Is an electric Mini your next autocrosser?

Say, have you noticed those gasoline prices lately?

You haven’t?

Then you must be reading this magazine at your dentist’s office. Research suggests the vast majority of our readers drive and thus must have noticed gasoline prices–even if it’s for their own amusement. And those amused people would be electric car drivers.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s entirely logical that when the first number on a gallon-of-gas sign at your local station nudges toward a 5, you’d turn to the only ready escape from petroleum. 

Here’s a possible alternative: the two-door Mini Cooper SE Hardtop, which hasn’t undergone a price increase since it was introduced as a 2020 model at $29,900 plus $850 for shipping. And that’s before the federal tax credit of $7500 and any state credits that might apply. That puts the price close to the base Mini, which costs $23,400, up $500 for the 2023 model year.

The additional savings, per the company’s math before the recent gas spike, compares the SE with a Cooper S sporting the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, rated at 30 mpg combined. Based on 10,000 miles driven each year, with premium gas at a you-wish $3.30 a gallon and electricity at 15 cents per kilowatt, you could save $1850 over a three-year period. You can adjust that with your own math at whatever premium gas costs when you’re reading this. Likely it’s north of $3.30.

There are a couple of downsides with this electric car. One, of course, is that the SE has to be plugged in, and if you’re an apartment dweller that may be an issue. The other is that after you plug it in, you can expect only 110 miles of range from its 28.9 kWh battery–definitely on the low end for inexpensive electric cars.

The Nissan Leaf, the only electric car less expensive than the Cooper SE with a starting price of $27,400–or $28,425 with shipping–advertises a 149-mile range with the standard 40 kWh battery, or 226 miles with the optional 62 kWh battery. We recently tested a Hyundai Kona Electric, and it had an impressive 237-mile range at full charge.

That said, the Cooper SE’s performance is pretty sporty. The front-wheel-drive electric motor pumps out 181 horsepower and 199 lb.-ft. of torque. Mini claims the SE’s top speed is 93 mph and that it can go from zero to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, though Car and Driver clocked it at 6.1 seconds.

At a recent Mini program, we spent some time in several 2022 Cooper SE models, which differ from the 2023s only in very minor color and interior trim changes. You will not be surprised to hear that an inordinate amount of our time was spent on an autocross course. The location of the battery pack places the extra weight down low, and that center of gravity played well on the tight little circuit.

The two-stage regenerative brakes took a little getting used to, as did the impressive off-the-line launch and the rush of the one-speed automatic transmission, but it sure makes gear selection simple. The Cooper SE was as go-kart tossable as a regular Cooper, especially with enough laps around the track to get comfortable with its all-electric quirks.

On the road, its ride may be a little better than the base Cooper, certainly smoother than the Cooper S. Steering is precise, and brakes are quite good once you’ve become accustomed to their progression. 

Weight is about 3100 pounds–not bad for a battery-powered car. The Nissan Leaf S weighs 3516 pounds, but it’s quite a bit bigger overall than the Cooper SE with a length of 176.4 inches.

The biggest problem with the Mini Cooper SE Hardtop might be finding one. We did a nationwide search on Mini’s site and found a comparative handful of electric models. We suspect that until gas prices drop to more reasonable rates, the few SE models that are out there might carry a healthy dealer markup.

All that aside, we like the electric Mini. If you can live with a 110-mile range and have a place to plug it in, we suspect you will, too.

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