Mini Cooper EV review: another electric car fail

The most fun I’ve ever had driving an electric car was not in the 939bhp Porsche Taycan Turbo S referred to in my column in this issue, but a couple of years back in a Mini boasting just 181bhp. I had a hoot bombing about in that thing. The only drawback was its official range was just 140 miles, and if you drove it like it wanted to be driven, you could near enough cut that in half. Not very practical.

So there’s now a new Mini available with both petrol and EV powertrains, but in the latter case if you choose the Cooper SE (where E stands for electric) that range has ballooned up to 244 miles, which is very welcome indeed. It’s also on sale for a modest price, considering its build quality, level of standard equipment and coveted nameplate. It’s properly fast too: the one I drove felt far quicker than the quoted 6.7sec 0-62mph time suggests.

Yet those of you sensing a problem marching in this direction could scarcely be more correct: because all this has only been achieved by fitting a battery of almost double the capacity of that in the old car and, therefore, almost double the weight. So while the old Cooper Electric weighed just 1326kg, this Cooper SE is 1605kg, which is properly dumpy. And it’s just far less entertaining to drive: less agile, communicative and engaging. Don’t get me wrong, in all other regards this is a cracking small EV but, as ever with such things, more sensible means less fun. AF

Mini Cooper SE

• Price £34,500
• Engine Front electric motor, 54.2kWh battery
• Power 215bhp
• Torque 243lb ft
• Weight 1605kg
• Power to weight 134bhp per tonne
• Transmission Single-speed, front-wheel drive
• 0-60mph 6.7sec
• Top speed 106mph
• Range 244 miles (WLTP)
• Verdict Weight gain means fun drain.