Mini is busy working on the next-generation Countryman and we’ve already seen prototypes testing in wintry conditions. The automaker is now officially confirming that there will be an all-electric version of the crossover, making it the first ever Mini to be produced entirely in Germany. The Countryman EV will be built alongside the BMW 1 Series, 2 Series Gran Coupé and 2 Series Active Tourer at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig.
Unfortunately, Mini does not release technical information about the electric Countryman. However, it is believed that the model will share its platform and components with the BMW iX1. If this turns out to be true, the crossover with a funky design language could be powered by two electric motors with a combined output of 313 horsepower (230 kilowatts) and 364 pound-feet (494 Newton-meters). A 64.7 kilowatt-hour battery pack provides electric power for a maximum of 272 miles (438 kilometers) of range on a single charge in the Bavarian electric model.
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In order to ensure the production of the new Countryman in Leipzig, the plant is receiving a significant investment of 800 million euros (about 851 million dollars at current exchange rates), which will be used to create new production lines and additional production areas of electrical components. By 2024, BMW expects to hire about 1,000 new employees in the production of electrical components, which will join the current workforce of about 5,600 employees. Today, the Leipzig plant builds approximately 1,000 cars each day, but this capacity is expected to grow in the coming years.
Mini plans to sell only all-electric cars by the end of the decade, but the next-generation Countryman is not expected to be an EV-only product. Spy photos have shown combustion prototypes, and word on the street is that the base options will be 1.5- and 2.0-liter turbocharged gas mills.
A 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder plug-in hybrid that delivers 322 horsepower (237 kilowatts) is also reportedly in development. It will be equipped with a 14.2 kWh battery for about 55 miles of electric range. A less powerful version of this PHEV setup could also be on the cards.
