Electrogenic, the British firm behind electric conversions of the Citroën DS, Land Rover Defender and Jaguar E-Type, has launched a ‘plug and play’ powertrain for the classic Mini.
The pre-assembled kit swaps the Mini’s A-Series engine for a water-cooled electric motor outputting 60bhp and 100lb ft through a fixed-ratio gearbox.
That’s on a par with the twin-port-injection variant of the A-Series featured in the 1997-2000 Rover Mini, which produced 63bhp and 70lb ft.
However, it is a significant uplift compared with the 34bhp, 44lb ft powerplant in the original 1959 Mini (then called the Austin Seven).
A 20kWh battery pack gives the Electrogenic kit an 80-mile range around town – where the motor can nearly constantly recover energy in stop-start traffic, and at low speeds – but this figure is likely to fall significantly on faster roads. An extended-range variant, which adds a second battery inside the boot, will be offered at a later date.
A Type 2 charging port can be accessed through a replacement front grille that features a cutout for the cable.
The conversion kit requires no modification to the Mini’s structure, which makes it completely reversible – similar to the existing Electrogenic Porsche 911. It is incorporated into a replacement front subframe to make it easier to swap with the Mini’s existing petrol engine. A mechanic just bolts the new subframe in and wires the powertrain into the dashboard.
The Electrogenic package goes on sale this autumn, priced from £15,000 (excluding VAT).
Electrogenic co-founder Steve Drummond said: “We’ve converted a number of beautiful Minis over the years to electric drive and have seen significant demand for a solution that’s both easy to fit and budget-friendly. Our new drop-in kit meets those requirements perfectly. It’s cost effective and simple to install, yet still delivers superb electric performance, thanks to our latest-generation EV powertrain tech.