New all-electric MINI Cooper: how it makes going electric easy

If you need to charge on the go throughout your week, the MINI Cooper makes that simple, too. In most supermarket, gym and town centre car parks you'll find 11kW destination chargers that are perfect for grabbing a cost-effective top-up while going about your daily errands.

If you're after something a bit quicker, you'll want to find yourself a rapid or ultra-rapid public charger, but we'll come onto those in a moment.

Is the new all-electric MINI Cooper fun to drive?

Due to the weight of their batteries, electric cars are generally heavier than their internal combustion counterparts. But by no stretch of the imagination does this mean they're any less fun to drive – on the contrary.

There's a reason we mentioned Rallye Monte Carlo. The original 1960s Mini earned its spurs and sealed its iconic reputation on the twisty alpine roads of the world's rally stages. It's the reason why MINIs have always put a smile on your face when you get behind the wheel – and the new all-electric MINI Cooper is no exception.

First, power. The entry-level MINI Cooper E boasts 184hp and 290Nm of torque, letting you sprint from 0-62mph in as little as 7.3 seconds. Want more? Well, opt for the MINI Cooper SE and you get an even-more potent 218hp and 330Nm of torque, letting you do the 0-62mph dash in as little as 6.7 seconds.

When it comes to the twisty bits, the new all-electric MINI Cooper's low centre of gravity (thanks to low-slung batteries), wide track and long wheelbase – allied with suspension and damping that has been tuned specifically for an electric car – give it assured confident handling.

It's all enhanced by a small steering wheel and direct steering ratio that give you fingertip feel on A-roads and a nippy turning circle in-town, while the intuitive regenerative braking seamlessly blends energy-recuperating, range-enhancing deceleration from the electric motor with conventional braking when needed.

Switch on the Go-Kart Mode – just one of several cool customisable MINI Experience Modes – and it only adds to the sporty performance feel. In short, the MINI Cooper's electric transformation has taken those go-kart-like characteristics we love and catapulted them to new heights.

Is the new all-electric MINI Cooper's tech complicated to use?

Most electric cars come with a wealth of next-generation gadgetry that makes driving easier, safer and more enjoyable – but some drivers can, understandably, find all this tech a little bit daunting. That's where the new all-electric MINI Cooper bucks the trend and even sprinkles some digital magic into every drive.

At the heart of the new all-electric MINI Cooper's advanced tech is a true innovation: MINI's first-ever fully circular touchscreen.

Designed to evoke the iconic round dials of the original 1960s Mini, this large 9.5in interactive display uses state-of-the-art OLED technology to deliver bold colours and super-crisp, super-clear graphics – making it even easier to access and interact with all the features and settings you're looking for.

It's powered by MINI Operating System 9, which is simple and intuitive to use, and uses always-online 5G connectivity to ensure you're getting the latest navigation, traffic and charging information from the cloud.

The upper half of the touchscreen always displays key vehicle information such as speed, range and battery status, which can be tapped for quick full-screen visibility. The lower half permanently shows your climate controls alongside essential shortcut buttons to navigation, media and phone calls, car settings and other apps.

The centre of the all-electric MINI Cooper's circular touchscreen is where the real magic happens. You can quickly swipe through the widgets for MINI Navigation, hands-free calls, or your preferred music and podcasts using wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone connectivity – as well as widgets for essential car information and weather. Then, you simply tap the app and it goes full-screen.

Then there's the MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant – MINI's first fully-fledged, fully-featured voice control. Simply say "Hey MINI" or use the steering-wheel-mounted push-to-talk button and you can see your voice commands appearing on the touchscreen display, so you can be sure it understands what you're saying. You also get the option of having a friendly animated dog 'Spike' to guide you through your choices.

Using MINI's enhanced voice recognition, you can control navigation, music and podcasts, hands-free phone calls and other key vehicle functions. The system also learns your behaviours, regular routes and uses geo-based data to make things even easier – such as automatically opening the window when entering a car park. You can even ask it to tell you a joke…

The all-electric MINI Cooper's high-speed always-online 5G connectivity also lets you interact with your car remotely from your smartphone using the MINI app.

The MINI App lets you use your smartphone as a MINI Digital Key, letting you walk up to, open your all-electric MINI Cooper and sync your vehicle with your personalised settings hands-free. The MINI App also pairs with your MINI Charging Card, giving you one-account access and billing for a wealth of the UK's most popular charging networks. So, every interaction with your all-electric MINI Cooper is all in one place.

Finally, the new all-electric MINI Cooper boasts a wealth of smart MINI Driving Assistant tech lend an extra set of eyes and an extra helping hand on the road. They include Dynamic Cruise Control and Forward Collision Warning, Speed Limit Info and Speed Limit Assist, as well as Lane Keep Assist and Lane Departure Warning, all making journeys easier and ultimately safer for you and your passengers.

Can the new all-electric MINI Cooper cope with big road trips?

Now, we come to the big one: range anxiety. This is probably the most widespread concern about electric cars and ultimately hinges on range and public charging concerns. We've already established that the new all-electric MINI Cooper has enough range to cover more than a week of driving, so let's talk about the latter.

The preconceived notion is that the UK's public charging network isn't up to the task – there aren't enough chargers and they're not fast enough. But that couldn't be further from the truth. As of August 2024, the UK has more than 68,000 public chargers in operation, with more than 1400 added in the last month alone.