[Mini EV News]

Mini has announced that the brands first electric car will focus on performance rather than trying to maximize its range. This means the Mini EV will be badged as a Cooper S E and will be available solely as a three-door hatchback.

It is believed to be borrowing its powertrain from the BMW i3 S, which delivers 181 bhp with its electric motor. This is nearly identical to what you would get from the 2.0 liter 4 cylinder in the Cooper S. While it will weigh more with the battery pack, no gearing and instantaneous torque should yield similar 0-60 mph times.

If its powertrain is derived from the i3, that means it will only have an electric range of around 200 miles. This is well below what is being offered by key rivals and we hope that is reflected in its pricing. If owners do decide to drive it as a sporty hot hatch, we expect real world numbers to be even lower.

We are glad to hear that performance isn’t taking a back seat but hope that Mini strikes the right balance between a car that’s fun to drive and one that’s also practical.

[SOURCE]

 

[Coops]

Even if the Mini EV does offer a range that's a bit lower on the spectrum, they could easily compensate for that with efficient rapid charging. I think this car can beat the Cooper S' 0-60 time of 7.3 seconds.

 

[Coops]

I think there are some limitations with range and performance, merely do to the size of the platform they have to work with. Isn't a whole lot of space in that floor for a capable battery pack, and we might have to wait until density can be improved.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

I think there are some limitations with range and performance, merely do to the size of the platform they have to work with. Isn't a whole lot of space in that floor for a capable battery pack, and we might have to wait until density can be improved.

Outside of the city, I rarely see a Mini. People buying these understand their limitations

 

[Morris]

Mercedes has managed to get almost 70 miles out of the smart car, and its only got a wheelbase of 73 inches. Sales have dropped off a lot in the past few years though, with so many new electrics coming to market.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

I've been looking at developments happening at Mercedes and it seems like an electric A-Class hatchback could be an alternative, if it happens.