Mini has begun exploring what it means to go electric. It’s got the limited-range SE model in production and earlier in the month teased a battery-powered convertible concept. Now it’s rolling out another show car that is much closer to production-ready — at least when you get past all the videogame-style digital toys.
The boxy little Mini Aceman concept slots in below the now-familiar Countryman and appears to be positioned as a pint-sized urban SUV. The question is whether the production version of the concept model will offer enough range.
Aceman will get an estimated 190 miles per charge, according to the British automaker, well more than the marginal 114 miles the current Cooper SE can manage. But with more and more new EVs targeting 300 and beyond, that still may fall short for most potential buyers.
Mini is, for now, leaving a lot of questions unanswered about the Aceman, but Adrian van Hooydonk, the design chief for the parent BMW Group, said, “This concept is previewing everything that will come after it. Whatever model follows will take a few leaves out of this new book of design.”
Market forces
Mini faces plenty of challenges. It has struggled to revitalize itself, especially in the U.S. market, as motorists by the millions have migrated from sedans, coupes and hatchbacks to SUVs, CUVs and pickups.
Now comes the shift to battery-electric vehicles. Mini plans to launch its last new model using internal combustion technology in 2025. And it has forecast at least half of its sales coming from battery-electric models by 2027.
The Cooper SE hasn’t done much to build demand for BEV technology, even though the company contends its first all-electric model is sold out. True, but it’s being produced in extremely limited numbers. To move the needle, Mini needs to solve the range issue. And it is looking at shifting from a classic hatchback to a crossover design. The current Countryman is, after all, the brand’s second best-selling product line.
In terms of size, the Aceman fits roughly between the two key models. It’s six inches taller than the Hardtop, for example, but its smaller in every dimension but height when compared to the Mini Countryman. The gap would grow, however, as the next-generation Countryman is expected to grow even longer, to around 177 inches, about 7 inches more than today.
For some markets, the current Countryman is too big, for others too small, said van Hooydonk. “It’s hard to please all the markets worldwide with one car,” he explained, justifying two crossovers for the brand.
Concept addresses a few issues
The concept pushes its wheels even further out to the corners than with the typical Mini, something that helps enhance occupant and cargo space.
The Aceman concept has a more rugged appearance than the Hardtop, in keeping with its positioning as a little sibling to the Countryman. But a closer perusal reveals van Hooydonk’s team took pains to keep the design as aerodynamic as possible to maximize range. That’s includes flush door handles and a sealed grille.
The focus on technology begins with LED lighting that can change colors, including a lightbar wrapped around that octagonal grille, as well as wraparound running lights which frame what are distinctive, pixelated headlamps.
The cabin features a fully digital OLED circular display atop the center console. One of the more intriguing features, however, is the projection system that can light up the entire instrument panels, among other things, projecting clouds from pillar to pillar.
As for powertrains, Mini has offered, well, minimal information, but it’s known that two different options can be used with the underlying platform:
- A base system making 180 horsepower and yielding up to 190 miles of range using a 40 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack; and
- An upgraded, 215 hp system paired with a 50 kWh battery pack. It’s capable of up to 250 miles, Mini has indicated.
The problem, at least from an American perspective, is that those numbers use the WLTP global standard. The tougher EPA test cycle would bring even the “long-range” package down to just over 200 miles.
Intriguingly, Mini makes sound a critical element of the Aceman concept. You’re greeted with custom sounds as you approach the vehicle. And even familiar sounds like the turn signals have been rethought. Like other new EVs, the British model will offer one or more “soundscapes” that provide a sense of performance as you accelerate.
As with the Convertible EV concept Mini revealed earlier this month, the Aceman show car has a leather-free interior, opting instead for sustainable and recycled materials.
Though yet to be confirmed, expect to see a production version of the Mini Aceman land in showrooms around 2024.