Mini has showcased its wild new electric concept car. Dubbed the Aceman, it’ll be the British brand’s first zero-emissions SUV.
The concept shows off the design of Mini’s future machines and highlights its emerging tech innovations.
Mini is making a push to make its vehicles more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
The Aceman has no chrome elements inside or out, which is a popular design element in luxury machines, and will help reduce the brand’s reliance on mining and shrink its carbon footprint.
Mini has also committed to ditching leather from its future cars and instead use sustainable textile materials.
Several car brands have gone in a similar direction and use recycled fish nets and plastic bottles to create faux leather and carpet for use in cars.
There is a striking new closed grille that has illuminated light features and vertical rear lights.
The Aceman goes back to the brand’s roots and is very compact measuring just 4050mm long, which is shorter than a current Mazda2 hatchback. It is considerably wider and taller, though.
Mini’s head of design, Oliver Heilmer, says the pure electric vehicle helps the brand use space creatively.
“This creates models that take up little space on the road while offering even more comfort, more versatility and more emotion on the inside than ever before,” says Heilmer.
Mini is able to shorten the vehicle’s length but maintain a roomy cabin thanks to its electric layout.
Electric motors are much smaller than petrol engines and there is no need for a transmission tunnel that connects the front and rear wheels.
The lack of mechanical elements means car makers can push the wheels right to the corners of the car and create short front and rear overhangs.
Batteries too are often stored underneath the floor helping to make more room.
Inside the Aceman is similar to Tesla’s minimalist layout.
There is just one central OLED screen and no instruments in front of the driver. The dash is uncluttered by buttons, vents or dials.
- News.com.au