The MINI Cooper SE is now available for purchase at MINI dealerships across the US. Kyle Conner and I took some time to record a technical overview walkaround video to offer our thoughts on the first all-electric offering from the brand.
Welcome back to a new episode from our InsideEVs YouTube channel. We're thrilled to have over 2,300 subscribers and we hope that the content we bring you on a weekly basis is something fresh and new to look forward to. If you haven't yet subscribed, you can do so here.
MINI did make 500 all-electric MINI's back in 2009 and called it the MINI-E, but those were for lease-only and were made for a 2-year pilot program. After which, they were all taken back and decommissioned. But that won't be the fate of the MINI Cooper SE, these EVs are here to stay and are offered as purchase-only in the US, the exact opposite of the lease-only 2009 MINI-E.
When we recorded the video, I had just driven the MINI Cooper SE from New Jersey to the InsideEVs track in North Carolina, which is about 430 miles. We start off talking about how the trip went and how well the MINI performed while charging at the Electrify America DC fast charge stations along the way.
We were particularly pleased with how the car took the maximum 50 kW charge rate all the way up to 75% SOC before beginning to taper down. Even then, it still accepted a fair amount of energy up to and over 90% SOC and was much better at accepting a high rate of power than my recent experience charging a 2020 Nissan LEAF Plus.
The MINI Cooper SE is available in three trim levels; Signature, Signature Plus and Iconic:
Signature trim costs $29,900 and standard features include:
- Navigation system with 6.5” display
- Apple CarPlay Compatibility
- Heated Front Seats
- Comfort Access Keyless entry
- LED Headlights and Fog lights
- Active Driving Assistant with Forward Collision Warning
- Acoustic Pedestrian Warning
- Rear View Camera
- Bluetooth with phone and audio streaming
- Auto Rain Sensing Wipers and Headlights
- Automatic Climate Control
- Heated Mirrors and Washer Jets
- Cruise Control
- Leather Multifunction Steering Wheel
- Dynamic Digital Instrument Cluster
- Energy Efficient Heat Pump
- AC Charging up to 7.4 kW
- DC Fast Charging up to 50kW
- Carbon Black Leatherette Upholstery
- 16" Sport Wheels
- Storage Package
Next up is the Signature Plus trim, at an additional cost of $4,000. Signature Plus adds:
The top-of-the-line Iconic trim costs $7,000 and adds:
Gallery: MINI Electric (MINI Cooper SE)
Kyle then points out that MINI had called the top-spec Iconic wheels the "Corona Spoke" wheel option. However, we need to point out that about a week after we recorded this I spoke to MINI and was told that they realized the bad-timing for the unfortunate Corona name, and have renamed the wheels, the "Power Spoke" wheel option.
We then continue to walk around and under the vehicle, checking out the interior, the charge port, the tubular reinforcement under the hood, and more. Take a look and let us know if you have questions about anything we may have missed.