If you love the pops and bangs of the exhaust on various MINI models – and yes, I’m referring to the JCW mainly – you probably should get one while you still can. A while back a report was claiming that the MINI line-up could be made up of solely electric models in the US and we thought it was rather peculiar. Now, a new report is coming out, quoting officials from the brand, saying the move towards complete electrification could be done for all markets.
Automotive News talked to Thomas Felbermair, the VP of MINI for the Americas, and asked about what the plans of the brand are regarding this new EV trend the automotive field is going through. The man was quite blunt and confirmed a possible interest in going fully electric: “If Mini has a fully electric future in the U.S. or worldwide, this is something that might be possible. Because we are an urban brand, and a lot of cities are [mandating that] you can’t drive in with a combustion engine.”
He certainly has a point. A number of Asian countries and their biggest cities have recently announced plans to ban internal combustion engines altogether. European cities will soon follow and, even though this looks like a far-away prospect at the moment, the time might come sooner than you think. Therefore, the upcoming electric MINI will be one of the most important models ever to come out of Oxford, possibly shaping the future of the brand.
That’s because if it proves successful, it will certainly encourage the British brand to move away from their traditional engine choices and go for fully electric powertrains. The challenge that lays ahead though is making sure you can keep the same compact dimensions in check while stuffing a lot more tech underneath the sheet metal of the cars. With the batteries, electric motors and all that, MINI as we know it might change quite profoundly. And yet, if the upcoming MINI electric model proves to be popular, the Brits will know everything they need to in order to make a definitive decision.
