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MINI EV vs Chevy Bolt vs Nissan Leaf Is a Truly Affordable, Sustainable Drag Race

The good folks over at Fast Lane Studios have a lot of YouTube channels, and one dedicated (mostly) to electric vehicles could not have been missing in action from their social media/vlogging party.
MINI EV vs Chevy Bolt vs Leaf drag race on TFLEV 19 photos
Photo: TFLEV / YouTube
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The channel focuses on a lot of different aspects regarding the novel living style of EVs. They range from trying to bust myths regarding various legends (such as how much range you lose in extreme cold) to attempting to impress old ranchers with EV-swapped classic Ford F-100s, as well as top things to love (and/or hate) about the latest EV introductions. Oh, and they also do drag races, since this is what we are all here for.

As such, the latest quarter-mile battle from The Fast Lane EV does not include some kind of V8-powered hoot such as a Corvette (or does it?). But rather it focuses on three of the most affordable EVs currently on the U.S. market, the MINI Cooper SE, Nissan Leaf, and Chevrolet Bolt. Or should we have started with the Chevy, since it still holds the crown of cheapest EV on the market, even after the recent price bump?

Oh well, together with the Bolt EUV they do remain the most affordable at $26,500 and $27,800, respectively. Next comes the $28,040 Nissan Leaf, which kind of does not require any type of presentation. They are both followed by the MINI Cooper SE – or should we say the Electric Hardtop 2-Door, as BMW’s subsidiary likes to call it?

Anyway, it’s a $34,225 affair, nonetheless, and one of the few MINIs you can say is (relatively) affordable when compared to other vehicles in the same segment. And, without further ado, the first test on the TFLEV roster is the classic quarter-mile drag race. Do keep in mind this is an unprepped surface they are using – but there are also no electronic scoreboards to keep track of their ETs and trap speed. As such, the victor was chosen solely based on visual observation.

Luckily, the TFLEV guys paused the footage at the right time (around the 2:26 mark) and we could clearly see the MINI Cooper SE lived up to its sporty reputation, thus taking the victory laurels. Along came second the troublesome GM car, and the Bolt EV proved to Nissan that they can hardly teach an old Leaf dog new EV tricks like winning the affordable drag race battle. Oh, wait, it did not even come second, as it was in third place.

Anyway, maybe a Nissan Ariya would fare better against a Chevy Bolt EUV – if not in terms of pricing (it starts at $43,190), at least as far as the coolness factor is concerned. Meanwhile, we are going to let you witness the rest of the trials, starting with the timed ¼ miles (at 4:04), followed by 60-to-zero mph (96 kph to zero) braking test at the 7:05 mark, and the secret, bonus ICE Corvette vs EV battle!

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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