The battery-electric Mini quickly made its way into the hearts of this editorial team. Despite all its disadvantages, it warms the hearts of those who are emotionally involved with the subject of cars and are not just looking for the optimal model based on brochure information. The success of the Mini Cooper SE proves BMW right: Despite the steep prices and some weaknesses, every fifth Mini in Europe is an electric car, according to BMW. Last summer, the group put the mini convertible with electric drive in the shop window, just to emphasize that it was and will remain a one-off. Only with the coming generation will this combination actually be available for purchase.
The segment of small e-convertibles urgently deserves growth. Currently, Stellantis in particular fills this niche, at truly proud prices, because the Fiat 500E Cabrio is self-confidently priced in. Perhaps it was the prospect of being able to serve a small but wealthy target group that prompted BMW to turn the one-off into a small series of 999 units. Technically, there are no surprises.
Drive and battery from the three-door
The drive is also taken from the regular Mini Cooper SE, as is the battery. The driver can draw on a maximum of 135 kW here and there. At 28.9 kWh (net), the energy content of the battery is comparatively small for a current electric car, and the charging capacity of 50 kW at best is also modest. In the cycle, the consumption of 17.2 kWh is slightly higher than in the three-door – the convertible is just heavier. Even in WLTP, the range is only 201 km.
No choice
In order not to increase the production costs too high on the one hand, and on the other hand to achieve a decent margin, there will hardly be a choice in the small series. The customer can only choose between black and “white silver” as the exterior color, the rest is included: things like leather upholstery, navigation system, head-up display and distance cruise control are always included. BMW has not yet given prices, but one can assume that the calculators from the combination of the modules “small series”, “electric car” and “full equipment” will form a sum for which there are significantly more cars elsewhere. The group of cool, calculating pragmatists has left Mini out at the latest since it was taken over by BMW.
(Image: BMW)
The production model will follow with the coming Mini generation
The small series is probably sold out quickly despite an expected price of around 50,000 euros. The electric Mini Cabrio will be available from April. If you don’t get your chance, don’t worry: next year there will be a new Mini generation, which will also include a convertible. It would be amazing if it wasn’t also available with an electric drive. You can then expect a significantly larger battery and a significantly higher charging capacity. With a price of less than 40,000 euros, however, definitely not.
(mfz)
