The original Mini is still a popular cart. Today, a number of companies are active that give the gem a bizarre amount of power or convert it into an EV. London Electric Cars (LEC) joins the latter category and spoons the powertrain of the Nissan Leaf into the Mini.
LEC, not to be confused with LEVC, is a company that specializes in converting classics to EVs. The company has already overhauled several models, including classic Land Rovers and the Morris Minor and Minor Traveler. Now LEC is performing a heart transplant on the Mini. The company is not a first, because in 2019 the British Swindon Powertrain also did something similar. How LEC approaches the operation is unique: for the conversion, the company uses used parts from the Nissan Leaf. Both the battery and the electric motor come from the Japanese.
In principle, LEC supplies the Mini with a 20 kWh battery pack. Slightly less than the first generation Leaf, which had a battery of 24 kWh. With that capacity, a range of around 100 kilometers is theoretically possible. A larger battery pack can be mounted on request. The option of fast charging is also available on order. As standard, the Mini can be charged with electricity at a public charging station or at home. LEC does not provide detailed specifications, such as power, weight and charging speed. Based on the electric motor in the first generation Leaf, the Mini has 109 hp and 280 Nm of torque under the hood.
Relatively cheap
If the latter is the case, the Mini from LEC has as much power as the version of the aforementioned Swindon Powertrain. What speaks in favor of LEC is that their conversion is much cheaper. The basic version costs 25,000 pounds, converted a tight € 29,000. For that you still have to provide a donor car yourself. Swindon’s version cost over €89,000. However, for the money of an electro-Mini from LEC you also have a brand new Mini Electric. The choice is huge.