Mini "Recharged" program converts classic models into EVs

Do you own a classic Mini Cooper? You can now convert it to run on pure electricity. Best of all, you don't even have to bring it to an aftermarket company. Mini is now offering an electric powertrain conversion for classic models. The new in-house program is aptly called “Recharged”, and it fits the brand's future strategy of going electric.

According to Mini, the program was conceived even before the brand's first electric vehicle, the Cooper SE, went on sale. Instead, the automaker says it all started with the one-off classic Mini Cooper electric that debuted in 2018. Due to the positive reaction of the vehicle, a team at the Mini Oxford plant set to work and developed a conversion plan for customers who own a classic Mini.

The Recharged program is available to all classic Mini owners, whether it was built in the early 60s or the late 90s. Converted Minis will have the original four-cylinder mill replaced by an electric motor that puts out 90kW or around 122 horsepower. With the EV-swap, Mini says the vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in around 9 seconds. Meanwhile, a 6.6 kWh battery pack gives the classic Mini around 160 kilometers of driving range. As part of the conversion, vehicles will also be fitted with a modified instrument cluster that retains the classic look but displays motor parameters.

To be able to bring it back to its original conditions, Mini will do minimal modifications. This will allow the EV conversion to be reversed should the owner choose to do so in the future. Mini says each vehicle that undergoes the Recharged program will have the original engine marked and stored.

The Recharged program will allow classic Mini owners to bring their vehicles into cities where internal combustion engines are no longer allowed. As a result, they can continue to use them even in an all-electric future.

At the moment, Mini's Recharged program is only available in the UK. But do you think the company should offer it in other parts of the world? Let us know what you think in the comments.