Photo: MINI
The EPA ratings for the Cooper SE aren’t available for the time being, but MINI themselves have updated the landing site for the electrified hatchback with 110 miles of range. Let that sink in for a minute, then remember that the Cooper SE is priced at $29,900 plus $850 for freight.
Gulp! To put things into a greater perspective, the Nissan Leaf was EPA-rated 99 miles for the 2011 model year in 2010. MINI could’ve done much better with a dedicated platform for BEVs and up-to-date battery technology, yet the BMW Group couldn’t make a case for either.
As a brief refresher, the Cooper SE borrows much of the architecture of the internal combustion-engined model along with a few parts from the i3 and i3s from BMW. It’s a bit of a Frankenstein made as a compromise instead of a proper BEV, and that’s pretty obvious with the range.
The Volkswagen e-Golf – which has been replaced in Europe by the ID.3 – gets 123 miles from 35.8 kWh and the BMW i3 with the 42.2-kWh battery levels up to 153 miles in the United States as per the Environmental Protection Agency. Even worse for the MINI, the Nissan Leaf with the standard battery is $29,990 before the federal tax credit and destination charge while offering 150 miles of range. The bigger option is good for 226 miles.
Everything about the MINI, however, seems like a winning combination if you disregard the range. The handling is superior to the i3s thanks to the wider tires up front, the interior is quirkier, there’s the way it looks, and the Cooper SE also features lots of standard equipment.
The MINI makes sense as long as your daily commute doesn’t exceed 80 miles or so, taking into consideration the energy needed by the headlights and air conditioning. In places like California this is pretty swell, but in colder climates where batteries are greatly affected by sub-zero temperatures, the Cooper SE might be troublesome to drive to work and back home.
As a brief refresher, the Cooper SE borrows much of the architecture of the internal combustion-engined model along with a few parts from the i3 and i3s from BMW. It’s a bit of a Frankenstein made as a compromise instead of a proper BEV, and that’s pretty obvious with the range.
The Volkswagen e-Golf – which has been replaced in Europe by the ID.3 – gets 123 miles from 35.8 kWh and the BMW i3 with the 42.2-kWh battery levels up to 153 miles in the United States as per the Environmental Protection Agency. Even worse for the MINI, the Nissan Leaf with the standard battery is $29,990 before the federal tax credit and destination charge while offering 150 miles of range. The bigger option is good for 226 miles.
Everything about the MINI, however, seems like a winning combination if you disregard the range. The handling is superior to the i3s thanks to the wider tires up front, the interior is quirkier, there’s the way it looks, and the Cooper SE also features lots of standard equipment.
The MINI makes sense as long as your daily commute doesn’t exceed 80 miles or so, taking into consideration the energy needed by the headlights and air conditioning. In places like California this is pretty swell, but in colder climates where batteries are greatly affected by sub-zero temperatures, the Cooper SE might be troublesome to drive to work and back home.
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