Mini expects strong demand for first EV

OXFORD -- Mini said 15,000 potential customers already expressed an interest in its first full-electric car.

The BMW-owned brand said it expects strong demand in the future for the Mini Electric as customers increasingly choose battery-powered cars that are emissions free.

"We are entering an era in which electric cars will become a normal choice for our customers," BMW's production chief, Oliver Zipse, said at a press event at Mini's home production plant here. According to reports, Zipse is the frontrunner to become BMW's new CEO after current boss Harald Krueger said last week that he will step down.

The Mini Electric will have a range of 200 km (124 miles) to 232 km under Europe's WLTP test regime. The car uses a 32.6 kilowatt-hour battery pack.

Mini said performance has been prioritized over range. The Mini Electric will accelerate from 0-100 kph (62 mph) in 7.3 seconds. Top speed is limited to 150 kph (93 mph). Maximum power is 184 hp.

The Mini Electric is based on the three-door Mini hatchback. It has the same 211 liters of trunk space as the combustion engine car, rising to 731 liters with the rear seats folded down.

The first electric Mini built in 2008, which was produced on trial basis, was a two-seater because of its large battery pack. The Mini Electric seats five.

The car weighs 1,365 kg (3009 pounds), which Mini says is 145 kg heavier than the Mini Cooper S three-door combustion engine car with automatic transmission. The center of gravity is 30 mm lower than the combustion engine car, helping with the vehicle dynamics.

The Mini Electric comes with home and public charging cables. It can be recharged to 80 percent capacity in 35 minutes from a 50 kW fast-charging station.

Mini said it has priced the car to be widely affordable, with monthly leasing rates starting at 299 pounds in the UK. Prices in the UK will be from 24,400 to 30,400 pounds including a government plug-in car grant. In Germany, the Mini Electric will start at 32,000 euros. Prices for the U.S. where it will be called the Mini Cooper SE were not disclosed.

Production of the Mini Electric will begin late this year at the Oxford plant, with the first deliveries arriving in March next year.

Output of the new Mini could come at about the same time as a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31 if Britain leaves the European Union without an agreement, leading to potential tariffs, additional bureaucracy and disruption to production.

BMW built just over 230,000 cars in Oxford last year, accounting for 15 percent of Britain's total automotive output.

BMW has previously warned that it could move some production of engines and vehicles out of Britain if there is a disorderly Brexit, an option neither Boris Johnson nor Jeremy Hunt, the two candidate vying to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, have ruled out.

Reuters contributed to this report