Blast-off! Mini reveals tiny Rocketman concept might finally launch as an EV … 15 years after it was first shown
BMW-owned Mini has announced it is considering a production version of its Rocketman concept, which the British car-maker unveiled back in 2011.
Originally conceived as a replacement for the original classic Mini hatch, which was sold from 1959 until 2000, the motivation behind putting the all-electric city car back on the agenda was the sales success of small EVs in Europe and China.
Speaking to Auto Express, Mini design boss Holger Hampf announced that creating a production version of the Rocketman was an “exciting project”, but admitted that building a small Mini city car would not be easy.
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“Certainly, we’re studying these volumes, and we’re trying to see what [Mini] can get into such a small 3.6-metre car. It’s not easy,” he told the British magazine. “I’ll leave it at that.”
The challenge the design boss was referring to was being able to package all the modern safety equipment and driver-assist tech needed within the small two-door Rocketman’s proportions.
“You have to be conscious about your surroundings,” he said. “Then there’s new regulations in terms of pedestrian safety and sensor technologies. People don’t want to miss their ADAS functionality, or cruise control and all of that.
“That has led to increasing the size a little bit. There is so much technology in these cars compared to the classic Mini, or the Rocketman concept.”
If launched, the production Mini Rocketman could become a natural rival for the inbound two-seat Smart #2, based on the firm’s recent 2792mm-long Concept #2, which was unveiled at the Beijing motor show.
Other small cars on Mini’s radar include the new Renault Twingo EV and the new Volkswagen ID. Lupo.
With such small dimensions, Mini is also worried about not being able to squeeze in a big enough battery to provide the production car with a meaningful range, although with the rapid rate of battery development, that barrier could soon be removed with the roll-out of more energy-dense battery packs.
It also helps that most buyers only expect small city cars to travel between 300-400km on a charge.
No timeline was given for the arrival of the Mini Rocketman, but even if it was greenlit today, buyers would probably have to wait until 2029 before it arrived on sale.
