ELECTRIC Mini Cooper S E Teased
The electric MINI Cooper SE is teased ahead of a reveal in July, the first proper production electric MINI as BMW rolls down the EV road.
The new MINI – expected to be called the MINI Cooper SE Electric – is heading for production in the UK, although its electric gubbins will be built in Germany and shipped over (Brexit permitting).
The electric drivetrain for the MINI is likely to be closely related to that in the latest BMW i3 – although powering the front wheels – with something around 180bhp and a range just the right side of 22 miles.
The new electric MINI will join the plug-in hybrid Cooper S E ALL4 Countryman in MINI’s electrified range, but neither of the new electrified MINIs are the first step down the electric road for MINI.
A decade ago, the MINI E hit the road in Europe as MINI decided to enlist testers for the electric prototype to try and discover what worked and what didn’t in the real world of EVs.
Testers came from the US, Germany and the UK – although the response from potential testers wasn’t overwhelming – and although most testers were ‘Mostly Happy’ with the MINI E, and it made it round the Nurburgring, there were range issues in cold weather.
But a decade on, BMW is expected to have sorted the new electric MINI, stored its batteries where the should be (not on the back seat) and made the range, and performance, credible.
All will be revealed when the new MINI Electric debuts on 9 July.
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