Don’t Hold Your Breath Waiting For The Electric Mini To Come To America

If you’ve been waiting for the latest electric Mini models to come to the US, we’ve got some bad news. MotoringFile is reporting that Mini USA has now confirmed that it won’t be bringing the new J01-chassis Cooper Electric or the Mini Aceman here – at least not right away. Instead of completely ruling it out, the automaker is kicking the can down the road for at least another year (and probably longer).

Decision Pushed Back, Likely Until 2026

While Mini never officially confirmed that the two electric vehicles would be coming to the US market, it certainly hinted at it strongly, giving the pair plenty of exposure on the company’s website. Both made much more sense for the American market than the last-generation Mini Cooper SE, making this decision deferral more of a surprise.

The 2-Door Mini EV offers a 49.2-kWh battery, nearly double the size of the old SE’s, promising a range of more like 200 miles than the 100 of the old car. The 2-door is also larger than its predecessor, and the 160.5-inch four-door Aceman had even more potential appeal for the US audience and its demand for larger vehicles.

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Unsurprisingly, the issue is one of tariffs. The company didn’t say it outright, but the current administration’s planned introduction of 102-percent tariffs on EVs made in China and President-elect Trump’s stated plans to impose tariffs on vehicles from that country (as well as potentially adding Mexican and European-built cars and trucks) make it tough. The latest electric Mini and the Aceman were designed and engineered as part of a joint venture between BMW Group and Great Wall Motor. The cars are built in China at a new plant in that country, which would make the EVs subject to the expected tariffs.

Uncertainty Over Where To Manufacture The EVs

Though the latest gas and electric Mini models have the same styling, they’re not the same underneath. New gas Cooper models are still based on the previous-generation chassis and are built at Mini’s plant in Oxford, England. Mini has announced spending more than half a billion dollars to rework its UK plants in Swindon and Oxford to build its new EVs, but that plan has two issues that affect this latest decision. The first is that it’s not clear if the UK will be left unaffected by the new tariffs, and the second is that the plants won’t be ready to build the new EVs until at least 2026.

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Even if it builds the cars somewhere else, Mini, like all other automakers, will have a challenge with sourcing parts. The new tariffs are expected to impact vehicle components, ranging from raw materials for vehicle batteries to completed switches and other bits and bobs. Many, if not all of these parts, will need to be re-sourced in order to prevent a huge increase in costs. Meanwhile, Mini will continue to sell at least one electric vehicle in the US. The Mini Countryman SE ALL4, a larger electric crossover, is on sale now. The Countryman SE is built in Leipzig, Germany, and offers a more US-sized cabin, as well as 212 miles of range.

Source:
MotoringFile