MINI, it seems, are planning to debut a new electric vehicle at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show. This time will be a little different, though, as the BMW-owned British marque are actually gunning for it to be an actual production model in the near future following the unveil.
Rather than being developed from the ground-up as a new model, they’ve instead chosen to retain the familiar form and underpinnings of their MINI 3-door, offering it as a variant alternative to the petrol and diesel-powered hatch, according to BMWBlog.
It had previously been announced by the BMW Group themselves that a fully electric MINI was indeed in the works, but neither a timeline nor projections for an initial reveal were disclosed. Reportedly, MINI has already earmarked the new model for worldwide sale in 2019, to be offered alongside the existing range.
MINI have already taken steps in the direction of a wider electrification objective, previously offering the MINI E conversion program in 2009, an initiative that was met warmly and provided invaluable experience and know-how that led to the BMW i3 in 2014.
The BMW Group hopes that the steady iteration and expansion of an electrified line-up from both the BMW brand and MINI will result in a smooth transition to a widespread adoption of fully electric cars at the high end of the product spectrum, absorbing such heavy hitters as the 3 Series and ‘X’ family of SUVs.
Indeed, these fully electric 3-door MINIs will borrow technology from the existing BMW i3, possibly even including a range-extender option. Perhaps between that initial zero emissions offering and a successor earmarked for 2023, the EV line-up would have been widened to include other models such as the 5-door, Clubman, and Countryman.
For more on MINI cars, check out our Showroom.
