Mini E-Bike 1, with Angell Mobility, a two-wheeled adventure

Angell Mobility x Mini E-Bike 1

(Image credit: Mini)

Car companies are in the business of mobility. Increasingly, that means acknowledging transport solutions that go beyond cars. On the cusp of its reinvention as a primarily electrified car maker (see its recent electric Mini reveals), Mini is also venturing into two-wheeled territory with a new collaboration with Angell Mobility.

Mini E-Bike 1, a two-wheeled adventure

This is the E-Bike 1, the first fruits of that partnership. Angell Mobility was founded by Marc Simoncini in 2018 and builds a smart e-bike shaped by the French industrial designer Ora Ïto. This light, elegant model has now been given the Mini treatment, in close collaboration with Oliver Heilmer, Mini head of design.

The idea is to bring Mini’s verve and spirit to the e-bike industry, using Angell’s ultra-light aluminium frame as a basis for two striking limited-edition colourways. ‘With the introduction of the Mini E-Bike 1, we’re expanding our impact in transportation while staying true to our roots,’ says Sebastian Beuchel, head of Brand Management at Mini. ‘This collaboration underlines our commitment to sustainable, inventive mobility.’

Billed as the first of a series of mobility products, just 1959 examples of each specification will be made (a nod to the birth year of the original BMC Mini).

Angell Mobility x Mini E-Bike 1 detail — Angell Mobility x Mini E-Bike 1

With a maximum weight of just 17.5kg, the Mini E-Bike 1 has a range of up to 65km, although that drops to 35km if you’re using the dedicated ‘Fast mode’. Enhancements include integrated mud- and chain-guard, as well as a leather-free saddle made by Brooks England. There’s also in-built satellite tracking for security reasons, and an integrated digital cockpit with navigation.

Angell Mobility x Mini E-Bike 1 handlebars — Angell Mobility x Mini E-Bike 1

‘At Angell Mobility we’re fortunate to have Mini as a partner with whom we can think boldly about changing mobility,’ says Angell’s CEO, John Mollanger. ‘We are proud of the Mini E-Bike 1 and believe it is an honest translation of the impeccable Mini signature, complementing the way Mini consumers move in urban environments.’

For now, the E-Bike 1 is very much a luxury accessory (available at Paris’s Le Printemps and Berlin’s KaDeWe, for example); perhaps a more mass-market option will follow.

Angell Mobility x Mini E-Bike 1 lights — Angell Mobility x Mini E-Bike 1

Angell Mobility x Mini E-Bike 1, available in Elegant Vibrant Silver or Ocean Wave Green S in two frame sizes, M and S, €3,490, Mini-ebikes.com

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Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.