The MINI Cooper SE – or MINI Electric as it is known in some parts of the world – has turned out to be quite a sales hit. The car has only been on sale since Spring and the British brand has already delivered close to 10,000 units worldwide so far. This is impressive considering the pandemic kept us from enjoying life as we knew it for most of 2020. Nobody expected the electric version of the hardtop in Oxford to be so popular and yet, here we are.
From a certain point of view, this does make sense. Electric cars are seen by many as a perfect city option, with zero emissions and a decent-enough range that would be sufficient for daily use. Chip in the fact that the MINI is a small car and was originally designed specifically for cities, and this is a rather good combination overall. And it works, as long as you make sure you have a place where you can charge it.
During my time with the car, I could easily squeeze over 140 miles out of a full battery but owners are saying their results are a bit shy of that number, closer to 110. That’s what Joe is getting in the video below, albeit his car is brand new and the batteries haven’t been run in yet.
Apparently, battery life gets a bit better after 10-15 charging cycles and that’s something I didn’t know. Even so, the MINI I drove was also brand new and still posted a range of 150 miles.
The car in the video is also equipped with a lot of add-on from the performance catalogue of MINI. It has some really nice bits on, from the JCW wheels, to a carbon fiber air intake – which is fake on the MINI Cooper SE, by the way – and a brilliant steering wheel. I’ll let Joe show you the rest.
