BMW’s UK subsidiary Mini will be showcasing its new electric concept at the upcoming International Motor Show (IAA) at Frankfurt, Germany this year.
The new electric concept car has been designed to be an urban vehicle. It will offer a glimpse on how day-to-day mobility and pure electric can look in the years to come.
Mini also says that the electric concept car has been designed, keeping in mind, the brand’s city-dwelling heritage, customary go-kart feeling being integrated into the electric car.
The production model of this concept is expected to be released in 2019.
Mini first ventured into electric cars about a decade ago with its Mini E. This car is said to have laid foundations at the BMW Group for the development of electric mobility solutions to be brought to production readiness.
Mni E was the first all-electric car from the Group and as part of field trials, it was driven by private users in everyday traffic conditions. About 600 Mini E cars were used for the purpose across the world.
These trails helped in obtaining vital information about the use of pure-electric vehicles and this knowledge is claimed to have been integrated into BMW’s i3 model.
BMW management board chairman Harald Krüger said: “The systematic electrification of the brand and product portfolio is a mainstay of the BMW Group’s NUMBER ONE > NEXT strategy. The MINI Electric Concept offers a thrilling preview of the all-electric production vehicle. MINI and electrification make a perfect match.”
BMW Group Design senior vice president Adrian van Hooydonk said: “The MINI Electric Concept is a quintessential MINI – compact, agile, simply the ideal companion for everyday driving. At the same time, it conveys a whole new take on the concept of sportiness.
“Indeed, aerodynamics and lightweight design aren’t just important in the world of motor sport; they are also essential factors for maximising electric range. The car’s surfaces have a sense of precision and contemporary clarity about them that lends added impact to the car’s efficient character. Plus, striking accents and vivid contrasts give the exterior that distinctive MINI twist.”
