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Fast forward to the next era of urban mobility, and the new MINI Electric is ready to take the sustainability baton in South Africa. To be officially launched in October 2020, its starting price of R642 000 makes this the most affordable electric vehicle on sale in South Africa.
The new MINI Cooper SE is based on the MINI 3 door with an internal combustion engine. Its highly expressive design is complemented by the accent colour Energetic Yellow that points to the electrifying character of the MINI Cooper SE. These accents can be found in several places, including the closed radiator grille, mirror caps, tailgate and side scuttles. The car is produced together with the conventionally-powered model at the British MINI Plant in Oxford.
Big emotions, no emissions
Locally emission-free and almost noiseless, the electrically-powered MINI converts the hassle of everyday traffic into the perfect driving fun in the city. Its 135 kW/270Nm electric motor thrills with its spontaneous power delivery. The high-voltage battery located deep in the underbody shifts the vehicle’s centre of gravity down considerably. The vehicle’s resulting low centre of gravity and the suspension adapted to this specific model’s requirements assist the new MINI Cooper SE in achieving impressive agility and dynamic cornering performance. For the first time, electric mobility goes hand-in-hand with the typical MINI go-kart feeling.
The new MINI Cooper SE accelerates from zero to 60 km/h in 3.9 seconds and from a standstill to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds. In addition to its agile handling characteristics, its unmistakable features include an extensive range of standard equipment, model-specific display and control elements, and two-stage brake energy recuperation that can be configured using a toggle switch.
With a range of 217 kilometres, the new MINI Cooper SE is ideally equipped for sustainable urban mobility.
But, while urban mobility is certainly the greatest strength of the MINI Cooper SE, its low cost of ownership and low running costs cannot be discounted. The all-electric MINI drivetrain consists of far fewer working parts than an internal combustion engine and, therefore, there are fewer parts that need to be repaired or replaced over time. As with the BMW Group’s BMW i models, the MINI Cooper SE comes standard with an eight-year/100 000km battery warranty.
And how much would it, for example, cost to charge a MINI Cooper SE at home, either using the standard charging cable or the optional MINI Wallbox? The MINI Cooper SE consumes 17kWh per 100km. If the cost of electricity is 75c/kWh, then it would cost around R12,75 to run a MINI Cooper SE for 100km (or R28 for a full “tank”, assuming the battery is depleted).
Charging at all BMW and MINI-branded public chargers, using the standard MINI charging card is, however, free of charge. Allow 35 minutes for a charge from 0 – 80% using a 50kW fast charger, and two-and-a-half hours using the 11kW charger.
