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Electric MINI Receives More Than 45,000 Reservations

Even though it leverages on antiquated technology from the BMW i3, the MINI Cooper SE has received a lot of interest. “So far, we already have over 45,000 expressions of interest,” said Elena Eder in a recent interview.
2020 MINI Cooper SE 69 photos
Photo: MIN
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Speaking to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper in Germany, the project manager for the electric MINI also mentioned that production starts on November 1st in Oxford. “Brexit is a disruptive factor,” she acknowledged, more so if prime minister Boris Johnson goes forward with Hard Brexit.

Over in the United Kingdom, the deposit that guarantees the buyer to be among the first people to get the Cooper SE amounts to £500 or just a little over $600 at the current exchange rate. It should be mentioned, however, that a reservation doesn’t necessarily translate to a sale. In regard to the full pricing before incentives, you’ll need to shell out £27,900 in the UK and €32,500 in Germany.

Let that sink in for a minute, then remember the BMW i3 is a bit more expensive in both markets. Like a bit more more, starting at £35,350 and €39,650, respectively. Carbon fiber isn’t cheap, and despite its size, the Bavarian model is playing second fiddle to the newest series-production EVs on sale out there.

The MINI makes use of a 181-horsepower electric motor (make that 184 PS in Germany) shared with the i3s, which develops 200 pound-feet (270 Nm) of torque at the tap of the loud pedal. Exclusively front-wheel drive, the Cooper SE utilizes a 32.6-kWh battery that provides 235 to 270 kilometers of range.

That’s 146 to 167 miles, not quite enough to fend off the likes of the Hyundai Kona Electric. Even the Nissan Leaf is better thanks to 168 miles from the get-go or 239 with the larger battery option. Given these circumstances, the Cooper SE is more of a fashion statement rather than an all-inclusive electric vehicle.

If it were your money, what would you pick?
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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