Mini is currently in the process of discontinuing two of its cheapest electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia, but it claims it’ll still have enough stock to last until later this year.
Production of the Mini Cooper E and Aceman E is set to wind down for the Australian market this month. Both of these EVs are made in China and are built on a GWM co-developed electric platform called Spotlight.
Speaking with CarExpert, Mini Australia and New Zealand head of product and planning James Orlov said the company isn’t ruling out the return of the Aceman E and Cooper E, but for now, it’s focusing on the SE and JCW variants instead.
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“We’re a small country. We’re far away from the rest of the world. We drive on the wrong side of the road,” said Mr Orlov.
“So we do need to be quite judicious in what cars we are building for the market, where we focus that production, the feedback from the network, and the overall positioning of the market.
“[It] made sense to focus on that SE and the JCW that was coming into production.
“So, the E [is] still here. The last cars will be finished production this month.
“It’s not a never say never. We could switch it on again if we so choose, if that’s what the market tells us it wants.
“But for now, we’re going to focus on the SE and JCW, but there are still cars coming.
“We’ll probably see out the rest of this year with that car.”
Mini is currently offering discounted drive-away pricing offers on the Cooper E Classic and Aceman E Classic while stock lasts. They’re priced from $49,990 drive-away and $51,990 drive-away, respectively.
Both E variants are powered by a single front-mounted electric motor with 135kW and 290Nm.
Feeding this is a 41kWh battery in the Cooper E, giving it a WLTP claimed range of 305km, whereas the Aceman E has a 42.5kWh battery with a WLTP claimed range of 310km.
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