KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — Mini will unveil its all-electric plug-in vehicle on July 9, 2019 and it’s expected to be the Cooper S E. This is the production model of the Mini Electric concept that was shown in 2017.
According to Mini, which is owned by BMW, the all-electric Mini’s opens a new chapter in its history and it combines Mini’s inventive spirit, creative use of space and iconic Design. The website also says, “Experience a new urban confidence and peace of mind knowing you’re not only helping make our roads quieter, and the air we breathe cleaner — but your petrol station days are over, too.”
The electric Mini Cooper S E will be available for pre-order in Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden and Norway, with production expected to begin from November 2019 in Oxford, South England.
The full details of the car aren’t revealed yet but it is speculated that the plug-in three-door hatch will get a 33.8kWh battery that could give a driving range of 200 miles which is around 321km. It is expected to be powered by an electric motor from the BMW i3s that pushes 181 bhp and 270 Nm of torque.
Ahead of the launch, the vehicle has been spotted undisguised in the US and it looks like the current Mini 3-door hatch. There are yellow highlights with the distinctive E logo badges to highlight that this is a plug-in vehicle. Being an electric car, it gets a different front grill and a unique rim design to separate itself from its petrol siblings.
If you’re looking for a plug-in Mini in Malaysia, there’s the Mini Cooper S E Countryman All4 PHEV which is priced at RM250,888. This isn’t all-electric as it has a 1.5L 3-cylinder engine that produces 136 bhp and 220Nm of torque, plus an electric motor at the rear axle that does 87 bhp and 165 Nm of torque. — SoyaCincau
