Mini JCW Electric confirmed

Mini is working on a high-performance electric hatchback.

Rumours about an all-electric John Cooper Works hatch are true, although details are scarce at the moment.

“With the Mini Electric, we’ve shown how well brand-typical driving enjoyment and electric mobility can be combined,” said Bernd Körber, head of the Mini brand.

“Now it’s time to translate the passion for performance of the John Cooper Works brand to electro mobility. That’s why we’re working to develop concepts for electric John Cooper Works models.”

What will power the electric JCW isn’t clear. The Mini Electric packs the 135kW/270Nm motor from the BMW i3 on its front axle, and has a claimed 7.3-second sprint time to 100km/h.

Although that’s not slow, it’s not up to scratch when you consider the current Mini JCW has 170kW of power and 320Nm of torque from its four-cylinder engine, and hits 100km/h in 6.1 seconds.

The limited-edition JCW GP ups those outputs to 225kW and 450Nm.

BMW does have some suitable electric motors in its stable. The rear-mounted motor in the upcomingiX3 SUV makes 210kW and 400Nm, and is good for a 6.8-second run to 100km/h.

That sprint time would be stronger in a smaller, lighter Mini, potentially packing a smaller battery pack than the 80kWh unit in the mid-sized iX3 SUV.