Mini has already decided on its fifth mass production model. For now, it is only known the type of engine that will equip it. And this one will be 100% electric.
It was already known that the Mini would have an electric model in its catalogue. Until recently, it was unclear whether the new model would be more than a niche vehicle. And electric vehicles are not exactly foreign to the brand.
In 2009 the brand launched the all-electric Mini E, available on a very limited basis. It ended up serving as a test vehicle, not only to validate the technology, but also to verify how an electric car was actually used. The data collected was important for the development of the BMW i3.
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Why superhero? The author of the expression came from Peter Schwarzenbauer, general director of Mini. A few years ago, to define the future of the brand, he turned to future models as superheroes. There would be five superheroes of the British brand, and so far we already know four: the Hardtop (3 and 5 doors), the Cabrio, the Clubman and the Countryman.The fifth superhero was a source of great anticipation and speculation. The most likely candidates would be production versions of the Mini Rocketman, or the beautiful Superleggera Vision Concept.
In fact, any one of them would be an enriching addition to the brand. But it won't be like that. Sebastian Mackensen, Senior Vice President of Mini, confirmed that the fifth superhero will effectively be an electric model . And it won't be a niche, but a more ambitious bet.
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Mini's new zero-emission car, to be unveiled in 2019, however, keeps many doubts in the air. Will it be a version of one of your current models or a new model independent of the rest? If it's not to be a niche vehicle, what are the estimated sales projections? Doubts that were not clarified by Mackensen, noting that it is still too early for this type of revelation.
At the moment, the availability of electric or partially electric models by the Mini is limited to the plug in (PHEV) version of the Countryman, which announces 40 km of electric autonomy.