“Plug and play” kit for classic Mini electric starts under $20,000

The UK firm Electrogenic is launching an EV conversion kit for the classic Mini that the company claims will bolt directly in.

Due to go on sale this fall, the kit will retail for 15,000 pounds—equivalent to about $19,000 at current exchange rates—before the cost of a donor car. Keeping in mind that $30,000 is generally considered a ballpark figure for an EV conversion, without factoring in the donor car, it’s a relative bargain.

Electrogenic’s kit only includes a 20-kwh battery pack affording an estimated 80 miles of range, granted, but that may be enough for a city car like the Mini. An extended range version, with additional battery modules in the trunk, is also under development. The included electric motor delivers 60 hp.

 

Electrogenic verified to Green Car Reports that the kit will include whatever charging port is relevant for the local market. And it indicates that there are several partners in the U.S.

The company previously engineered electric conversions of other classics like the Citroën DS and Land Rover Defender, and like those conversions, the Mini EV kit is designed to drop into the existing vehicle’s structure. Components are sold pre-assembled on a new subframe that bolts up to the existing vehicle. Other than that, installers just need to connect some wires for the throttle and dashboard, according to Electrogenic. The conversion is also completely reversible, the company claims.

 

Enthusiasts looking for an electric Mini actually have a few options—but most aren’t as simple or affordable. Mini Recharged is also converting old Minis to electric under the aegis of the modern Mini brand, but the program is only in the UK and costs much more. One EV-savvy YouTuber created an electric Mini Cooper for less than $3,000, all-in, but it involved some scrappy methods and a lot of personal labor.

Those not wedded to the classic design can also have a modern electric Mini from the factory. The Mini Cooper SE costs just $30,750 new for the 2023 model year, although the base version may be hard to get. Mini just this past week indicated that a redesigned version of the Mini Cooper Electric is on the way. It will likely be considered a 2025 model in the U.S.