The original Mini classic car is getting new life, as Electric startup company London Electric Cars will convert yours to an electric vehicle. That way, Mini fans can silently stroll down Abbey Road in one of these British icons.
This isn’t one of the new Mini Cooper electric vehicles from BMW, which start around $29,999, but a complete overhaul of the iconic original vehicle designed by Sir Alec Issigonis in 1959. These tiny cars will never go out of style, and now they’ll be more efficient thanks to using the powertrain, parts, and battery cells from the Nissan Leaf.
Unfortunately, the entire conversion process is pretty pricey and costs £25,000, or around $35,000 USD. And if you don’t already own a Mini, which is half the battle, LEC will find one for you for an extra fee. Basically, you could be spending more on this old classic than buying a brand new Mini full of technology. But then it wouldn’t be a classic Mini, either.
“As a classic car enthusiast and advocate for affordable and sustainable electric vehicle conversions, it made sense for us to focus on the original Mini,” said company founder Matthew Quitter. “Alec Issigonis was one of the most collaborative and free-thinking designers, but also someone who knew how to stick to a budget. With this EV conversion, we wanted the classic Mini to be an affordable yet useful option for city dwellers, not just in our home town of London but all over the world to tackle traffic and help put a stop to pollution.”
According to London Electric Cars, the battery capacity is around 20 kWh, which doesn’t sound like a lot compared to a Tesla, but gives the electric Mini 110 HP and a range of 110km, or about 70 miles per charge. These are pre-owned Nissan Leaf battery cells, which further help cut down on environmental waste by using, rather than disposing, of batteries.
For an extra £5k, a 33-kWh battery update is available to increase the range from 70 miles to over 110 miles. That way you can speed through the traffic-heavy streets of Paris like Jason Bourne in The Bourne Identity movie.
The company has already converted several classic British vehicles to electric, including the Land Rover, Morris Minor and Morris Traveller, and now fans can get a Mini.
via InsideEvs
