BMW New Zealand has confirmed that the first all-electric Mini will go on sale here next year.
The new plug-in Mini Cooper SE electric model was recently launched in the UK, 60 years after the “go kart on wheels” was first produced. It will also be built at the same Oxford factory as the original Mini.
BMW NZ says it doesn’t have the price or expected sale date but will have more information in the following weeks.
The Mini Electric is powered by a 135kW motor and goes from 0-100km/h in 7.3s with a top speed electronically restricted to 150km/h. Mini says it has a range of 200-230km according to latest official real work figures.
Mini says that range should be ample for most customers using theirs for urban or commuting trips averaging around 42km a day.
The electric motor is fed by a lithium-ion battery located in the floor and the charge port is located above the right-hand rear wheel.
The British car maker, owned by Germany's BMW Group, hopes the new battery-powered Mini will electrify the market as much as the original Mini.
More than 15,000 potential British customers have already expressed an interest in the new electric car, said Mini UK.
Production starts in November with first deliveries in the UK expected to be in March.
In New Zealand, the Mini Cooper SE electric will join the Countryman plug-in electric vehicle. It will also compete against the likes of Hyundai’s Kona, Kia Nero, and Nissan’s all-new Leaf while Renault will have a new Zoe in New Zealand mid-2020.
