Mini Rocketman Could Be Battery Powered …

“We are glad we might see the concept that MINI presented during the 2011 edition of the Geneva Auto Show likely to be called The Rocketman.”

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Chances are that the city car from MINI won’t have an fuel burning motor under the hood but an electric motor. The company explains that stuffing a three- or four-cylinder engine in a car that stretches just 126 inches from bumper to bumper is challenging and, ultimately, prohibitively expensive. However, the recent rise in popularity of electric vehicles presents a new opportunity for the British brand’s entry-level model.

The Rocketman (pictured) could be resurrected as MINI’s first series-produced battery-powered model. Electric motors are much more compact than internal combustion engines, which greatly facilitates the task of building such a small car. The battery pack would presumably be shoehorned under the passenger compartment in order to clear up as much space as possible.

MINI stresses that the electric Rocketman is little more than a vague idea that periodically gets discussed during board meetings, and it hasn’t been given the green light for production yet. If approved, it will likely use components borrowed from the BMW i parts bin. The car maker is also evaluating what the future holds for the Superleggera Vision concept. A final decision hasn’t been made yet, but MINI concedes the Miata-fighter’s future is dim.

“The roadster segment is small and demand is going down, with new markets opening up. The growth is not there, so it’s always a challenge,” explained Ralph Mahler, MINI’s product chief.

Dates of its release still remain as mystery to us but we anticipate this not to take MINI that long.

via Za Top Range