Behind the Design: Electric Mini
The first electric Mini, aka Cooper SE, was recently launched and arrives in New Zealand in August. The Head of Mini Design, Oliver Heilmer, explains how he created an electric version of the famous three-door car.
Head of Mini Design Oliver Heilmer with the electric Mini. Photo: Mini
The first Mini was an instant icon. What is it that attracts you about taking a design as familiar as this to the next stage?
For me, the appeal lies in the scale of the challenge. Updating such an iconic design is no easy task. The stronger an icon is – and Mini has a big tradition – the greater the importance not only of innovation but also continuity. So this is about smoothing the intersection, integrating the historic and the new; the Mini Cooper SE is equally identifiable as a Mini and an electric car.
Oliver Heilmer had to make the Mini Cooper SE electric vehicle stand out from the petrol version. Photo: Mini
Does that mean there wasn’t a great deal that needed changing when it came to the Mini Cooper SE?
When a car has proven itself and, for example, fits perfectly into the context of urban mobility – like the Mini three-door – it may seem like nothing much needs doing. But things are, of course, rather more complex when you get to work. Sometimes it’s actually more challenging than designing a new vehicle from scratch.
To make it possible to tell a fully electric Mini Cooper SE apart from a Mini with conventional combustion engine, for example, we started by looking at what each element contributes to the overall effect. It was striking that changes to some details caused the design – and therefore the perception of a Mini – to pretty much fall apart.
We were keen to retain the core of Mini while at the same time having an eye on the future. That’s why we decided to focus on specific accents which differentiate a Mini Cooper SE from a combustion-engined Mini.
The grille of the Mini Cooper SE is the noticeable difference from the petrol version. Photo: Mini
Which design details are electric-specific?
One example is that the Mini Cooper SE has a largely blanked-off front grille. An electric vehicle doesn’t need cooling air in the same place as one running a combustion engine. That’s why the Mini Cooper SE grille only has a slim horizontal slot for air to enter through.
The remainder of the grille is closed flush and finished in a contrasting, modern grey colour. The electric drive system and the feeling of modernity that go with it are clearly reflected inside the car by elements such as the digital instrument cluster, which displays all the relevant information for the electric driving experience.
We also very clearly wanted to go a new direction with the design of the wheels, which are asymmetric, almost static in appearance. We have created something that very purposefully breaks with the classical description of a wheel rim.
The accent colour Energetic Yellow also points to the electric character of the Mini Cooper SE and can be found in various places, including the mirror caps and the “E” logo on the front grille, tailgate and side scuttles. To ensure the colour accentuation has the desired effect, the rest of the car is deliberately restrained.
The Mini team also wanted to the wheels to be very different in the EV version. Photo: Mini
Has electrification opened up a new approach to design? Or even a new kind of emotionalisation?
Definitely. The overall experience is everything. Electrification gives us the starting point to think about things fundamentally differently – and not only in the aesthetic sense.
To put it simplistically, it enables us to explore new worlds. What we’re endeavouring to do looking forward is to bring the sensory interaction of various design elements, such as the styling, sound or scent of a vehicle, into the Mini in a coherent way.
The Mini Cooper SE already follows a new approach to design in some areas. What we want to do at Mini in the future is offer design for all the senses – a carefully orchestrated interplay of experiences, rather than singular elements.
This affects different areas; there is an exterior and an interior, harmonisation with materials and colours – which is very important at Mini. And then there is the user interface. One question that comes up here is: how do I interact with different themes and what do I see on the display during this process?
The electric version of the Mini three-door has yellow design elements. Photo: Mini
Which direction is Mini design heading in? Will we end up seeing a smartphone on wheels, dressed up in an iconic shell?
A vehicle is more complex than any mobile phone. The whole area of autonomous driving shows us clearly how complex it is. Rather than a mobile phone on wheels, we see the Mini of the future as a “partner in crime”.
Many owners give their Mini a name, and we want to build on that, very simply and intuitively, so that a real bond can emerge – a connection that extends beyond purely driving. That doesn’t need to be hugely intricate technologically. More than anything, it should bring a smile to people’s faces.
Interview courtesy of Mini
