Mini is one of the longest-running car brands in the world, and it looks like the small-focused company is going all-in on electric vehicles in the near future. The BMW-owned company is making moves towards being completely battery-powered after its boss, Bernd Körber, announced to Auto Express that John Cooper Works (JCW) would be electric.
Typically Mini's performance arm, John Cooper Works, will still be focused on getting as much speed and power from the cars. It's just that now it will be laser-focused on doing it with a battery-powered motor rather than a combustion engine.
Körber did concede that there was still a market for traditionally-powered Minis but that the manufacturer's future was electric. With an electric future for JCW, it looks like Mini is following suit and going all-in on electric vehicles too.
Let's take a look at how the future for John Cooper Works and Mini is in the electric vehicle market.
Electric Dreams
Mini's performance arm has created many 'hot hatchbacks' for the brand already, and it will continue to do so in the future. JCW will be tasked with approaching things differently and getting the most performance out of an electric motor rather than a combustion engine. In December 2020, Mini announced it would be releasing its first all-electric vehicle, the Mini Electric. All of this foreshadowed what was to come for the Mini.
Big Changes Afoot
This will be the first of many after BMW announced its plans for Mini at its annual conference in March 2021. BMW chairman, Oliver Zipse, explained that Mini would be the first of the BMW family to go fully electric. In fact, Zipse announced that the final Mini to use an internal combustion engine would be released in 2025.
This will bring the end of an era for the iconic brand that was so long associated with being a British classic. With its final combustion engine release in 2025, Zipse made a further announcement that by 2030, Mini would be fully electric.
The BMW chairman explained that "Mini is perfect for the city and e-mobility," so that was going to be the focus going forward. At the annual BMW conference, it was announced that around half of all Minis sold by 2027 are expected to be electric.
Going Large
It won't just be the classic compact Mini that gets the electric treatment. Mini will also be producing an all-electric version of the Countryman SUV in the coming years. Like with most other car manufacturers, it's clear that BMW and Mini have a strategy in place for converting to electric power.
Fossil fuel engine cars are being phased out by many major nations, with 2030 marked in the calendar for most. Countries across Europe have committed to no new combustion engine vehicles by 2030, while the United States has committed to no new government vehicles by the same date.
Germany is another to have committed to the 2030 cut-off date, which means BMW has to put a solid plan in place or face producing cars for the non-domestic market. BMW hasn't been slacking, however, and it has already been producing electric motor vehicles for years. It has an entire range of electric vehicles, including; the i4, iX, and i3.
Providing Electric Vehicles For Everyone
The Mini Electric will provide city drivers another option in the highly competitive compact market. This new Mini uses its 135 kW motor to provide 185 HP to drivers behind its wheel. While many new electric cars have a range of over 200 miles, the Mini Electric offers just 145.
This might seem a little underwhelming but it's a car designed for the city, where drivers rarely clock up those kinds of miles in one trip. Mini has taken a new approach to its design with the Electric with vibrancy and freshness at the heart of it. A bold black and yellow interior remind drivers that they are not behind the wheel of a regular car any longer.
Best Of British?
Besides Mini, BMW also owns another classic British car company, Rolls-Royce. The German manufacturer has its eyes on the electric luxury market after it announced plans for the next Rolls-Royce. BMW took out a patent for the name 'Silent Shadow' in 2020, which is a play on words of 'Silver Shadow,' which is one of Rolls-Royce's best-selling cars.
The iconic British brand could be set for an electric rebrand shortly with the power of BMW's electric technology behind it. BMW already has experience in powering a large vehicle using electric technology thanks to the iX range.
Rolls-Royce has a history of appealing to wealthy individuals, and it will continue to do so. However, with a more tech-savvy EV, this classic luxury brand looks like it's taking a step toward the future.
Rolls-Royce's competitors, Bentley and Mercedes-Maybach, have been hinting at their own electric vehicles. If Rolls-Royce wants to maintain its reputation as one of the elite luxury car manufacturers, it must not be seen to be falling behind in the EV race.