New MINI JCW electric hot hatch due in 2021

MINI has announced that it will develop a fully electric John Cooper Works model – and released these official spy images as confirmation.

It was only a few weeks ago that head of MINI Bernd Körber hinted to Auto Express that the company was investigating electric power for future JCW performance models – and we haven’t had to wait long to see what’s coming up.

No technical information on the electric JCW has been issued, but these official images clearly show that an electric version of the recently-launched GP3 will be the first hot MINI to go electric.

The roof-mounted wing, blistered wheelarches and aggressive bodykit have all been transferred directly from the GP3, but look closely at the rear and you’ll see that the centre exit exhaust is missing – a clear indicator that this is a full EV.

Speaking on the announcement of MINI’s latest EV plans, Körber said: “With the MINI Electric, we’ve shown how well driving pleasure and electric mobility can be combined. Now’s the time to translate the performance passion of the John Cooper Works brand to electromobility. So we’re working hard to develop concepts for John Cooper Works models with electric drive.”

MINI’s choice to go electric with a JCW three-door is a relatively straightforward one; the standard MINI Electric gives the company a direct base to work from, without having to invest in developing a new body or platform. What also makes the GP3 a good candidate for an electric makeover is its focus on performance; there are no rear seats, so MINI could fit the electric hot hatch with a larger battery than that found in the MINI Electric to boost range without having to sacrifice power.

Expect the all-electric JCW to have in the region of 300bhp, and the hot hatch is likely to arrive by the end of 2021.

Are you excited by the prospect of an all-electric MINI JCW hot hatch? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section…