German luxury carmaker BMW has said it is preparing to launch an electric Mini test series, following similar ventures by its main competitors.
The Munich-based group said in a statement released late on Wednesday that it would produce “several hundred cars in the Mini series in coming months” in Oxford, England, and convert them in Germany to run on electricity.
The test models will be introduced within 12 to 18 months, said the company.
The specialist magazine Automotive News Europe had reported on Monday that BMW plans to make 500 models and rent them to clients in California.
The US state has voted a law under which automobile companies will be permitted to sell their models there only if they also offer one that emits no greenhouse gases.
Most of BMW's competitors, including Daimler and Volkswagen, have already announced that they plan to make electric cars.
