Mini. We always know this brand by its performance as well as fun-to-drive characteristics. However, with the advent of the tightening emission norms as well as the adoption of electric powertrains globally, Mini has also taken the plunge. The brand has electrified its Cooper S and lo and behold, we have the Mini Cooper S EV. The main brief to the team was to ensure that the Mini has enough juice to do both city as well as highway runs. All this with the Mini DNA intact. Of course, the package has to be really aggressively priced too.
For this, Mini has used the tried and tested BMW i3S powertrain. This battery pack 32.6kWh unit that produces 184PS and 270Nm. You get the regular Eco, Mid and Sport modes and a single speed transmission. However, under heavy acceleration, this Mini will not have its front wheels scrabbling for traction. This is taken care off by ARB, an advanced form of traction control. All this helps the Mini to achieve a top speed that is limited to 150kmph while the 0-100kmph is dispatched in just a smidgen over 7s. Power is sent only to the front wheels though. In 2.3hrs, using a wall box charger, the Cooper SE can be charged to 80 per cent of its capacity. A fast charger will reduce that time to just 35 minutes. The all-important range is 235km as claimed by the WLTP.
Didn’t we say that this Mini has to appeal to the conventional vehicle buyer? For this, the company has ensured that the looks remain nearly the same as the standard one. You will see the regular grille masked out, a higher sitting bumper thanks to pedestrian protection norms and those tinges of olive-yellow colour on the mirror as well as the roof. A closer look will tell you that these lightweight alloys too are designed in the British plug point manner. In place of the conventional fuel filler cap, one will find the charging plug point.
Inside, there is dual zone climate control, leather upholstery, Harman Kardon music system as well as a touchscreen infotainment system. Since this is a Mini, most of the stuff will be relegated to the top models while the base ones can have the option of adding them via the official accessories package. What’s standard is the new digital dials, multi-level regenerative braking and an electric handbrake. Compared to the standard Mini Cooper S, this one sits 15mm above the ground to compensate for the floor mounted battery pack. Warranty as well as other powertrain related services will be similar to that of the i3.
The most important question is when is this coming to India? The Cooper SE is likely to come to India next year. As it is, the company has got trial units of the i3S here. Once they gauge the public response to the same, the Cooper SE shouldn’t be far away. As far as pricing is concerned, the Cooper SE will be expensive as it will be a CBU. With the new government rules favouring EVs in a big way, a safe estimate would be Rs 50 lakh, the on-road price of a Cooper S currently.