2018 Mini Electric Concept

[FiestaST]

Pity it’s a one-off!

Mini Electric Concept

With the world premiere of an extraordinary car at the 2018 New York International Auto Show, the British car manufacturer MINI once again demonstrates its appetite for purely electric driving with a new take on an icon.

The classic Mini Electric combines the historic look of the world's favorite small car with groundbreaking drive technology for tomorrow's urban mobility. With this unique vehicle, MINI sends out a clear signal demonstrating its commitment to retaining the brand's unmistakable character whilst embracing innovative zero local emission technology.

The classic Mini Electric is the result of an imaginary journey through time, where the story of classic model is extended by a consecutive chapter. The original from the second half of the 20th century becomes a sympathetic ambassador for environmental awareness and a form of sustainable mobility whose future has just begun.

The urban electro mobility landscape will soon benefit from the arrival of a brand new model, packed with charisma, individual style and driving fun. The MINI Electric Concept was announced at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, and paves the way for the brand's first all-electric vehicle which will be unveiled in 2019 - just in time for the 60th anniversary of the classic Mini. The fully electric production vehicle is currently in development, based on the MINI 3-Door, and will be produced for the first time at MINI Plant Oxford next year.

MINI is once again assuming a pioneering role for sustainable mobility within the BMW Group. In 2008, the brand presented the MINI E - based on the predecessor model of the current MINI 3-Door, about 600 examples were produced and used in a field trial under everyday conditions. This trail played a central role in paving the way for the development of the BMW i3, which has enjoyed worldwide success since 2013.

On the way to a new era in electro mobility, MINI has already taken another step forward. In the MINI Cooper SE Countryman ALL4 Plug-In Hybrid model, the combination of an internal combustion engine with an electric drive provides a system output of 165 kW / 224 hp and an intelligent hybrid-specific all-wheel drive system. The capable five-door model in the premium compact segment guarantees driving pleasure on any terrain. The vehicles draws its power from both engines for powerful acceleration, whilst retaining the ability to drive at up to 125 km / h in purely electric mode. With these qualities, the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 makes a significant contribution to the global market success of the BMW Group's electrified vehicle fleet.

By contrast, the classic Mini Electric presented in New York will remain unique. A late and carefully restored example of the classic Mini Cooper serves as the basis for this special vehicle. The exterior red paint is complemented by a contrast white roof and characteristic bonnet strip, with the yellow MINI Electric logo in the brand emblem and on the wheel hubs. The electric classic remains true to the brand, both in terms of its visual appearance and driving characteristics. The spontaneous power of its electric motor provides a new dimension to the unmistakable go-kart feeling that helped propel the British small car in its original form to worldwide popularity.

https://www.netcarshow.com/mini/2018-electric_concept/

 

[FiestaST]

Classic Mini Electric revealed in New York to emphasise brand's EV plans

A one-off electrified version of the original Mini is in New York a year ahead of the launch of its first series production EV

An electrified version of the original Mini has been revealed at the New York motor show to emphasise the brand’s electric ambitions.

Based on a late version of the first Mini that has been completely restored, the car’s original four-cylinder engine has been swapped for a pure electric powerplant. Mini said the finished car mixes “the brand’s unmistakable character whilst embracing zero local emission technology”.

That the New York show car comes one year before Mini launches its first series production electric model, which will be based on the three-door car, is no coincidence. As Mini engineers are working to move the car towards production, the brand’s marketing department is working to increase awareness of Mini’s upcoming model.

The Classic Mini Electric, which is a one-off, is therefore produced to show how the original city car recipe can be adapted to feature the very latest in drive technology. Mini boss Sebastian Mackensen recently told Autocar that this tactic takes the brand back to its core values – making next year’s production car launch “pivotal” to its future.

“We always joke and say if Issigonis was to invent the Mini today, it would definitely be an electric car,” said Mackensen. “It is the answer to current challenges, as the original Mini was in 1959.”

The Mini Electric, first previewed by the Mini Electric concept of 2017, has been spotted on numerous occasions in public, including a recent stint of cold weather testing in a mule based on the pre-facelift three-door.

Mackensen said that the final car’s design will be toned down from the concept, with only a few aesthetic signals to its EV powerplant. He also confidently predicted that the EV Mini would handle more like the original Mini philosophy had intended due to its lower centre of gravity.

“The torque and the responsiveness, combined with the low centre of weight, will mean it sticks to the ground even more [than the combustion-engined car],” he said.

