Alec Issigonis had a straightforward yet clever notion in the late 1950s. The Mini, the best compact car ever, was born from it. A fun-to-drive, fashionably contemporary vehicle that could accommodate four passengers and their belongings. The classic Mini is now being electrified by MINI Recharged to offer emissions-free driving in an entertaining yet environmentally friendly manner.
Built entirely in the UK, from its Padiham, Burnley and Bristol facilities the team at Recharged Heritage replace the original petrol engine with a modern electric drive train. During the conversion, the team sympathetically updates the interior and the distinctive rear end gets MINI Recharged branding to tell the world that this is a different breed of Mini. There have been electric conversions of classic cars before but not like this one. From the start an enormous effort has been made to ensure that the conversion can easily be reversed. The body remains as the original with no new holes and the petrol engine can be put back in, no problem. Also, the car has been engineered so that it weighs no more than the original. The fun factor in driving a classic Mini has been preserved fully intact and you don’t need to buy the whole car. Potential customers can either have their own Classic Mini converted or purchase a model from Recharged Heritage and then have it electrified.
With two modes available from the 18-kWh lithium-ion battery with a 72kW electric motor revving up 14,000 rpm, customers can opt for ‘Pure’ mode, which accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 11.5 seconds and achieves a top speed of 78 mph (equivalent to the Classic Mini 1275 GT) or ‘Sport’ mode, which reaches 0 to 62 mph in 8.5 seconds and travels at a top speed of 92 mph. With a 6.6 kW on-board charger, the battery can be charged in three hours on a 7kW wall-box or nine hours on a standard three-pin plug house connection, the MINI Recharged offers a WLTP range of 103 miles.
The Recharged Heritage team suggests that costs will be starting from £42,500 for converting your own existing Mini and £62,500 including a donor classic Mini.