MINI delays its full switch to electric cars and keeps petrol engines

It may have taken a while, but it has happened: MINI has now joined the list of manufacturers choosing to slow down a full switch to electric vehicles, keeping internal combustion engines on sale for longer than first planned.

Back in 2021, the British brand said it aimed to be 100% electric by the end of the decade. However, according to Michael Peyton, MINI’s Vice President for the Americas, that target no longer comes with a fixed deadline. “We’ve tweaked our approach a little as a brand and we’re going to keep building combustion powertrains for a bit longer,” he said in an interview with Automotive News.

MINI’s all-electric timeline is no longer fixed

Peyton argues that demand for petrol engines remains strong and shows no sign of easing. In response, the brand has chosen to adjust its course.

Why MINI is keeping petrol engines in the mix

Rather than rushing to an all-electric line-up regardless of customer appetite, MINI is positioning combustion models as a way to stay aligned with what buyers are still asking for in key markets.

New combustion models

With this revised strategy, MINI wants to use combustion-engined cars to enter segments where it does not yet compete but believes there is room to grow.

“You’ll see investment in combustion models. We’ll keep making sure we’re developing products for those customers,” Peyton emphasised.

Among the possible additions, MINI has not ruled out a combustion equivalent to the MINI Aceman, the brand’s newest crossover, which is currently offered only as a fully electric model.

Possible additions: Aceman petrol variant, a larger model, or a smaller classic-inspired MINI

As for launching a model larger than today’s Countryman, Peyton sees it as unlikely, though not completely off the table. If it does happen, he says it would still need to maintain the brand’s identity.

On the other hand, MINI is also considering a return to its roots with a smaller, more cheeky model inspired by the classic MINI-directly reflecting what many fans of the marque have been asking for.

As the executive responsible for MINI in the Americas, the one idea that appears to be firmly set aside is a pick-up-despite it being one of the most popular vehicle types in the region: “Even though we’ve had a pick-up in our range before, I’m not sure we need that today,” the Vice President concluded.

This shift in direction underlines how, despite the push towards electrification, real-world market conditions are forcing brands to rethink their plans. The future may be electric, but at MINI-like many others-petrol still has a place.