Mini has launched a new programme that enables owners of the brand’s classic models to swap their car’s petrol engine for a more modern electric powertrain.
The brand showed off a classic Mini Electric in 2018 at the New York motor show, which was intended as a one-off. However, Mini says that ‘reactions were so positive’ that a team was assembled at the brand’s Oxford factory to develop a powertrain suitable to allow customers to also convert their classic Minis.
The adaption, which uses existing classic models, changes nothing about the way the Mini looks on the outside – bar a charging flap installed in the same location as the original fuel filler cap – but purely affects what’s under the surface. A modern electric motor producing 120bhp is installed, which is said to allow for a 0-60mph time of around nine seconds. An electric range of around 100 miles is offered from its battery, which can be charged at up to 6.6kW.
Drivers even keep the car’s original registration, while inside the classic central instrument cluster remains, though it is updated to read out various new electrical information.
Mini has stressed that the changes are ‘reversible’ and that the car can be restored back to its former petrol self at a date. During the conversion, the original engine of each car is marked and stored, should the owner decide they want it to be original once again. All conversions are carried out in the UK, with each car numbered.
Bernd Körber, head of the Mini brand said, “What the project team are developing preserves the character of the classic Mini and enables its fans to enjoy all-electric performance. With Mini Recharged, we are connecting the past with the future of the brand.”
The firm has also hinted that future collaborations and one-off versions of the Mini Recharged programme are planned.
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