New Mini EV Promises More than Double the Range of the Current Car

Leipzig gets ready to kick off production of a new generation of electric Minis, and this time they’ll go the distance.

The next-gen Mini Cooper Electric is on the way, as Mini plans for its entire range to go EV by the year 2030. With the current model firmly in the short-range EV category, the automaker will also seek to change expectations with the next iteration of the battery-electric hatchback, while maintaining the appeal and general size of the model.

The automaker has revealed it plans to offer the Mini Cooper Electric in two power levels: the Cooper E will produce 181 hp, while the Cooper SE will have 215 hp on tap. The junior model will be powered by a 40.7-kWh battery, while the SE will have 54.2 kWh to play with.

Mini indicates that these battery sizes will give the two variants ranges between 186 and 249 miles, greatly increasing the maximum range of the model without opting for too heavy a battery. This should preserve the Cooper's trademark go-kart handling with the battery stored in the floor for a low center of gravity, while also making it far more usable as one's sole mode of transport. The automaker says that the battery layout will also buy the four-seat Cooper Electric extra luggage space.

Of course, these aren't preliminary EPA numbers, so take these ranges with a generous helping of salt for now.

The new model will be built alongside the Mini Countryman, previewed last month, in Leipzig, Germany, starting in November of this year. The duo will be joined by the production version of the Cooper Aceman—previewed by a concept last summer—later in 2024, with Mini thus gaining three new electric models in a very short span of time.

Of course, the reason the Mini models will be produced in Leipzig is due to sharing a platform with small BMW models.

"Mini was able to draw on development expertise within the BMW Group in order to achieve further improved driving dynamics in the new Mini Cooper Electric," the automaker notes.

So if you were planning to look at the current Mini EV, it might be best to wait a little while for the new crop of EVs to land stateside.

Will Mini be able to convert all of its current owners to EV power by the end of the decade, or will there be demand for gas-engined models for quite some time? Let us know what you think.

Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum. Despite being followed around by French cars for the past decade, he has somehow been able to avoid Citroën ownership, judging them too commonplace, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.

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