THESE are the first sketches of the MINI of the future - a battery powered electric vehicle that is due to make its debut in 2019.

Following on from the MINI E pilot project ten years ago and the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 plug-in hybrid model on sale since 2017, the first fully-electric MINI represents the next stage in the electrification of the MINI brand.

The sketches show the car's grille with MINI's hexagonal design but the closed-off interpretation is all new.

Behind the grille, cooling elements are conspicuous by their absence - which means the grille can stay closed and therefore improve airflow.

A yellow accent bar with an E badge in the same colour identifies this as an electric MINI.

Also new is the design of the wheels which has been carried over from the MINI Electric Concept - unveiled for the first time last year. The wheels take the motif of the accent bar on the radiator grille and add their own asymmetrical twist.

MINI's parent company BMW announced the development of a battery electric MINI production vehicle in July 2017.

The first of these large-scale produced MINIs with battery-electric drivetrains will be available from 2019 - exactly 60 years after the launch of the classic Mini.

The electric drivetrain will be built at the BMW Group's e-mobility centre at Dingolfing and Landshut in Bavaria before being integrated into the car at Plant Oxford in the UK, which is the main production location for the MINI three-door hatchback.