Mini Cooper rolled out an all-electric version of the Cooper S last year. Now, they are working on electrifying something more extreme. The brand announced that they were developing an Electric John Cooper Works. Some images of the EV prototype wearing JCW GP bodywork testing at the Nurburgring were released. There are no preliminary specs announced yet, but it’s safe to say that the JCW electric will have more muscle than the 181hp Cooper SE. All the track outlines of the camouflage of the prototype seem to indicate that Mini wants this vehicle to be an actual track-ready car.
The Short But Powerful Story of Mini Cooper
Mini Cooper has been creating cars that inspire pure joy and awe for over 60 years. Millions of models and hundreds of innovations later, they still have the same passion for forever changing what it means to drive. The year was 1957, and in post-World War II England, the Suez Crisis had sent fuel prices soaring. This led many to start wondering if the huge, gas-guzzling vehicles of the day made much sense. Sir Leonard Lord of the Morris Company issued his top engineer, Alec Issigonis a challenge to create a small, fuel-efficient car capable of carrying four adults, within economic reach of just about everyone. It’s a challenge to fit so much function into such a small package. Fast-forward to 2020, Mini Cooper has a new and futuristic all-electric approach.
Other Vehicle Brands Are Going All-Electric Too
Volvo has said for years that its current generations of the internal-combustion engine would also be the last. However, it’s unknown when exactly the Swedish company will set a date for when it will be all-electric. Now, they have a target. The CEO of Volvo Hakan Samuelsson said that he expected Volvo to phase out internal-combustion engines completely by 2030. They launched their first all-electric car, the XC40 Recharge earlier this year, and also the new all-electric Polestar 2 in its portfolio.