The Mini Electric will soon be launched internationally but of course, the teasers have started to fall in place. The recent ‘testing programme’ for the first purely electrically powered MINI was an unconventional one. The company chose Frankfurt airport as its venue and a close-to-series prototype of the new model demonstrated just what electromobility in the style of MINI is capable of setting in motion. The Mini Cooper SE slipped straight into the role of an aircraft tug, setting off to the loading point towing a Boeing 777F freight aircraft with an unladen weight of some 150 tons. The unusual hook-up was filmed in a video clip. Created collaboratively by the BMW Group and Lufthansa Cargo, the 45-second commercial shows the Mini Cooper SE as a ‘muscle car’ pulling the significantly larger and heavier transport aircraft across the airfield.
The MINI Cooper SE will go into serial production at the British plant in Oxford as of November 2019. It is based on the Mini 3 door and combines locally emissions-free driving with the brand’s characteristic go-kart feeling, premium quality and expressive design. After the BMW i3 it is the second purely electrically powered model within the company’s premium automobile portfolio. Helping the Mini Cooper SE perform its muscle car role, the performance characteristics of the electric motor combine spontaneous power delivery with a high level of torque available directly from standing.
Although the company has not revealed any details for the electric mini, the iconic car maintains its traditional design while also keeping up with the future. According to the company, the electric concept brings ‘the iconic design, city-dwelling heritage, and customary go-kart feeling’ into the modern motoring era. Up front, the closed-off grille and simulated air intakes remind that this is an electric car. There are no exhaust outlets, but a tweaked rear clip with a rear diffuser giving the car a muscular look. The bolt-on side panels are made of fiberglass in order to keep the overall weight of the car under check. MINI EV Concept gets LED taillamps that make an interesting Union Jack pattern.