Mini is no stranger to electric vehicles. Notably, the British brand previously built the Mini E battery-electric vehicle almost a decade ago. Based on the Mini  Cooper Hardtop, the 201-hp E was deemed a “pilot project” by the British brand and was available strictly as a lease. It required a great deal of compromise compared with the standard Mini Hardtop, as the E’s chunky 573-pound lithium-ion battery pack took up residence in the area previously reserved for the back seat, and it allowed for only about 100 miles of range on a full charge. Unsurprisingly, the Mini E never became a mass-produced electric vehicle.
After a brief EV hiatus, though, Mini is back in the EV game. While the 2018 Mini Cooper S E Countryman plug-in hybrid crossover SUV is set to become the brand’s first hybrid, it’s the forthcoming battery-electric model that’s due to kick the door to electrification wide open. Scheduled to begin production in 2019, the latest Mini EV will once again be based on Mini’s two-door hardtop model. Although Mini isn’t yet releasing technical details, the brand did announce that the electric hardtop’s battery pack and electric motor will be produced at BMW’s “e-mobility center” in Germany. From there, the completed drivetrain will be shipped to Mini’s Oxford, England, plant to be mated to a Mini shell.

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