MINI's All-Electric Hatchback: the Cooper S Electric
Of all the gasoline cars on the market that seemed natural to go electric, the Mini Cooper has to be at the top of the list. Small, zippy, and so at home in urban environments, a typical Mini has a short “radius” from home base, its life composed of short cut-and-thrust trips for which electric driving is perfect. Yet, other than an experimental test fleet that the brand ran in California a decade ago, it took Mini until 2020 to introduce an all-electric version of its iconic hatchback, with a 32-kW battery and a 110-mile range.
For 2022, the Mini Cooper S Electric (for that is its full name) has had its EPA-rated range upgraded to 114 miles, retaining its 181-horsepower, 199-pound-feet electric motor, which drives the front wheels through a single-speed transmission. Tucked away where the gas Mini’s fuel tank would usually be, the battery doesn’t compromise luggage space, which means that other than a few acid-green badges, the icon on the charge port, and a slight increase in ride height, there’s very little to visually distinguish the electric Mini from any other on the road.
The same is true inside, where the giant circular screen in the middle of the dash still dominates, and where the seats are still sporty to hold you in place during cornering maneuvers. Indications that you’re in something electric are limited to a slightly different-looking shifter, the presence of an electric (instead of conventional) handbrake lever, special trim on the dash, and a new digital instrument panel attached to the steering wheel showing charging and battery information, in place of the traditional circular speedometer.
Best-Equipped MINI So Far
Indeed, the electric Mini is actually the best-equipped Mini. Starting at under $30,000, you get full equipment including heated front seats, a multifunction steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, LED exterior lighting, and an infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay, navigation with real-time traffic information, and leatherette seats. Two higher trim levels (Signature Plus and Iconic) add even more luxury equipment, but no real functionality: all models have the same range and the same 50-kWh fast-charging ability.
While 50-kWh fast charging doesn’t really compare well to some of the more recent premium EV offerings on the market, in practice, it’s more than fast enough to top up the electric Mini’s little battery very quickly. Mini claims a 0-80 percent charge takes just 35 minutes, and most of the time, you won’t run the battery down to empty, so a DC fast charge is even faster. Even on a 7-kWh home charger, you’ll need just four hours or so to fill the “tank,” making this one of the more convenient cars to own if you have regular access to a charger.
If you don’t have access to a charger at home, you might find the Cooper S Electric’s 114-mile range can cramp your style a bit. While I live in a downtown core, for instance, I make frequent trips to the suburbs for work, and without a charger at home, I found that I was looking for public fast charging pretty much every day to assuage my range anxiety. And as with gasoline cars, cold weather can have a deleterious effect on your range. Most owners won’t have these issues and will charge at home on a level two charger; at that point, the Mini’s range is more than enough for daily use.
Driving the MINI Cooper S Electric
Range aside, by far the best part of driving the electric Mini is actually driving it. The Mini Cooper has always been one of the most fun-to-drive vehicles on the road, its tiny size, great visibility, and torquey engines making it feel like a go-kart in city traffic; the move to electric power only enhances that feel. Like all electric vehicles, torque is instantaneous from a standstill, and there’s a seamless rush of acceleration without any pauses for gear changes; this car feels a lot faster than its 6.9-second 0-60 mph rating suggests.
Despite weighing about 300 pounds more than a gasoline Cooper S – and sitting about half an inch higher – the electric version has lost none of the Mini’s signature handling ability. The steering is perfectly-weighted and incredibly direct: you think you want to point the car somewhere, and it’s there, instantaneously. It zips around corners faster and with more stability than you think a car this small would be capable of, and is as much fun to drive on highway on- and off-ramps and winding roads as it is in the city.
The brakes are worth making note of as well. In their default mode, they offer powerful regeneration. While I found them to be just a little too aggressive for my driving style, credit must be given to their calibration, which makes the Mini easy to one-pedal in traffic. On the open road, a toggle switch lets you choose lighter regeneration, more suited to highway driving.
From a practicality standpoint, the electric Mini is perfect for its intended purpose, zipping around town running errands. The front cabin is remarkably spacious, with easy-to-use controls for the 8.8-inch infotainment system and a wide range of adjustability for the comfortable front seats. However, thanks to a compact wheelbase, the back seat is very tight indeed, and the trunk area is tiny; fold the seats down, though, and you have a large, easy to use luggage area. (Want an electrified Mini but want more space? The four-door Countryman crossover is available as a plug-in hybrid).
If that, and the short range, makes the Cooper S Electric sound compromised, I don’t think that’s true; I think of this car as more focused than compromised. Use it for what it’s intended for – urban living, shorter trips, charging at home – and it’s brilliant, not to mention one of the least-expensive electric vehicles currently on the market once you factor in the fuel savings, the federal incentive, and any local incentives available to you.
Certainly if you want or need something bigger, or with greater range, there are better options out there, but very few EVs deliver the fun factor of this little Mini.
300-Mile By Mile Breakdown
While the electric Mini’s range isn’t impressive on paper, living with it and finding charging in the city didn’t turn out to be a problem. And because the battery is a small one, charging even on a 50-kW DC charger is fast and easy.
0 miles
It looks exactly like a Mini Cooper S, except for some acid-green accents on the badging and side mirrors. And a half-inch increase in ride height to accommodate the battery.
20 miles
This is the most aggressive regenerative braking I’ve ever experienced. Lifting off the “gas” pedal feels like you’re hitting the thrust reversers in a jet plane. Fortunately, a toggle switch on the console lets you activate a less-aggressive mode, which still lets you one-pedal it a lot of the time.
75 miles
Down to 30 percent charge in winter weather. I locate a 50-kWh charger in a downtown mall parking lot and plug it in. The upside to the small 32-kWh battery is that it fills up very quickly. After dashing into the mall to grab a couple of holiday items, I return to the car with a 97 percent charge.
125 miles
While it’s not naturally a car you’d seek out twisty roads in, the Cooper S Electric’s handling is awesome, as good as the gasoline Cooper S. It’s like an electric go-kart.
150 miles
Plugged in again for another top-up. Without a charger at home, I’m finding the Mini’s range to be a little inconvenient. With access to home charging, its 114-mile range would be more than enough for a daily driver.
225 miles
There’s a lot to like about this car beyond the zippy acceleration, great handling, and zero emissions. Top of the list: a characterful-looking cabin that still manages to work great, with an excellent infotainment system, fantastic seats, and a giant sunroof.
