The new in-house project by Mini Cooper, Mini Recharged, is dedicated to electrifying the brand’s classic models. All owners of classic Mini models will be offered an official conversion to a full EV set-up. This program is the company’s latest step in its campaign to promote more sustainability on the road.
The Mini Recharged project is developed by a team of workers from the Oxford factory of the company. The project was launched after the positive feedback and response to the one-off electrified Mini that was shown to the public a few years back and has been devised in the context of “telling the story of the classic Mini in the 21st century, in a sustainable way”. The brand shares that their concept of electrifying classic Mini models was conceived even before the launch of the electrified Mini in 2018.
Classic Mini’s that has been produced between 1959 and 2000 and their owners will have the chance to have the car’s four-cylinder A-series engine replaced by a 121bhp electric motor. This means that the electrified classic Mini will cover 0-62mph in around nine seconds, which is significantly quicker compared to their original engines. The four-speed manual gearbox makes way for a single-speed item.
The power of the new electrified Mini will be stored in a battery, however, the capacity of this battery is still not disclosed. The battery will be charged with the help of a new port that will be found under the original filler cap at speeds of up to 6.6kW and it enables 99 miles of range. A new dial will display the remaining battery capacity, this dial will be part of the reimagined version of the original gauge cluster of the classic Mini models.
This conversion does not mean that owners have to re-register their cars, which means the car can be reversed at a later stage with the reinstallation of the original motor. The original motor is then marked and stored, not disposed of.
About the new Recharged project, Mini comments that it “fits seamlessly into the brand’s future strategy, which also includes the aspect of the circular economy.”
Despite the fact that the boss of Mini, Bernd Korber, left the company in February to become the new product manager of BMW, he commented on the project by highlighting it “preserves the character of the classic Mini and enables its fans to enjoy all-electric performance” and that Mini is “connecting the past with the future of the brand”.
The price of the Mini Recharged project is still not announced. The price of the project, as well as further details, are expected to be announced in the upcoming months as all details of the scheme are finished.