If you’re a driver based in the United States looking for an electric vehicle that isn’t too big, you have far fewer options available than your counterparts around the world. Now, a promising development on that front — one that would have involved memorable aesthetics and zero emissions — seems to be off the table.
Writing at Autoblog, Elijah Nicholson-Messmer revealed that Mini has scrapped plans to sell the Mini Aceman EV and Mini Cooper EV in the United States — at least for the time being. The reason behind this decision, Nicholson-Messmer reports, has to do tariffs on Chinese imports. These EVs are manufactured in China, and the same tariffs that have led BYD to slow its North American plans are making an impact here.
The fact that Mini has made this decision isn’t necessarily that surprising. Earlier this year, in an article for Car & Driver, Dan Edmunds noted that it might be a while before U.S. drivers had the opportunity to purchase an electric Mini Cooper.
“[T]here’s enough uncertainty that Mini USA has not yet confirmed when (or even if) we will see this model, let alone what it might cost,” Edmunds wrote in May, in an analysis that feels especially prescient right now.
Is the Electric Mini Cooper Ready to Be Taken Seriously?
A new version features a much improved rangeU.S. Mini enthusiasts who are still holding out hope that they might one day drive an electric Mini Cooper have some reasons for optimism in the long run. Autoblog’s reporting notes that Mini’s factory in Oxford will be manufacturing both Mini EVs beginning in 2026 — something that could lead to a U-turn on Mini’s EV sales in the U.S.
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