The all-electric Mini Aceman is set to debut this April. Ahead of its official unveiling, the automaker announced on Tuesday that the pint-size EV has completed testing and validation under scorching desert conditions.
The Aceman is a crossover that’s designed to meld the attributes of the iconic Mini Cooper with those of the larger, higher-riding Mini Countryman utility vehicle. The Aceman will have four doors for easy access to its five-seat interior, plus there will be a “large” tailgate, well, large according to the automaker, at least.
As for the broader Mini portfolio, this will be the third stand-alone all-electric model offered. Expect the Aceman to be decidedly mini, roughly 160.4 inches long, 69 inches wide and 58.9 inches tall. That makes the Aceman about 8.2 inches longer than a two-door Mini Cooper hardtop and roughly 9.3 inches shorter than a Countryman.
Aside from those dimensions, details about the Aceman are, regrettably, scarce. The automaker emphasizes that this vehicle will only be offered as an electric and it will have a battery that clocks in at 54.2 kilowatt-hours. Agile dynamics, sprightly performance and generous amounts of interior space are also promised.
“The all-electric Mini Aceman opens new opportunities for customers who want a smaller crossover than our successful Mini Countryman,” noted Stefanie Wurst, the head of Mini, in a media release. “The consistent electrification of our product portfolio makes a clear statement about the future of the Mini brand.”
Ahead of its unveiling in a few short months, the Aceman has undergone testing in the frigid Arctic Circle and it’s been roasted in scorching desert heat. The crossover’s charging, cooling and climate-control systems have all been tortured in temperatures up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
The new Aceman will, at least initially, be produced in China, at a new manufacturing facility in Zhangjiagang, which is part of a joint venture with Great Wall Motor. Exports from this plant are expected to begin early this year. From 2026 onward, however, the Aceman will also be assembled in the UK at Mini’s factory in Oxford, in the UK. The automaker has invested around $764 million to upgrade two assembly plants in England. This, of course, includes Oxford, but the company’s facility in Swindon also received a chunk of that investment.
