We go for a test drive in the new Mini Electric.
MINI has gone all-electric with the Mini Electric, and as it’s called the Mini Cooper S Electric in some markets it bears Cooper S badges. though this is justified, as from paper specs, the new electric car does have performance close to a Mini Cooper S, including engine power.
With the new Electric, Mini have upped the quirkiness factor considerably, and the car not only has the expected additional exterior badging but also comes with wheel rims that resemble a 3-pin electric power socket.
Now the Mini Electric is the smallest EV I’ve driven in Singapore (the 2-door Renault Zoe that BlueSG uses is smaller, but I’ve not driven one) as it’s based on the ‘traditional’ Mini 3 Door with an electrification system derived from the BMW i3, and it is clear that Mini has taken great pains to ensure that the brand’s DNA is present in the new car, so it looks, drives and feels just like a Mini, with all the little touches and quirks that Mini owners enjoy, from the use of actual switches on the central console to ‘go-kart’ like handling, which is quite impressive as the Electric is 145kg heavier than a petrol Mini Cooper S.
The Electric has a single electric motor between the front wheels that delivers 135kw/184hp and 270 Nm, and does 0-100kmh in about 7.3 seconds, which is half a second slower than the lighter 2.0-litre Cooper S, and not something you’d notice on a normal day. Torque in an EV is instant, so what you will notice is how fast this car can accelerate when you make an overtaking maneuver on the highway. As I mentioned, handling is nimble and ‘go-kart like’, a very Mini trait that makes it fun to drive on windy roads and zipping through traffic. 
Mini esthetics aren’t just for the exterior, with the interior now a curious blend of ‘regular’ Mini design features and modern car infotainment. Apart from the signature switches, the central console’s circular styling now has an 8.8-inch touchscreen which you can sync your smartphone to with Apple Carplay or Android Auto to take advantage of the car’s 12-speaker Harman Kardon system, while a 5.5-inch digital instrument cluster is mounted on top of the steering wheel, and there’s a simple heads-up display. 
There’s also a host of new tech features including Driving Assistant, which like in continental sedans, provides proximity, lane and speed limit notifications, while the car’s headlights are adaptive LEDs. The Brake Energy Recovery system has two levels but is set to maximum as default, so that whenever you start the car, you have to manually toggle the system if you don’t like the maximum level. This system improves energy use by converting brake energy into electricity that is stored in the battery, and automatically activates when the car senses you lifting your foot from the accelerator. With the system on maximum, the Electric decelerates almost as fast as if you’re braking for a stop light, so that once you are used to this system, you rarely need to touch the brakes on a normal drive.
To keep the Electric’s weight down and keep its performance close to the Cooper S, Mini provided the vehicle with lithium-ion batteries located in the vehicle floor, and taken together, battery capacity is 32.6kWh (less than half the Kia Niro), which Mini claims will achieve up to 270km in everyday use. For our two-day test drive, we drove about 170km and returned the Electric to Mini with about a 20% charge left, and it’ll take a 50W fast charger (such as Greenlots) to charge the Electric back to full in about 35 min.
Of course, the benefits of electric charging in Singapore include EV recharge bays in certain shopping malls, Shell Recharge outlets and even free recharging (from solar panels) at the Schneider Electric guest carpark in Kallang, so if you adopt a more smartphone-like multiple charging routine, the range isn’t a big deal, especially on a small island like Singapore, where most car drivers rarely exceed 50km a day.
S$163,888 (with COE at time of review)
Rating 4.5/5
We say
Mini has done an excellent job to infuse the Electric with Mini aesthetics, and it makes for a great city car for the daily drive to work or dinner and back, but is rather range-limited.
Technical Specifications
Motor 184hp electric
Drivetrain front drive
Power 184hp
Torque 270Nm
Acceleration (0-100kmh) 7.3 seconds
Top Speed 150 kmh
Battery 32.6kWh
Range up to 270km
Unladen Weight 1,440kg
First published in NXT Magazine December 2020. A digital edition can be purchased from Magzter.
