Already two special vehicles have been completed: MINI Recharged Paul Smith and MINI Recharged Lakwena. Both have been enthusiastically received by the public.
In the late 1950s, Alec Issigonis had a simple but brilliant idea. Out of it came the greatest of all small cars, the Mini. A car that could transport four people and their luggage, was fun to drive and stylishly modern.
Now, MINI Recharged continues to tell the story of the classic Mini, electrifying them to provide emissions free driving in an engaging yet sustainable way.
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Built entirely in the UK, from its Padiham, Burnley and Bristol facilities, the team at Recharged Heritage replace the original petrol engine with a modern electric drive train. During the conversion, the team sympathetically updates the interior and the distinctive rear end gets MINI Recharged branding to tell the world that this is a different breed of Mini.
There have been electric conversions of classic cars before but not like this one. From the start, an enormous effort has been made to ensure that the conversion can easily be reversed. The body remains as the original with no new holes and the petrol engine can be put back in, no problem. Also, the car has been engineered so that it weighs no more than the original.
The fun factor in driving a classic Mini has been preserved fully intact and you don’t need to buy the whole car. Potential customers can either have their own Classic Mini converted or purchase a model from Recharged Heritage and then have it electrified.
With two modes available from the 18kWh lithium-ion battery with a 72kW electric motor revving up 14,000 rpm, customers can opt for ‘Pure’ mode, which accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 11.5 seconds and achieves a top speed of 78 mph (equivalent to the Classic Mini 1275 GT) or ‘Sport’ mode, which reaches 0 to 62 mph in 8.5 seconds and travels at a top speed of 92 mph. With a 6.6kW on-board charger, the battery can be charged in three hours on a 7kW wall-box or nine hours on a standard three-pin plug house connection, the MINI Recharged offers a WLTP range of 103 miles.
Two special MINI Recharged vehicles have already been revealed. MINI and legendary designer Sir Paul Smith have collaborated on a MINI Recharged Paul Smith car. It debuted in Milan and was then shown at the 2022 Goodwood Revival and Japan. People love it and so does Sir Paul.
In August 2022, London-based artist Lakwena revealed the MINI Recharged Lakwena car. Both cars embody what MINI Recharged is all about. A stylish sustainable, zero emissions way to future-proof the classic Mini.
“Whenever we attended events with the car, the feedback was amazing, with members of the public asking if they can order their own. In truth, we always wanted to commercialise MINI Recharged and offer customer cars, including individual collaborations but didn’t realise we’d be offering the service so quickly.
We attach great importance in ensuring that MINI Recharged conversions retain the authenticity of the original vehicle when we marry it to the latest 21st century EV technology. Not only does this idea underline the legacy of the traditional British brand but also demonstrates British engineering excellence fit for the future.” say Recharged Heritage co- founders and directors Tom Festa, Chris Harper and Chris Hazel.
The Recharged Heritage team suggests that costs will be starting from £42,500 for converting your own existing Mini and £62,500 including a donor classic Mini.