The car maker launched its first plug-in model, the Mini Countryman S E All4 hybrid, last year as a first step into the world of mass-production electrification. Mini's first foray into electric power came a decade ago when 600 examples of the Mini E were built.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/...lectric-revealed-new-york-emphasise-brands-ev

 

[faniebraai]

Veri naais! Wants

 

[ThinkCentre]

Nice! Pitty BMW makes it!

 

[FiestaST]

Jalopnik drives an Electric Mini Cooper

[video=youtube_share;ws_te83-IJE]https://youtu.be/ws_te83-IJE[/video]

 

[FiestaST]

First drive: Classic Mini Electric driven on UK roads

Old meets new for a one-off electric version of a classic, created to whet appetites for the upcoming 2019 Electric Mini

From a distance, there's nothing to suggest Moritz Burmester's Mini is anything other than a well-preserved classic.

The Solar Red Cooper's flared arches, two-tone livery and 13in wheels? Part of the factory-fitted Sports Pack. It's the electric plug decals adorning the alloys and body panels that give a hint at the one-off nature of this project.

In case you haven’t seen a Countryman Cooper S E lately, or didn’t see the fleet of experimental Mini Es back in 2008, the logos let you know this Mini sips electricity, not petrol. The original motor has been stripped out and replaced with a 38bhp electric powertrain.

Burmester's old-meets-new project was built in just six days and revealed at this year’s New York motor show as a reminder of Mini’s past, but also looking forward to its future - one where, a year from now, the company will release its first battery-powered production model.

The aim of the build was to keep as close to the standard car as possible, so while the engine has been replaced, and the exhaust and petrol tank stripped, it still weighs around 770kg - the same as an original 1998 Cooper.

With the near-instant power delivery of an electric motor, that makes it even more of a go-kart to drive than ever.

How does the Classic Mini Electric drive?

Replacing the donor car’s 1.3-litre four-pot with an electric motor might sound like sacrilege to Mini purists, but it stays true to the marque’s heritage. The motor only powers the front wheels, just like it should, while the unforgivingly firm suspension and unassisted steering remain unchanged.

The four-speed transmission stays in place, too, which is unusual for an EV. According to Burmester, an automatic conversion wouldn’t be possible without custom-building parts, because there's no off-the-shelf differential small enough to fit the car.

The transmission is connected to the motor with a toothed belt and retains all the gears of the standard car, and whines fiercely when you squeeze the throttle.

The gearshift is as vague as it ever was, but you don’t need to use the clutch - just lift off the throttle and shift. Regenerative brakes mean you can’t downshift until you lift off the middle pedal, too.

According to Burmester, the motor is currently operating at 20kW and has had barely 24 hours of use to date, but with testing could be boosted to 40kW for greater performance - if the transmission can take it.

As is, there’s already enough torque to pull away in any gear, and we were advised to avoid first altogether. It’s not instantly responsive like a typical electric car, but is every bit as fun as a petrol-powered Mini.

With no power steering, turning at slow speeds is unsurprisingly heavy. On the move, though, it darts wherever you point it with brilliant accuracy and plenty of feedback. With unchanged suspension the ride is punishingly hard at times, too.

Hearing the whine of the electric powertrain is an odd sensation from inside the cabin, because aside from a small LCD screen to show remaining battery charge, there’s little here to suggest this is anything other than a classic Mini.

The steering wheel still sits at an angle best described as 'school bus', and the interior trim and low-slung seats are stock. It's only when you turn around that you spot the oversized box occupying the rear bench.

That's where all the batteries sit - 30 of the things, which are good for about 65 miles of range and take about four hours to charge from a 220V household outlet. They’re heavy, but because they take the place of the fuel tank, weight distribution remains the same and the car stays as nimble as it was pre-conversion.

Could a DIY mechanic do something similar? Mini isn't putting a price on the project, but the creator himself thinks an off-the-shelf kit could be affordable in the next five years. "Plenty of classics don't have parts, so you either spend a fortune to keep a car running or it dies. An electric drive conversion could keep these cars on the roads," says Burmester.

Does the Classic Mini Electric live up to its hype?

It's far from flawless, but that doesn’t stop this electrified Mini from being great fun to drive. It honors the old car’s heritage and accepts its limitations, rather than try to fix them, and is all the better for it.

It doesn't matter if you're a fan of this modern spin on a classic or not - the one-off was commissioned to get people talking about EVs, not fill order books.

If it has piqued your interest in an electric Mini, Burmester has done his job. And just in time - the 2019 Mini Electric will be revealed later in the year.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/first-drive-classic-mini-electric-driven-uk-roads