The current Mini Cooper electric vehicle (EV) is delightful. It has all the fun-to-drive, go-kart-like nature of other Mini models, plus the science-fiction-like acceleration native to electric cars. A recent J.D. Power study found Mini owners are more satisfied with their cars than owners of any other mainstream EV.
But it has a serious limitation – one of the shortest ranges of any EV for sale today.
It doesn’t quite take the ignominious crown. That goes to the extremely rare 2023 Mazda MX-30, which can travel just 100 miles on a charge. But the Mini’s 114-mile range is nearly the lowest of any current EV.
Its owners seem to love it, anyway. But Mini is out to fix the problem.
A report in the U.K’.s Autocar says the company will debut an all-new Mini Cooper EV next summer.
“A wider track, shorter front overhang, larger wheels and longer wheelbase give it a more purposeful stance” compared to the current model, the magazine says.
Mini will again offer the car in both electric and gas-powered forms, but only the internal combustion model will be available with five doors.
It rides on an all-new platform built in partnership with China’s Great Wall Motors, Autocar says. Range will be up to 240 miles in European testing, though we should note that testing by the U.S. EPA tends to produce shorter numbers.
The magazine says power will stay about the same, with base models making 181 horsepower. A sportier SE model is said to get 215 horsepower.
It won’t be the only EV in the Mini lineup, however. Autocar says both a larger electric Countryman and a model between the Cooper and Countryman based on last year’s Aceman Concept. They’re part of Mini’s plan to sell an all-electric lineup by 2030.
