Classic Mini is reborn as an electric at Oxford plant

If Alec Issigonis was designing the classic Mini today, he would have given it an electric motor – and that’s why experts at the BMW-owned Mini plant in Oxford have begun doing exactly that.

Engineers take a classic Mini with its four-pot petrol engine and install an electric motor, giving the combustion versions a new green lease of life.

Mini recharged is the name given to the project which transforms a classic Mini produced between 1959 and 2000. The modern electric motor generates a continuous output of up to 90 kW and accelerates the classic from zero to 100 km/h in around nine seconds.

The energy comes from a high-voltage battery, which can be charged with an output of up to 6.6 kW and enables a predicted range of around 160 kilometres.

Added to that, every electrified classic Mini from Mini Recharged receives the characteristic central instrument cluster, which now displays the drive temperature, the selected gear, range and speed.

The changes are even reversible and the car can be switched back to the original drivetrain after the conversion. Mini takes care of the original running gear for each customer, allowing them to revert to standard spec if they change their mind.

The electric Minis are created from much-loved, existing cars, ranging from humble entry-level versions to Countrymen estates and the hot Mini Cooper models with go-faster stripes and alloy wheels.

Mini Recharged customers can also enter the electric or low-emission driving zones of many large cities, without having to pay a hefty congestion charge. Oxford Street or Piccadilly Circus in London are two examples.

The cost of the EV conversion has not been revealed, but expect to pay upwards of 25,000 pounds for the privilege – far more than an original Mini ever cost to buy.