The three-door Cooper SE hatchback (depicted here) may be the only Mini-branded EV out there right now, but sources are reporting that a handful of models are coming soon.
One of these is an electric SUV comparable to the BMW X1 in terms of size. The automaker might want to reintroduce the model name “Paceman” for it, according to the rumors. Platform-wise, it could come based on its own, brand-new platform co-designed with Great Wall, because the Chinese automaker founded a joint enterprise with Mini near Shanghai last November. Later on, the successor to the BMW i3 may also adopt this alleged new car architecture.
No estimations are provided regarding the launch timeframe, and the factory itself will only be opening in two years’ time. Once it runs as intended, rumor has it that the British company will launch production of a supermini-sized city car based on the nine-year-old Rocketman Concept. The vehicle will allegedly be under 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) long and pack around 350 km (217 miles) of driving range.
One other promising candidate for a future Mini EV is an MPV supposedly called the Traveler. This one should come based on the FAAR architecture and ship with both regular ICE powertrains and hybrid ones.
However things turn out, Mini does not intend to drop ICE engines completely in the next decade: the Countryman model may go electrified, while the hatchbacks will continue to run on gas.