New electric Mini Cooper will have a range of up to 400 km

Following the unofficial leak of data and images a few weeks ago, Mini has announced the first official key data for the upcoming Cooper Electric. The fifth generation of the 3-door Mini will be available for purchase by the year’s end and will be produced in Leipzig from November.

The fifth generation of the 3-door Mini will come as Mini Cooper E with 135 kW power and Mini Cooper SE with 160 kW power. In terms of battery capacity, the Mini Cooper E will run on a 40,7 kWh battery, and the Mini Cooper SE reaches 54,2 kWh energy storage capacity.

The new models are thus expected to achieve ranges of between 300 and 400 kilometers. The technical key data of Cooper Electric thus correspond to the values leaked in advance.

In the starting blocks

According to the manufacturer, the new Mini Cooper Electric is “in the starting blocks” – together with the Mini Countryman, which will be produced at the BMW plant in Leipzig from November 2023, and for which the first official data were revealed a month ago.

In 2024, the production model of the Aceman, which was presented last year as an electric concept, will complete the new Mini family.

While the manufacturer also indicated that the electric Mini had made it to Canadian markets – the one millionth Mini Hatchback of the current generation, a green Cooper SE, was delivered in Canada –  it is unclear whether it will be available in the United States as well, particularly as US American drivers tend to prefer larger vehicles.

On that note, “Mini redefines the brand’s hallmark go-kart feeling, consistently perpetuating the concept of urban driving fun that has been so successful for more than 60 years”. However, even if it is just serving the Canadian market, the BMW factory in Mexico is likely to play a role in production for North America.

Electrified models drive sales growth

The entire BMW Group is systematically expanding its range of electrified vehicles. As a result, in the first quarter of 2023, the BEV share of total deliveries increased to 11,0% (2022: 5,9%, an 84,6% increase), while the figure for electrified models climbed to 19,0%. For 2023, fully-electric vehicles’ share of total sales should reach 15%, BMW claims.

The Mini brand reported sales of 68 541 units (2022: 75 487 units/-9,2%). The electrified Mini Cooper SE and Mini Countryman Plug-in-Hybrid models increased their share of total Mini sales to 19%.

“The first quarter underlines that compelling products are the best answer to a persistently challenging environment. Both our electric vehicles and our renewed model line-up with cutting-edge combustion technology inspire customers worldwide,” said BMW AG CEO Oliver Zipse in Munich on Thursday.

“A high level of flexibility combined with our operational performance is the basis for ensuring the BMW Group’s continued success even in the face of headwinds,” he added.