limited to 150 km/h.
The traction battery with a capacity of 32.6 kWh provides a power reserve of 200-230 kilometers. In Europe, the Mini Cooper SE should go on sale in the summer of 2022. One batch of 250 copies is intended for the Russian Federation, the price will be announced in March.