Every inch a MINI, with performance close to the hot-hatch MINI Cooper S, with prices starting at £24,400 (after HM Government Plug-In Car Grant of £3,500) demand is expected to be strong, orders are now being taken for March 2020 deliveries.
The MINI Electric is based on the same body shell as the 3-Door Hatch, with a number of specific differences. An embossed MINI Electric logo appears on car’s side wings, as well as on the tailgate and front radiator grille
The motor is the latest, powerful version of the synchronous electric motor developed by the BMW Group and provides a maximum output of 184 HP and maximum torque of 270 Nm. As a result, the car accelerates to 62mph in just 7.3 seconds with top speed limited to 93mph.
The battery pack has 12 modules of lithium-ion cells arranged in a T-shaped unit in the vehicle floor between the front seats and below the rear seats, providing a battery capacity of 32.6 kWh. So the boot space isn’t compromised as can be the case in other electric cars.
The MINI Electric has a new digital dashboard with a 5.5-inch colour screen behind the steering wheel. Road speed is shown at the centre in figures with a peripheral scale band, as well as information on the charge level of the battery, the selected MINI Driving Mode, the status of the driver assistance systems and check control messages.
The MINI Electric comes with both home and public charging cables as standard, designed for AC and DC charging using Type 2 and CCS Combo 2 plugs. At a 50kW DC fast-charging station an 80 per cent charge is reached from zero in 35 minutes.
The car offers as standard four MINI Driving Modes – selected via a switch located on the right-hand side of the toggle bar. SPORT mode has more direct steering and a more rapid power delivery. The MID setting has less aggressive steering while GREEN mode features more gentle accelerator actuation. In GREEN+ mode, some comfort functions such as air conditioning are limited or deactivated to save further power and increase range.
Electric drive takes the trademark MINI go-kart driving feeling to new heights, thanks to new suspension technology designed for this model. With a centre of gravity that is at least 30 millimetres lower than in the MINI Cooper S and the reduced weight over the front wheels thanks to the electric motor, close to perfect weight distribution helps the new MINI Electric achieve exceptional driving dynamics.
Three trim levels are offered. The base car “Level 1” gets Mini Navigation including Apple Car Play, Digital Cockpit, dual-zone air-con & cruise control. Another £2,000 gets you the Level 2 spec which includes the following additional kit: Driving assistant pack (city collision mitigation for pedestrians & high beam assistance), rear view park assist camera, keyless entry, heated seats, rear parking distance control & Part leatherette interior. A further £4,000 gets you the top Level 3 spec, which includes Navigation Plus (includes larger touch screen) Front & rear parking distance control (includes park assist so the car can park itself), Panoramic sunroof, Head up display, Harman / Kardon display & Full leather interior.