MINI announces official EV-swap division for classics

Four years after the all-electric Mini EV resto-mod was unwrapped at the New York motor show, MINI has announced it will begin offering an official factory-backed battery-electric powertrain swap option for owners of its classic models.

According to the BMW-owned brand, work has already begun at MINI's Oxford plant to offer official powertrain swaps for owners of the classic Mini that was made from 1959 until 2000.

Aiming to offer the in-house EV conversion at a 'much larger scale', the new Mini Recharged project will soon see owners able to dump their original's A-Series engine for a zero-emission pure-electric powertrain.

The battery capacity has yet to be confirmed for the EV swap, but the classic sedan swaps out its 850cc or 1275cc for a far punchier 90kW motor that allows for a 0-100km/h sprint in around nine seconds.

The range, meanwhile, is claimed to be around 160km, with the Mini EV charged via a port under the fuel filler cap at a rate of up to 6.6kW.

Within the cabin the Mini EV initially looks untouched, but a new dial in the original gauge cluster has been repurposed as an analogue range indicator. The fuel gauge has also been switched to tell you what gear you're in.

Speaking of which, the standard car's four-speed manual is swapped-out for a single-speed reduction gear.

MINI says it has engineered its new pure-electric powertrain kit to allow for the original motor to be later reinstalled at any point.

MINI is yet to release pricing for the new factory conversion, or when the division will start operating.

Commenting on its new all-electric offering for owners of classic Minis, MINI boss Bernd Korber said: "What the project team are developing preserves the character of the classic Mini and enables its fans to enjoy all-electric performance. With MINI Recharged, we are connecting the past with the future of the brand."