There are a surprising amount of good options in the compact EV hatchback segment. While there are a few other French options in Europe, the big three are the MINI Electric, the Fiat 500, and the Honda E. All three come from different countries, all three are small three-door hatchbacks, and all three are entirely electric. But which one do you buy? Auto Express recently found out.
Of all three cars, only the MINI Electric is built on a traditional platform. The other two are built on bespoke EV architectures, which allows them to have bigger batteries and more range in the same sized package (although, the Honda’s is barely bigger). Surprisingly, the Honda is actually heavier, slower, and has a shorter range than the MINI.
The MINI Electric uses a 32.6 kWh battery pack (28.9 usable), with a 181 horsepower electric motor mounted to the front axle. It also gets 145 miles of range. While the Honda E uses a 35.5 kWh battery (28.5 usable), with a rear-mounted motor that makes 152 horsepower, and gets 137 miles of range. That leaves the Fiat 500 with the largest battery, a 42 kWh pack that’s entirely usable, the most range, 199 miles but also the least power, 116 horsepower.
It’s an interesting test because the MINI Electric is the fastest and, usually, the most fun to drive. But in an EV hatchback, is fun really the most important attribute? For an enthusiast, yes. However, range, comfort, and cost are more important to most customers in this segment and, honestly, the MINI Electric just isn’t great for such things. Or at least it’s not as good as its rivals in the segment. So unfortunately for MINI, its newest electric car actually took last place in this test. Which is a bit surprising, considering how it’s mostly better than the Honda E on paper. Check it out.
[Source: Auto Express]
