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Almost half of interested Mini Electric buyers are UK-based

With 22,000 expressions of interest out of 45,000 worldwide, Brits are lapping up the new electric Mini

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Nearly half of all those interested in purchasing the new all-electric Mini are based in the UK, according to the firm.

This week, Mini Electric project leader Elena Eder told German newspaper FAZ that the Oxford-based manufacturer had received more than 45,000 expressions of interest in the new vehicle.

(Mini)

Now, a spokesperson has confirmed to the PA news agency that around 22,000 of those interested parties hail from the UK.

Prospective buyers can currently either register their interest in the vehicle as its March 2020 launch creeps up or pay a refundable £500 deposit to be at the front of the queue. Mini says that it has received approximately 700 deposits in the UK.

Future rivals for the Mini Electric include the forthcoming Honda e, Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa-e. Honda and Peugeot declined to reveal how many deposits they have taken, while Vauxhall said it was too early to tell.

However, a Honda UK spokesman told PA that “we are ahead of our target” and have received 9,800 expressions of interest. A Peugeot UK spokesperson said: “we have been really pleased by the positive reception the all-new 208 and e-208 has received from both the press and the public”.

(Mini)

Production of the Mini Electric is due to begin later this year at the firm’s Oxford plant. It’s competitively priced for a premium electric vehicle, coming in at £24,400 after the government’s plug-in car grant. Mini says leasing rates should start below £300 per month, though it is unclear what deposit or initial rental would be required up front.

Pricing for the Honda e is expected to begin closer to £30,000, while the Peugeot e-208 costs between £25,050 and £29,650 depending on trim, and the Vauxhall Corsa-e starts at £26,490.

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