A celebrated country-spanning charity drive for beloved baby kicks off on Friday … and this year it’s a brand-involved battery charge.

FOR the first time an electric-dedicated Mini will join a famous north-to-south drive heavily subscribed by the baby-class banger in its original format.

Starting in Paihia, Northland, on April 4 and ending in Invercargill on April 9, the 2300 kilometre ‘Pork Pie’ run celebrates the make in both its British BMC and British-Bavarian BMW generations and also raises funds for charity.

This year it’s becoming an ohm run to recognise Mini is working fast to develop plans to go fully electric.

Transition by 2030 is the aim, and accordingly it has increased the count of battery-fed types here well beyond the first landed Cooper SE that came here in 2020 and retired last year.

The latest electric Cooper E and a new type, Aceman, are expected to lead the sales charge from this year.

Neither are on this run, but Aceman would have been a starter had primary backer MINI New Zealand known for sure it would be here in time. But that arrival timing was still fluid when product nominations closed off, late last year.

So for its first all-electric crack at an event that began in 2009 and is in its ninth running it is firing in purely with the biggest gun, the 230kW dual motor Countryman SE ALL4 (above).

As the largest, most powerful and - at $80,990 - one of the more expensive of the make’s battery-dedicated models, the Countryman is a maximised attack in physical and battery size, performance and range.

It has almost the same power as a petrol-fed equivalent also offered here and, importantly, also stands least chance of being caught short.

This model has comfortably the best range of any electric Mini, up to 433 kilometres according to WLTP. That’s a more comfortable outcome than from the Aceman which, depending on how it specifies, can clock between 310 and 406 kilometres’ before exhausting.

The brand has already checked out the whole route and is satisfied there are enough charging options, even in the rural zones it goes into, to keep its Green tech out of the red.

Downtime for replenishment might keep it at the back of the pack as while the car can charge from 10-80 percent in under 30 minutes, that requires 130kW DC charging and most rural outposts are much less zesty.

Also, intent is to replenish every 350 kilometres at most, with a target of plugging in by 300km whenever possible. However, there’s confidence it will make the distance without concern.

“With numerous charging stations available along the route, even in rural areas, and the Countryman SE’s range, the need for charging stops will be minimal,” said Mini New Zealand general manager Alex Brockhoff, who is sharing the car with BMW NZ boss Adam Shaver.

The company has other new product involving; a Cooper S convertible and a Countryman S - also electric, shared by two automotive bloggers - plus a Cooper three-door for supported charity KidsCan, which dedicates to helping Kiwi kids affected by poverty.

Forty percent of the cars are ‘original’ Minis, an inclusion nicely in tune with the theme.

The effort takes inspiration from a popular 1981 Kiwi film, ‘Goodbye Pork Pie’, in which the central figures in the Blondini Gang journey across New Zealand in a yellow Mini that was progressively disassembled as the trip evolved, the characters being forced to sell off panels and parts to pay bills.

A similar route will be taken by the charity run and some of the cars are presented as outlandishly as the film car was by the end of the story. The eye-catching MiniMack, PPIE and TOYKAR are notable executions.

Around 40 percent of attendees are participating for the first time, but others are well-versed in the fun. Several teams have participated in at least five and at least one team has undertaken all outings.

“The Pork Pie drive is about celebrating the movie, bringing together a community of Mini enthusiasts, and having fun while making a difference,” a event spokesman said via a communication from BMW NZ’s public relations team.

“Raising funds for a charity was incidental at the inception of this event, but it has become a key motivator for all participants.

“We are all Mini nuts in one way or another and being able to gather together to appreciate these vehicles – both vintage and new – while raising money for charity is what we are all about.”

The aim is to achieve $500,000 for KidsCan; enough to support an additional 1500 kids in need, provisioning apparel, health products and food.

They’re off to a good start as the entry fees paid by the 100 people and 50 teams involved have raised more than $374,000 alone.

“Mini is a brand that sparks emotions - whether you own one or simply see one on the street, it brings a smile,” Brockhoff said.

“It’s all about ‘big love’ – two small words with big power to inspire a world of positive action.”

He said the run is a perfect embodiment of this spirit – bringing people together, celebrating a common passion, and driving change for a good cause.

Last week national crash safety auditor ANCAP announced the latest Cooper E and the Countryman had both achieved its highest rating of five stars as result of their performances in recent testing.