PHOTOGRAPHY —  Sam Flaherty
IN COLLABORATION WITH — MINI

Charged with Passion: Looking at MINI’s first all-electric car and what a more sustainable future could look like.

I’m super excited to be working with MINI and the release of their first all-electric car. I’ve been inspired by MINI’s vision of an electric future, and am looking forward to learning more over the coming year about their process and the culture shift that they’re helping to create.

MINI unveiled their first all-electric car at a world premiere in Rotterdam last month. I was fortunate enough to attend, and it was easy to be swept up in the buzz. We ate great food, made new friends and learned about what the electric future means over the three-day celebration of automotive – and, ultimately, societal – advancement.

During the unveiling of the car itself, surrounded by the press, media and camera flashes, you couldn’t help but feel like you were a part of something an important cultural shift. The all-electric MINI is certainly something to behold; with a driving range of up to 235 kilometres, a 184 horsepower electric motor, and zero (yes, zero) CO2 emissions, it’s the classic MINI that everyone knows and loves, but future-proofed.

And let’s face it: the future is electric. The shift within the automotive industry towards a more sustainable and ecologically-sound model, driven as well by strong consumer desire, is palatable and a net positive for everyone. Electric vehicles will ultimately lower carbon emissions, result in quieter roads, and be cheaper to maintain, with lower running costs. This type of progress and vision of the future is something that I can be passionate about.

As the year progresses, MINI have several more exciting events that I’m looking forward to attending. I’ll be learning more about the car and MINI’s electric revolution, and am eager to share more as the months pass, and up until the commercial release of the car in 2020. I think that, as we press on into the next decade, electric vehicles and the future of urban environments will be on the tips of everyone’s tongues, and MINI have placed themselves firmly in the conversation.