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BMW has announced it will build an all-electric version of the Mini three-door hatch at its Oxford factory from 2019 as part of a wider strategy to electrify the BMW range.
The German brand announced that all model series will be compatible with either a fully-electric drivetrain or plug-in hybrid unit in addition to combustion engine options. The firm also announced that beyond 2020 vehicle architectures will be structured to allow new models to be offered with fully electric variants.
The powertrain of the electric Mini will be built at the company's 'e-mobility centres' at Dingolfing and Landshut before being integrated into the vehicle at the Oxford plant.
At this stage, no further information has been revealed about the electric powertrain that will be offered in the three-door Mini.
This won't be the first all-electric Mini to be produced; the firm built a limited number of electric Minis in 2009?10, deploying 40 vehicles in the UK between December 2009 and March 2011. The vehicles - badged Mini E - were powered by a 35kW battery, which offered a range of 100 miles.
BMW said that by 2025 electric vehicles should account for between 15-25% of sales, though the firm conceded that factors such as regulations, incentives and charging infrastructure will play a "major role" in determining the number of vehicles the company will be able to offer from market to market.
As well as the electric Mini, BMW is due to launch a roadster variant of its i8 plug-in sports car next year, an all-electric BMW X3 in 2020 and the BMW iNext by 2021, which is believed to be a crossover and fully autonomous.
"BMW Group plants Dingolfing and Landshut play a leading role within our global production network as the company's global competence centre for electric mobility," said Oliver Zipse, BMW board member for production. "Our adaptable production system is innovative and able to react rapidly to changing customer demand. If required, we can increase production of electric drivetrain motor components quickly and efficiently, in line with market developments."
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