The Driven

Sixty years after the release of the first Mini, a revolution in car design at the time, BMW has launched the full electric version, with a range of up to 270kms, and a “waiting” list of customers that it says already tops 40,000.

The Mini Electric, officially known as the Mini Cooper SE, will be available next year in Europe (and likely not in Australia until 2021), and was officially unveiled by BMW in the Dutch city of Rotterdam on Tuesday.

It is the first established premium small car brand to go fully electric, the company says, and it is BMW’s first all electric vehicle since the launch of the I3.

“We are thrilled to already have over 40,000 customers who have registered their interest in the MINI Electric. So, you’d better be quick if you want one!” said BMW’s head of brand and sales Pieter Norta.

The Mini Electric will feature a 32.6kWh battery that – with an 135 kW/184 hp electric motor, and instant torque, will deliver a range of 235-270kms, and allow for acceleration from 0-60km/h in 3.9 seconds, and from 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds.

The battery will be shaped in a “T” and lay deep in the chassis, delivering a low centre of gravity. Along with the smaller and lighter electric motor, the company says the Mini Electric will have “agile handling, making it supreme and easy to control even when cornering at high speed.”

To read the full story on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…