Mini’s upcoming fifth ‘superhero’ model will take the form of an EV when it launches in late 2019.
It has been no secret in recent months that the British company has been developing and testing an all-electric model but it was unclear if it intended on launching it as a volume model or instead just a niche player in select markets. It will be the former.
According to the global head of Mini, Sebastian Mackensen, “The electric car is not meant to just have an offering so you can say you have an electric car, but really nobody buys it. No, it’s a real car, and people will hopefully buy it.”
In the face of falling sales, particularly in the United States, Mini believes that increasing demand for EVs should allow it to return to record sales in the coming years.
A couple of months ago, reports surfaced indicating that due to Brexit, the Mini EV wouldn’t be built in the UK as originally intended. Now, VDL Nedcar is looking likely to be contracted to build the model.
Note: Mini Cooper S E Countryman All4 pictured
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