Electrogenic, the British firm behind electric conversions of the Citroën DS, Land Rover Defender and Jaguar E-Type, has launched a ‘plug and play’ powertrain for the classic Mini.
The pre-assembled kit swaps the Mini’s A-Series engine for a water-cooled electric motor outputting 60bhp and 100lb ft through a fixed-ratio gearbox.
That’s on a par with the twin-port-injection variant of the A-Series featured in the 1997-2000 Rover Mini, which produced 63bhp and 70lb ft.
However, it is a significant uplift compared with the 34bhp, 44lb ft powerplant in the original 1959 Mini (then called the Austin Seven).
A 20kWh battery pack gives the Electrogenic kit an 80-mile range around town – where the motor can nearly constantly recover energy in stop-start traffic, and at low speeds – but this figure is likely to fall significantly on faster roads. An extended-range variant, which adds a second battery inside the boot, will be offered at a later date.
A Type 2 charging port can be accessed through a replacement front grille that features a cutout for the cable.
The conversion kit requires no modification to the Mini’s structure, which makes it completely reversible – similar to the existing Electrogenic Porsche 911. It is incorporated into a replacement front subframe to make it easier to swap with the Mini’s existing petrol engine. A mechanic just bolts the new subframe in and wires the powertrain into the dashboard.
The Electrogenic package goes on sale this autumn, priced from £15,000 (excluding VAT).
Electrogenic co-founder Steve Drummond said: “We’ve converted a number of beautiful Minis over the years to electric drive and have seen significant demand for a solution that’s both easy to fit and budget-friendly. Our new drop-in kit meets those requirements perfectly. It’s cost effective and simple to install, yet still delivers superb electric performance, thanks to our latest-generation EV powertrain tech.
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How safe are conversions like this? A massive increase in power and probably weight must put loads through the body shell and suspension that they were not designed to accommodate. That's quite apart from the fact that a 60 year old design will not meet modern standards of active or passive safety. The Mini was a brilliant car in its day and I can understand classic car enthusiasts wanting to keep them alive. But as a basis for an electric car conversion, I just don't think it is suitable.
There's less power than what the 1275 had, and far less than what people have been modifying/tuning them to for decades. If something has too much power you get wheelspin, not the bodyshell being ripped apart.
If ICE powered Cars aren't disappearing overnight, why not just spend three or four grand instead of fifteen plus grand on an icon just to look cool, buying secondhand is way cheaper and in the City's and Towns maybe less chance of catching something, putting up the risk and stress , you could try using public transport systems for the sake of emissions, but, just now for most of us can't afford that and the longer travel times and delays.
80 miles is laughable nowadays. Just keep the ICE.