Interestingly,
according to this article that quotes docs from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Ora had initially used LFP batteries in the standard-range version of the Good Cat and NCM batteries in the long-range version. But, as of last summer, they transitioned to LFP batteries across both versions. So it does seem likely that the upcoming Mini electric will feature LFP batteries.
Regarding weight, here's a comparison of today's SE vs. the 2021 China-spec Ora Good Cat (as compared to the soon-to-be-launched UK-spec model):
- 2023 Mini Cooper SE curb weight: 3,143 lbs
- 2021 Ora Good Cat—Standard Range curb weight: 3,428 lbs (FYI: The battery in the standard range is spec'd at 49.9 kWh (usable), delivering 249 miles of range, I assume using the WLTP cycle)
- 2021 Ora Good Cat—Long Range curb weight: 3,547 lbs (FYI: The battery in the long range is spec'd at 57.7 kWh (usable), delivering 311 miles of range)
It's worth noting that the Good Cat is a 5-door vehicle, and it's quite a bit longer (166.7" for the Good Cat vs. 151.4" for today's SE—this is a huge difference!) and taller (62.8" vs. 56.4") than
today's Mini.
And the difference in length will be even greater in comparison to the 2024 Mini electric, as it's been established that the new Mini electric will be shorter than today's car (while featuring a longer wheelbase).
This is all conjecture, but the available data suggests that the weight difference between today's SE and the 2024 Mini electric may not be as big as we've assumed given the significant increase in range that's expected. If we use the standard range Good Cat as our baseline for comparison,
I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility that the weight of the 2024 Mini electric will be on par with the weight of today's SE.
@teslarati97 There is data available on battery weight. According to EVSpecifications, your estimate of 200kg for the weight of the battery in today's SE is spot on. And, according to the same MIIT docs cited above, the weight of the battery in the standard range Good Cat (49.9 kWh) is 394kg. That comes to a difference of 194kg/~428lbs (I'm assuming that both of these figures are for the battery packs alone and don't include the tray or associated cooling gubbins).
Clearly, the delta in battery weight is significant, but I think the key difference is that the 2024 Mini electric will be built as a pure electric model as opposed to today's Cooper SE, which is an ICE platform that's been modified to support an electric powerplant and drivetrain. So
I don't think we can use the weight of today's car minus the battery as a fixed variable when we try to project the weight of the 2024 Mini electric. Yes, the new battery will be significantly heavier. But the car surrounding it will very likely be lighter, so the net difference in weight as compared to today's SE might be quite small. But, as you noted, we're really just guessing at this point.
Re: the power output of the motors cited in the video, and specifically the suggestion that there will be an SE with 225 horsepower, this would be a really elementary mistake, but I'm wondering if the presenter might have gotten confused with the torque figure for the motor? The base motor in the Ora Good Cat produces 210 newton meters of torque, and it seems within the realm of possibility that the base 2024 Mini electric features a revised motor with something in the neighborhood of 225 N m of torque?
Alternatively, perhaps the rumored Electric JCW will indeed feature a 225 hp motor? It seems unlikely to me that Mini/Great Wall would deliver this much of a bump in performance, but, if it is the case, this up-rated motor would almost certainly trail the initial launch by some time.
