BMW unveils first production design features of the upcoming electric Mini

In the epitome of teasing a vehicle release, BMW didn’t release actual sketches of its upcoming electric Mini.

Instead, it released today design sketches of features that will be in the production version of the vehicle coming next year.

We have said it before: BMW has been a master at teasing and never releasing the electric Mini.

The vehicle should have been out for decade when you consider that they ended up making the Mini E back in 2008.

It didn’t happen and BMW has unveiled two different electric Mini concepts since then.

Now it is getting closer to the release of the production version which will start rolling off the assembly line next year.

Today, the German automaker released the first design sketches of the production vehicle. Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Design, commented:

MINI is an urban brand and the fully-electric MINI the logical next step into the future. These initial sketches for the fully electrified MINI outline our vision of authentic design creating a bridge between the history of the brand and its electric future.

By releasing those images, BMW confirmed the first two design features that will make it to the production version:

The first image is of the electric Mini’s “grille”, which is reminescent of Tesla’s nosecone on the original Model S.

BMW explains the design:

Its hexagonal form is a signature MINI design element, but the closed-off interpretation is all new. Behind the grille, cooling elements are conspicuous by their absence – which means the grille can stay closed and therefore improve airflow. A yellow accent bar with an E badge in the same colour produces a powerful contrasting effect and identifies this as an electric MINI.

As for the second image, we are looking at the electric Mini wheel, which is mostly covered for aero performance.

Versions very similar to those two designs were already unveiled on the concept Mini electric unveiled last year:

Both the concept and the production version of the vehicle are based on the Mini 3-door.

Not much is known about the actual powertrain of the upcoming vehicle. It will go into production at Mini’s main plant in Oxford and we recently learned that the vehicle will also go into production in China.