Mini will bring an exciting new concept car to the 2017 Frankfurt International Motor Show next week. Not to be outdone by the BMW branch of the BMW Group, Mini will give the motoring world a taste of what its newest contribution to electromobility may look like as it presents the Mini Concept Electric.
The Mini Concept Electric is intended as an urban car and a case study in the future of day-to-day urban mobility propelled only by electricity. And while other companies, including BMW, have introduced electric cars already, none have the fun factor and go-kart-like handling of a Mini.
The Mini Concept Electric represents a taste of what Mini will be offering in 2019 when its first all-electric production vehicle arrives.
“The systematic electrification of the brand and product portfolio is a mainstay of the BMW Group’s Number One > Next strategy. The Mini Electric Concept offers a thrilling preview of the all-electric production vehicle. Mini and electrification make a perfect match,” commented BMW AG Board of Management Chairman Harald Krüger.
Mini cars have always had an advantage in urban environments due to their size. Building a Mini that operates with zero local emissions only makes sense, especially as more and more cities, especially n Europe, act to restrict operation of less-efficient internal combustion-engined vehicles in their centers.
“With its characteristic go-kart feeling and powerful electric motor, the Mini Electric Concept is great fun to drive while also being completely suitable for everyday use—and producing zero emissions to boot," said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the BMW AG Board of Management for Mini, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad. That's how we at Mini envisage electric mobility in tomorrow's world.
Followers of the progress of electric vehicles (EV) will recall the BMW Group's testing program for electric cars that included the Mini-E in 2008. The Mini-E was the company's first all-electric vehicle and comprised a field trial in which 600 private users drove the car under everyday conditions. The knowledge gained by these real-world testers of the Mini-E and the ActiveE 1 Series BMWs were incorporated into the design and engineering of the BMW Group's first production EV, the BMW i3.
The first electrified production Mini appeared earlier this year in the form of the plug-in hybrid Mini Cooper S E Countryman ALL4.
“The Mini Electric Concept is a quintessential Mini—compact, agile, simply the ideal companion for everyday driving. At the same time, it conveys a whole new take on the concept of sportiness,” explained Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “Indeed, aerodynamics and lightweight design aren’t just important in the world of motor sport; they are also essential factors for maximizing electric range. The car’s surfaces have a sense of precision and contemporary clarity about them that lends added impact to the car’s efficient character. Plus, striking accents and vivid contrasts give the exterior that distinctive Mini twist.”
There is no mistaking the Mini Concept Electric for anything other than a Mini, with its hexagonal grille and circular headlights. The silver and yellow color scheme hearkens back to the Mini E, and the Concept gets its own distinctive E badge. The grille, however, is closed since there is little need for engine cooling and the closed grille supports better aerodynamics. The headlights are all-LED. By the way, those openings that look like air intakes on the front apron are also sealed and are there for design effect.
The Concept Electric is finished in Reflection Silver; what Mini calls a matte liquid metal color shade. A large "E" design aft of the front wheels is a not-so-subtle indicator of what moves this car. "Mini E" badges are also placed on the radiator grille and mirror caps. Striking Yellow accents are blended into the roof and side skirts.
The Mini Concept Electric rides on dark 19-inch wheels with asymmetric inlays and a yellow trim ring. Those inlays are produced using 3D printing.
Anyone who forgets where the Mini comes from will be reminded by examining the rear lights of the Mini Concept Electric. Inside each traditionally Mini-shaped light is one-half of a British Union Jack in an LED dot matrix. It may take a little mental manipulation to see them at first.
The rear is finished off with air deflectors and a fiberglass diffuser. Another yellow accent strip confirms that this is indeed an electric Mini. It will be interesting to see if Mini carries this distinctive design element forward in the production versions. And yes, those large air outlets in the rear are also for looks only.
Here is Mini's introduction video for the Mini Concept Electric:
While the Mini Concept Electric is intended to preview an all-new and all-electric Mini that will lend itself mostly to urban driving, there is little doubt that it will feel like a Mini, which means small, quick, and fun.—Scott Blazey
[Photos and video courtesy of BMW AG.]
