MINI is teasing us with a few design sketches of their upcoming electric vehicle. The initial design sketches will be revealed in time for the Festival of Speed (FoS), taking place on 12 – 15 July in Goodwood, southern England. The MINI stand at the FoS will give visitors the chance to experience the MINI Electric Concept – which offers a look ahead to the brand’s first fully-electric production model – in person.
“MINI is an urban brand and the fully-electric MINI the logical next step into the future,” says Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Design. “These initial sketches for the fully electrified MINI outline our vision of authentic design creating a bridge between the history of the brand and its electric future.”
The sketches show the car’s grille. Its hexagonal form is a signature MINI design element, but the closed-off interpretation is all new. Behind the grille, cooling elements are conspicuous by their absence – which means the grille can stay closed and therefore improve airflow. A yellow accent bar with an E badge in the same colour produces a powerful contrasting effect and identifies this as an electric MINI.
The second sketch shows the striking wheel design of the fully-electric MINI, which has been carried over from the MINI Electric Concept – unveiled for the first time last year – into the production model. The wheels take the motif of the accent bar on the grille and add their own asymmetrical twist.
The first volume-produced MINI with a battery-electric drivetrain will hit the roads in 2019 – exactly 60 years after the classic Mini went on sale.
