Show premiere for the all-electric MINI Cooper SE and the new battery cell technology extends electric range of the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 plug-in hybrid by 30 per cent.
The new MINI Cooper SE is the first premium compact car with a purely electric drive system, delivering a sustainable urban driving experience that also fires the emotions. It is based on the conventionally powered MINI 3-door Hatch, whose striking design has been enriched with some model-specific accents. The 135 kW/184 hp electric motor driving the front wheels in typical MINI fashion endows the car with impressive acceleration. The motor’s instant response to the slightest nudge of the throttle adds a new dimension to the brand’s fabled go-kart feeling. The new MINI Cooper SE races from 0 to 60 km/h (37 mph) in just 3.9 seconds and takes a mere 7.3 seconds for the sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) from rest.
The energy required to propel the car with such vivacity is sourced from a latest-generation lithium-ion battery enabling a range of 235 to 270 kilometres (146 – 168 miles). Bespoke suspension tuning and an extremely low centre of gravity (resulting from the high-voltage battery’s positioning in the vehicle floor) imbue the new MINI Cooper SE with remarkable handling agility and cornering dynamics. The battery’s location has the additional benefit of ensuring exactly the same amount of space is available for occupants and luggage as in a MINI 3-door Hatch with a combustion engine.
The brand’s first ever all-electric model will be built in the UK at MINI Plant Oxford, with production due to start in November 2019. Its drive technology has been engineered at the BMW Group’s centres of excellence for electric mobility in Dingolfing and Landshut. Standard equipment for the new MINI Cooper SE includes LED headlights, a digital instrument cluster, an electric parking brake, two-zone automatic air conditioning, a heating system with heat pump technology, auxiliary heating and stationary air conditioning functions, plus Connected Navigation. The new model will also be offered with numerous driver assistance systems and four equipment packages at launch, allowing it to be tailored precisely to individual requirements.
Moreover, the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 has adopted a pioneering role within the British premium brand’s current product range by providing a first taste of motoring with zero local emissions, MINI style. Now, this already successful premium compact plug-in hybrid is set to become more appealing still – courtesy of the BMW Group’s latest battery cell technology, which brings about a substantial increase in both efficiency and electric range. The battery’s dimensions are unchanged, yet the latest-generation high-voltage battery fitted in the new MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 has increased gross energy capacity from 7.7 to 10.0 kWh, thereby extending the all-rounder’s electric range by some 30 per cent to a maximum 55 – 57 kilometres (34 – 35 miles). Positioned under the rear seat unit to save space, the lithium-ion battery can be fully recharged in about five hours from a standard domestic socket or in around 3h 15 min when plugged into a wallbox.
Besides, the hybrid system aboard the new MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 comprises a three-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor, generating combined system output of 165 kW/224 hp. A hybrid-specific all-wheel-drive system channels power to the front and rear wheels as required by the situation at hand. The new MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 powers from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.8 seconds. And the plug-in-hybrid’s efficiency likewise reaps the benefits of the latest advances in battery cell technology. The average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of the new MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 have both dropped by around 20 per cent, to 2.1 – 1.9 litres per 100 kilometres and 47 – 43 grams per kilometre respectively.
