As part of previously stated plans to expand electrification across its entire vehicle lineup, BMW said the first of the new-gen Mini EV variants will be based on the 3-door Hardtop model. Production of this electric Mini will take place at the home plant in Cowley, Oxfordshire, England, although all powertrain elements will come from the BMW Group’s e-mobility facilities in Dingolfing and Landshut, Germany. With Job One slated to occur at some point in 2019, this new Mini EV seems likely to arrive here as a 2020 model. The sole electrically enhanced Mini sold in America is the Cooper S E Countryman ALL4, a plug-in hybrid.
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Beyond the Mini EV announcement, BMW reiterated that it will be fully capable of electrifying all of its brands and models to add full-electric or plug-in hybrid drivetrains in the years ahead to complement conventional combustion engines. The expansion of electrified models from now through 2020 and beyond will dovetail with the introduction next-generation platforms specifically geared toward supporting full EV powertrains.
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Committed to selling 100,000 electrified vehicles this year, BMW expects its EV/hybrid portfolio will account for 15-25 percent of its global sales by 2025 or about 500,000 units. Next year, it’s set to launch a new i8 Roadster variant, with a battery-powered X3 SUV coming in 2020 and the highly anticipated BMW iNext that promises game-changing levels of digital connectivity and autonomous capability in 2021.
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