Orders open for the Mini Cooper SE across Europe
The all-electric Mini Cooper SE can now be reserved in a total of twelve European countries; These are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
The long-awaited Electric Mini was finally presented two weeks ago. The Cooper SE launched with an impressive 40,000 potential customers and production is scheduled to start in November.
Interested customers can now make a reservation for the all-electric Mini in the above-mentioned countries. Depending on the country, a down payment must also be made – usually around 500 euros. Any customers who reserve the Cooper SE should thus be among the first to receive the vehicle. If you reserve but do not place an order, the deposit will be refunded.
The electric Mini uses the technology of the BMW i3 and repacks it in the familiar mini design. The electric motor in the Mini also has an output of 135 kW. Depending on the equipment, the range is between 235 and 270 kilometres. Consumption is between 13.2 and 15.0 kWh. However, BMW has calculated the values back to the old NEDC for reasons of “comparability”.
The T-shaped battery installed in the vehicle floor has a capacity of 32.6 kWh – the i3s now has 42.2 kWh. When charging, the Mini adopts the key data of the BMW i3: up to 50 kW are possible with direct current (the 80 per cent charge lasts 35 minutes), and with alternating current (11 kW) the 80 per cent charge lasts 2.5 hours (100 per cent: 3.5 hours).
Prices in Germany start at 32,500 euros, but BMW has not yet published the exact (extra) price structure. The electric Mini also has good standard equipment: it is always delivered with a navigation system, LED headlamps and a heat pump – the i3 costs several hundred euros extra with the features. Also interesting is the price difference to the i3s, for which BMW charges at least 41,600 euros. Here Mini is letting the customer benefit from the cost advantages of the smaller battery and not having to pay for the i3’s carbon body.
With the Opel Corsa-E, Peugeot e-208, the DS 3 Crossback E-TENSE, and the revised Renault Zoe, more electric compact cars offering higher ranges at lower prices are being put on the market. It remains to be seen whether the Mini Cooper SE’s image and premium feeling will be sufficient to survive in this range-driven competitive environment.
At least the British-Bavarian small car brand has finally presented their first series electric car with the Mini Cooper SE. And apparently BMW is now really planning to build the Rocketman, which was already shown in 2011 as a concept of a small city runabout – in China as an electric car. It seems though, that this is just the beginning – according to a BMW board member, it is even possible that Mini will soon exclusively manufacture electric cars.
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