If Alex Issigonis could design the classic Mini again today, the iconic small car would most certainly have an electric motor. After all, the original, presented in 1959, was created during an oil crisis and was based on the idea of saving fuel and transporting four occupants and their luggage in as small a footprint as possible.
The principle of creative use of space and the driving enjoyment that results from this still connects Mini with the original ideas of designer Issigonis to this day. The Mini Recharged project now offers the opportunity to continue the story of the classic Mini in the 21st century in a particularly sustainable way.
The conversion of the brand's classic vehicles to an electric drive combines traditional values with pioneering technology. The idea was born even before the British manufacturer had a fully electric car in its range with the Mini Cooper SE. A one-off classic Mini Electric was built in 2018 and presented at the New York Auto Show. The response at the time was so positive that a dedicated team from the Mini plant in Oxford developed a plan to make a corresponding offer available to customers who own a classic Mini.
The original petrol engine of the classic Mini will be replaced by a modern electric drive to bring traditional driving pleasure to life with a lower-emission drive. No irrevocable changes are made to the substance of the vehicle during the Mini Recharged conversion.
Careful handling of the historical heritage is an important part of the concept. This even makes it possible to restore the classic Mini to its original condition at a later date. For this purpose, the original engine of each vehicle is marked and stored in the course of the conversion. This means that it can be reused if the classic Mini is ever retrofitted.
"What the project team in the UK has developed preserves the character of the classic Mini and enables its fans to enjoy all-electric driving pleasure. With Mini Recharged, we are connecting the past with the future of the brand," says Bernd Körber, Head of the Mini brand.
With Mini Recharged, the life cycle of a vehicle can be extended sustainably. Because even in the event of engine damage, a classic Mini can now be saved from the end and sent on a journey through time that takes its owner both into the past and into the future. The drive is provided by a modern electric motor that generates a continuous output of up to 90 kW and accelerates the electrified classic Mini from zero to 100 km/h in around 9 seconds.
The energy for this is supplied by a high-voltage battery that can be charged with an output of up to 6.6 kW and enables a predicted range of around 160 kilometers. In addition, as part of Mini Recharged, every electrified classic Mini is equipped with the characteristic central instrument that has been familiar since the early days of the classic, which now displays not only the speed but also the drive temperature, the engaged gear and the remaining range.
Fans of the classic Mini who fulfill their desire for locally emission-free driving pleasure with Mini Recharged do not need to register their vehicle again after the conversion. However, the driving experience will change for them - and not just because of the now virtually silent drive. Because with their electrified classic, they can get to places that were previously inaccessible.
Thanks to its purely electric drive, the classic Mini can, for example, drive in the low emission zones of many large cities. And even on Oxford Street or Piccadilly Circus in the UK's capital London, the original can now be part of the cityscape again without the driver having to pay an environmental tax.
Mini Recharged fits seamlessly into the brand's future strategy, which also includes the circular economy aspect. This is because no new vehicle is being produced for this project, only traditional stock being "refreshed". For many a classic Mini, a second, more sustainable vehicle life can begin in this way.
While almost every fifth new Mini now has an electrified drive, the love of the brand's classic vehicles is also becoming a locally emission-free experience that combines the past and the future.
The upcycling of the classic Mini is carried out exclusively in the UK. Each converted vehicle is individually numbered. "Individuality also plays an important role with Mini Recharged," says Sebastian Beuchel, Head of Mini Global Brand Management. "Unique vehicles have always been created on the basis of the classic Mini, right up to true works of art on wheels. For this reason, a collaboration with well-known artists is also planned for the future, whose creativity will be expressed in specially designed classic Minis from the Mini Recharged range."
