Munich, Germany - The BMW Group has announced that over the next few months, it will carry out a series of tests on electric vehicles to evaluate future drivetrains. The company will outfit several hundred Mini vehicles, built in Oxford and modified in Munich, for the tests.

“This step will allow the BMW Group to build on previous research into how mobility can be achieved efficiently using purely electrically-powered vehicles,” said Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “Our task here is to combine the ultimate driving experience with an efficient electrified drive with virtually no emissions.”

The tests will be conducted over the next 12 to 18 months to refine the technologies; the company will release details about the drivetrains and marketing later in the year.