An all-new MINI Electric 3-door will be revealed in late 2023 ahead of going on sale in 2024. It’s the first in a brand new range of MINIs that will eventually encompass six models.
The 2024 MINI Electric will be built in China, and only be offered in 3-door guise. It will later be joined by a crossover with five door – essentially a production version of the MINI Aceman concept car – which again will only be sold as an EV. Only petrol-powered MINIs will be made in the UK: the new MINI 3-door, MINI 5-door and MINI Convertible. They will look similar to the Chinese-built 2024 MINI Electric, but will be completely different beneath the surface. The sixth new model will be an all-new and appreciably larger version of the MINI Countryman family SUV. This will be sold as both a hybrid and a pure electric model. Camouflaged versions of the new MINI Electric are already being tested. Although the details are still concealed, we can see the outline of the new MINI Electric’s shape – which shows a longer wheelbase to enhance the cute wheel-at-each-corner stance, a more aerodynamic angle to the windscreen, and the loss of the clamshell bonnet that has featured on every MINI since 2002. The rear lights have an interesting shape, too. The new MINI Electric is likely to have a cleaner look, with less chrome and no black plastic wheelarch extensions. Inside, it will also be more modern and pared back. While the central round display will remain, it is likely to be a modern OLED screen rather than a flashing, LED-ringed chrome centrepiece. The famous MINI toggle switches will be simpler, while chrome touches elsewhere will be replaced by simple, more organic upholstery. The new 2024 MINI Electric 3-door should have more space inside. The dedicated electric car platform opens up more space for front and rear passengers, and a slightly larger boot. It should still measure well under four metres in length, though. There will be two versions of the new 2024 MINI Electric, both of them Cooper-branded. The MINI Cooper Electric will have around 184PS and, courtesy of a 40kWh battery, a range of around 185 miles. The MINI Cooper S Electric will have 225PS and, thanks to a 50kWh battery, a range of around 250 miles. Both compare favourably to today’s MINI Electric, which has a 32.6kWh battery and a range of only 145 miles. Performance will be brisk from the new MINI Electric as well. The potent Cooper S version may offer 0-62mph acceleration in around 6.0 seconds, making it even faster than the turbocharged petrol version. “Our iconic MINI 3-door maximises the experience of our customers through its electrified go-kart feeling,” said head of MINI brand Stefanie Wurst, “combined with digitalised touchpoints – and a clear focus on sustainability with a minimal environmental footprint.” The exciting new MINI Electric will show how the firm can reinvent MINI for the fifth time since the original car was launched back in 1959 – using the opportunity to think differently, but also staying true to the MINI tradition of maximum fun with a minimal footprint. We can’t wait to see more of the new MINI Electric 3-door when it is revealed in around a year’s time.
