(review) ShortCircuit: "I was IMPRESSED!!! - Electric Mini Cooper SE"

A 100mi EV is really not that hard. If some random guys can do it, Mazda should have absolutely no problem creating an electric Miata with equivalent or better range than the Mini.

26kwh battery pack and only 135lb increase over the stock Miata (total weight of 2358lb)

 

The only other fun-handling EV I know of is the ill-fated Spark EV. And that was primarily due to its small size and light weight.

 

I have only driven in high 90s so I have no idea if range will take a hit with such high temps. I don't really care about that and don't pay attention much. The GOM is bad. Really stinks. I ignore it a lot.

I do disagree that people cannot get back in the seats. I make my 5'6" to 5'7" 13yo get in once a week. He's more than fine with a full adult in front of him. Far more room behind me.

Adaptive dampers I know can be found on some Minis but I don’t think he knew what he was talking about with the modes.

I am a bit confused on the pricing as well. I thought all EVs were costly. Is there a better priced EV? Also not sure why he thinks it's slow. Maybe he never drove a Leaf. This one is faster than my old type S

I do like that he thought it was fun. It is!

 

Yes, the cold (below about 20-30 especially) really takes a hit! Still with almost 6 months of ownership I'm averaging just over 4mi/kWh

 

Audi just launched the e-tron GT in the US for $99,900...there's your "$60,000 more" sports car.

 

Yeah, but its 5,000+ lbs. will not allow go-kart handling. It shares lots of parts with the Taycan, but I like the Audi's looks much better. Also, "e-tron" sounds much cooler than "Taycan."

 

That generation Miata had an iron engine block so it probably weighs quite a bit more than the Cooper S engine. The Miata's transmission is probably also a bit heavier than the Mini.

 

Way too big, thats a highway cruiser.

 

Oh for sure, I just expect Audi to tune the suspension some. I was struck by the 20" wheels as the standard configuration. Those sound like truck wheels. I guess bigger is better in most of the EV industry. It seems only Europe gets choices in smaller EVs, like the Renault Zoe or Honda e – and of course the MINI SE!

 

Wow. I do know Canada gets very different trims from the US. I wonder if NHTSA regulations are a big part of it. I'm still salty about having rear fog lights but not being allowed to use them because dual-light rear fogs are prohibited in the US.

 

According to Autoblog (April 23, 2021), it's the JCW models that can have the frequency-selective damper technology:

Today, Mini is clearing that up with a dedicated 2022 JCW information drop. There’s only one major mechanical change to speak of, and that’s a new set of optional adaptive dampers for both the Hardtop and Convertible. They feature new “frequency-selective damper technology that operates with an additional valve acting on the traction side.” Mini says this should make for better compensation on uneven roads. Additionally, the maximum damping force is 10% higher than before, so Mini promises even more control and stability in corners. We’ll also note that the standard suspension is fixed — these new dampers are part of the Adaptive Suspension package.

 

I disagree. At a mere 50kW, the SE is the slowest charging EV on the market. This is in terms of energy ("miles") added per minute. It only "feels" like it charges fast because of its small battery - in terms of %/minute, it is fast, but that's a meaningless metric.

Take any Tesla and stop to charge every 100 miles, but only charge enough for the next 100. Instead of the Mini's 40 minutes, it will only take the Tesla 10 minutes to charge!

 

Are there other cars with similarly sized batteries that charge a lot quicker than the MINI Cooper SE? The Honda e, has just a slightly larger battery but it's 100-kW charging capability saves just a few minutes compared with the SE. To preserve its small battery the Honda e begins throttling down the the kWs soon after charging begins.

I find it impressive how long the SE maintains nearly 50-kW charging before tapering off at around 80% of a full charge. Also, there aren't many Level 3 charging stations on my routes that offer more than 50 kW; some offer only 25 kW!

 

I'm in total agreement with @insightman. The key is minutes-until-charged, regardless of battery size or charging rate. I think it's the opposite of meaningless. You can't charge above 100%, and the amount of time it takes to get a charge is the single most relevant factor when waiting to charge (how's that for a tautology?).

Since the SE has a small battery, 50 kW does charge the SE quickly even if it's considered slow by monster EV standards. Another factor in the SE's favor is the charging curve, since it actually uses most of the 50 kW well above 80%. Many EVs don't charge at the full rate they claim, at least not for very long.

 

The Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid with its 17 kWh battery can suck down only 6.6 kW vs. the MINI Cooper SE's 7.4 kW.

 

Then we will have to agree to disagree. Minutes-until-charged is not a metric that matters. Minutes-until-charged-enough is what matters. You can unplug your EV and leave at any time, you don't have to wait until it hits some percent. When DC charging, I am always charging with the intent of making it to a particular destination (which may just be the next charger). I know how many miles that is, and therefore I care about minutes-until-charged-enough to get there. In the Mini, that may be 80%. In the Bolt, the same destination would be 40%.

 

I don't know about other short-range EVs. Most are not available in the US, so I simply haven't researched them much.

I agree that the SE's charging curve is impressive. A nearly flat rate from 10-80% is very rare. The Audi e-Tron is the only other car I know of that has a similar curve. In the case of the SE, it is the extra buffer at the top (only 29 of 33kWh are usable) that helps.

As far as the C-rate (charge rate normalized to battery capacity), the SE is decent, but nothing stunning.