MINI has unveiled the first all-electric MINI Cooper SE convertible.
Answer me this, is there a more fun and whimsical car than a MINI convertible? That’s a rhetorical question for those who are curious. The MINI Cooper SE, the company’s foray into EVs, has been putting smiles on faces around the globe since its introduction. With MINI’s new convertible variant, the company is clearly looking to do the same.
The MINI Cooper SE hardtop has gained a cult following worldwide for its fun handling, low entry price tag, and quirky “MINI-ness.” Many of the things that made that vehicle so successful are luckily found in the MINI Cooper SE electric convertible
Using a 28.9kWh battery, the MINI electric convertible has a WLTP range of 124 miles and will charge to 80% in roughly half an hour. But what MINI has focused on is smiles per mile, and that is clear throughout the rest of the spec sheet. With a single motor powering the front wheels, producing 184 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque, you are encouraged and obliged to drive the MINI electric at 10/10ths all the time. Further aiding the experience, MINI’s historically popular suspension system, granting the “go-cart-like” feeling that the brand advertises, means the Cooper SE convertible rips through corners as well.
Perhaps the best specification of the MINI electric is its convertible top, which has become a fleetingly rare feature in the electric vehicle market. Often due to the higher weight of electric vehicles, roll-over standards make electric convertibles a significant engineering challenge. Yet, in the case of the MINI electric, its smaller battery size means that a convertible design is still possible.
“Three years ago, we launched the MINI Electric, and today one in five MINI models sold in Europe is an all-electric MINI,” says Stefanie Wurst, Head of the MINI Brand. “This success has spurred us to implement the small series of the MINI Electric Convertible within only a few months. I’m delighted that we can offer 999 MINI customers an extraordinary and exclusive open-air go-kart feeling.”
That brings us to the bad news. MINI will only be producing 999 electric convertibles, and they will only be available in Europe and the U.K. On top of that, despite the MINI electric hardtop’s approachable price tag of $34,225, the same cannot be said of the convertible. Starting at 52,500 pounds (€59,095 or $63,040), the convertible has a price tag associated with BMW Group’s premium offerings.
MINI did not state if the vehicle would make its way to the North American or Asian market in the future. Still, if the vehicle proves to be a sales success, even at its astronomical price, it will likely come to other markets. Hopefully, MINI’s new product shows that the market is still hungry for fun small vehicles in the electric age instead of yet another SUV, crossover, or truck.
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