IT IS not a hybrid. And instead of a gasoline or diesel engine, there is an electric motor under the hood of the new Mini Cooper SE.
The new Cooper SE is based on the Mini two-door hardtop. The dimensions, design, space and interior of the Cooper SE are identical to the conventionally powered model. Which isn’t surprising, given that the latest Mini was developed to account for an electric version.
The Cooper SE’s compact electric unit with integrated electronics and transmission is placed in the front section of the car’s support frame by means of a solid tube structure. The high-voltage battery with model-specific configuration is made up of lithium-ion cells subdivided into 12 modules. They form a T-shaped unit positioned in the vehicle’s floor. Power output is rated at 181hp, still delivered to the front wheels, which, incidentally, has a slip-limiting system.
The electric motor is not just smaller but also significantly lighter than a combustion engine, contributing to the balanced axle load distribution of the Cooper SE. Along with the lower center of gravity, this gives the car agile handling — maybe even better than the conventional version.
Also helping out in road-holding is the position of the high-voltage battery. It is placed deep in the vehicle floor between the front seats and below the rear seats. This also means the car’s luggage space is unchanged.
Mini estimates the Cooper SE’s lithium-ion battery has a range of 235 kilometers to 270 kilometers. Charging can be done via a household 120-volt socket and on wall-mounted chargers or public charging stations. A recuperation mode can be configured at two levels for one-pedal driving.
Zero to 100km/h takes the car 7.3 seconds.
The Cooper SE’s standard features include LED headlamps, two-zone automatic air-conditioning, electric parking brake, Mini’s Connected Navigation with an 6.5-inch touchscreen panel, four drive modes and 16-inch wheels. Seventeen-inch alloys are optional.
The Cooper SE is built at Mini’s Oxford, UK plant.
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