How the MINI Cooper Electric puts the joy back into driving

So it’s great on the twisty stuff, and it won’t be caught short on the straight and narrow either thanks to a choice of powertrains that offer the sort of performance that will bring a shine to anyone’s day.

The Cooper E has a 181bhp electric motor driving the front wheels, and it can nip from 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds. And if you want even more zing under your right foot, the Cooper SE has an even more powerful 215bhp motor that slingshots it from 0-62mph in just 6.7 seconds.

Not fast enough? How about the John Cooper Works Electric, which slashes the 0-62mph time to 5.9 seconds. 

There is also a range of MINI Experience Modes, one of which is enticingly titled: Go Kart. This tautens up the steering and livens up the throttle response. So, no matter which mood you start your journey in, you’ll end it in a good one if you’re at the wheel of a MINI Cooper Electric.

Better still, you’re unlikely to have required a charging stop, because the Cooper E can manage up to 186 miles on a charge*, while the Cooper SE and JCW can do 247 and 250 miles respectively*. However, if you do need to recharge, all versions can be recharged from 10-80% in 30 minutes or less** – just about enough time for a leg stretch and a coffee.

Carving through the city

One of the MINI Cooper Electric’s big selling points is the fact that it isn’t that big – on the outside at least.

Compact dimensions make it perfect for dealing with the cut-and-thrust of urban traffic, while the quick steering, powerful brakes and punchy electric responses are ideal when you need to make a bee-line to a parking space few other cars can fit into. And if that space feels a touch snug, the Parking Assistant system can take care of all the manoeuvring for you. Or if space is really tight, you can edge it into a space using your smartphone and the MINI app with Parking Assistant Professional – part of the MINI Connected upgrade.

Any MINI was born to make the most of the ebb and flow of city centre snarl-ups, allowing you to make progress when others are forced to sit and watch as you zip past, with zero emissions and only the faint hum of an electric motor.

But don’t go thinking that those nifty exterior dimensions translate into an overly intimate interior. Oh no. While the MINI Cooper Electric has a friendly, welcoming cabin with soft-touch surfaces and even knitted fabrics, it also has the sort of space that allows people to keep themselves to themselves when they want to. And the MINI is the perfect social area for when you and your family or friends just want to hang out and enjoy being together.

Clever, useful technology

The interior of the MINI Cooper Electric is at the cutting edge of modern cabin design, because MINI has realised the tech is only useful if it’s… useful. So, while MINI has packed the car with the latest systems, they’re also systems that it knows people need and want.

Front and centre (literally) lies the 240mm circular OLED touchscreen, which houses all the infotainment functions, as well as the ventilation controls, the driving information and the telephone system. It also caters for smartphone mirroring using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

And if you don’t want to use the touchscreen functions (or if you’re feeling a little lonely) you can interact with your MINI using your voice. The digital personal assistant set-up can be activated just by saying: “Hey MINI”, or by pressing a button on the steering wheel. And it’ll respond right away, carrying out your command, or answering with information. In fact, it’s very good at interpreting your needs – you could simply say ‘my hands are cold,’ and the assistant would activate the heated steering wheel for you. 

You can go your own way

One of the fundamental pillars of the MINI brand is personalisation. Always has been. And the latest MINI Cooper Electric is no exception. There are myriad ways in which you can make it your own, from the number of exterior colours (including contrasting roof hues), to alloy-wheel designs and bonnet stripes. 

So that’s the outside sorted. But the MINI Cooper Electric also comes in three trims, called Classic, Exclusive and Sport, all of which offer a different cabin ambience, whether that be the aforementioned knitted fabrics, some synthetic leather sports seats, or the classy houndstooth interior trim.

And you won’t want for interior equipment, because all versions have LED headlights, a heated steering wheel, cruise control and automatic climate control. After that, there are three ‘Level’ packs to choose from, although Level 1 comes with pretty much everything you could need, including customisable front and rear light signatures, keyless entry, power-folding door mirrors, wireless phone-charging, heated front seats and the head-up display.

Big deals. MINI car

Getting a good deal on a great car can make things all the sweeter, and MINI’s latest offers on the Cooper are certainly worth investigating. For starters there’s one-year free insurance on any Cooper Electric ordered before 5 January 2026***. Better still, there’s a MINI Electric Car Grant of £1,500 available****, and a range of PCP offers starting from 4.9% APR for any Cooper Electric ordered before 5 January 2026*****. Finally you can get five years’ free servicing on any MINI Cooper Electric ordered and registered before 31 December 2025 ******. 

The joy of the MINI Cooper Electric

It’s so easy for companies to focus entirely on the future but make the mistake of forgetting where they’ve come from. MINI has not done that, and instead has taken everything that people have loved about its cars since the very beginning, and used that as the ethos for its modern range of machinery. 

So, the MINI Cooper Electric manages to be small on the outside, roomy enough to live with on a daily basis, costs very little to run, is simple to park, and makes every single journey a joy. It also emits nothing, and gets the most out of every charge. And it does this while being online and even responding to your vocal commands. 

And that’s the joy of owning a MINI – you stand out, you’re on the pulse, you’re going places. It makes you look like a bit of a bright spark, too.

Book a 24-hour test drive of the all-electric MINI Cooper

* WLTP range figures obtained after battery fully charged. Shown for comparability purposes. May not reflect real-life driving results.

** The charging performance depends on the state of charge, ambient temperature, individual driving profile and use of auxiliary consumers. The ranges shown are based on the WLTP best case. The charging times apply to ambient temperatures of 23 degrees Celsius after a preceding drive and may differ depending on the usage behaviour.