Following last week’s announcement by Jaguar that it was prepared to build an own electric car plant in Bromwich Castle, this announcement is also excellent news for the Brexit-stretched British car industry.
BMW argues that the electric version of the popular Mini car may be the “tipping point” and is encouraging motorists who plan to “take that step now” to switch to an electric vehicle.
In the manufacturing phase at Oxford, the Mini Electric will be fully incorporated, running in the same direction as standard ICE models. At present, it creates some 1000 automobiles daily, and every 67 seconds a fresh Mini rolls off the line.
Integration with the current manufacturing line implies that the fresh model’s supply can be adapted to suit demand. Last week, the company’s latest statistics show that the demand for UK vehicles for alternative fuels has effectively fallen in 26 months for the first time.
“We enter an era when electric cars become an ordinary option for our clients, as Oliver Zipse, BMW’s Board Member, who owns the Mini brand, has said. The Mini Electric is launching our new fully electric vehicle model offensive.
“We’ll have 25 electrified models on the market by 2023, two years ahead of timetable. The company says the “mini electrical” is “instantly recognizable as a three-door mini hatchback and is synonymous with the brand’s” design and handling of the karts.
David George of mini, director of the UK, said: “With all the benefits of an electric car our customers can now enjoy Mini–a less environmentally friendly impact and less expensive operation and never need to visit a tank station again.
“We feel that the new Mini Electric could be a point of reference for those who are considering selecting an electric car to take this step.
The Minis of Energy and Industrial Strategy, Greg Clark stated that mini-electrics will “take the main position in speeding up the implementation of greener cleaner cars,” “We want to bring a whole fresh group of drivers in the UK into the fun and saving costs of electric driving, so that only Mini can.”
The initial Mini first rolled off the production line on Oxford in 1959. “This contemporary British icon is going to be made in Oxford,” he said. The initial Mini. Sir Alex Issigonis designed it from the need for inexpensive engines. It was born.
In the 1960’s they became very popular with pop stars and fashion legends like The Beatles, Peter Sellers, Steve McQueen, George Best, and Brigitte Bardot, who made their way to the famous crime caper The Italian Job.
