Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
Remember the MINI E? Based on the three-door hatchback and produced in limited numbers as the test field for BMW Project i, the electrified Cooper has 200 horsepower up its sleeve from a front-mounted asynchronous motor. And thanks to the 35-kWh lithium-ion battery, the EPA certified the E at 100 miles of range and 98 MPGe combined.
A decade after MINI started the program in the United States of America, the automaker will introduce a more volume-oriented successor in the form of this fellow here. The name of the EV remains a mystery, though it’s highly probable for MINI to adopt the Cooper E name.
Previewed by the Electric Concept at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Cooper E or whatever it will be called is pictured here testing in extremely cold weather. The carparazzi tell that MINI has been testing the car at -30 degrees Celsius for an hour, trialing the all-new, all-electric powertrain.
On first glance, it’s hard to tell this car apart from the three-door hatchback. Look closer and focus on the smallest of details, and you’ll notice the regenerative braking system, different grille, plus the resculpted front and rear bumpers. The headlights come from the pre-facelift F56, which is an indicator this is a work-in-progress prototype.
The lack of exhaust pipes and the charge port door further confirm the electric nature of the Cooper E, as if the “Electric Test Vehicle” stickers weren’t obvious enough. And finally, it appears the ground clearance of the e-MINI doesn’t differ too much from the current lineup.
Having said these, not much is known about what hides under the skin of the Cooper E. The most practical scenario is a powertrain derived from the BMW i3. With the larger battery, the i3 is EPA-rated 124 miles combined. As for get-up-and-go, the smallest member of the BMW i family boasts 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet (250 Nm).
Previewed by the Electric Concept at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Cooper E or whatever it will be called is pictured here testing in extremely cold weather. The carparazzi tell that MINI has been testing the car at -30 degrees Celsius for an hour, trialing the all-new, all-electric powertrain.
On first glance, it’s hard to tell this car apart from the three-door hatchback. Look closer and focus on the smallest of details, and you’ll notice the regenerative braking system, different grille, plus the resculpted front and rear bumpers. The headlights come from the pre-facelift F56, which is an indicator this is a work-in-progress prototype.
The lack of exhaust pipes and the charge port door further confirm the electric nature of the Cooper E, as if the “Electric Test Vehicle” stickers weren’t obvious enough. And finally, it appears the ground clearance of the e-MINI doesn’t differ too much from the current lineup.
Having said these, not much is known about what hides under the skin of the Cooper E. The most practical scenario is a powertrain derived from the BMW i3. With the larger battery, the i3 is EPA-rated 124 miles combined. As for get-up-and-go, the smallest member of the BMW i family boasts 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet (250 Nm).
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