Any outlook for large batteries (more range) for future Mini's?

T

The Dark Side

New Member
Any idea when the current Mini will be upgraded/redesigned to have a larger capacity battery? Anyone know when this current platform is scheduled to be changed? Or will it be around for several more model years?

Cheers,
TDS
 
The Dark Side said:
Any idea when the current Mini will be upgraded/redesigned to have a larger capacity battery? Anyone know when this current platform is scheduled to be changed? Or will it be around for several more model years?

Cheers,
TDS
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When BMW brought out the F56 MINI Cooper in 2014, it was expected to last 6 or 7 years, like its predecessor, the R56. Then BMW spent lots of money on the i8 and i3. Plans for the F56's successor were delayed. There was a mild refresh for 2019, which was supposed to carry the F56 for a few more years.

Then BMW started talking to Great Wall Motors in China about building the next line of MINI Coopers, which would be designed to have greater electric capabilities. Those plans are still in flux, hence yet another F56 refresh for 2022.

It would be a shame if BMW transferred all MINI Cooper production from the UK to China. I'm glad I have a British-built SE made way back in 2020, when MINI was still proud to display the SE's electric nature with its unique aerodynamic grille and the full complement of 4 Energetic Yellow MINI-E badges. Oliver Heilman's abandonment of his aerodynamic grille indicated that I was in the minority and other MINI Cooper SE buyers preferred their cars to look less electric.

There have been rumors of a JCW version of the current MINI Cooper SE, which would add yet another refresh to the venerable F56 line, but I don't know if BMW has a more powerful electric motor that would fit or if there are more efficient batteries in the works that would enable the JCW to retain even the 114-mile EPA range of the MINI Cooper SE. All these changes seem unlikely, considering how small the number of JCW MINI Cooper SEs sold would be.

I believe the next MINI Cooper SE, whether built in the UK or China, will be larger and heavier, but will offer more range and be quicker to accelerate. The prototypes for the MINI Cooper SE were spied by the automotive press more than a year before the production car was released, but no sightings of likely prototypes for the next MINI Cooper have been reported to my knowledge.
 
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insightman said:
I believe the next MINI Cooper SE, whether built in the UK or China, will be larger and heavier, but will offer more range and be quicker to accelerate. The prototypes for the MINI Cooper SE were spied by the automotive press more than a year before the production car was released, but no sightings of likely prototypes for the next MINI Cooper have been reported to my knowledge.
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If this is true, they will have to sacrifice even more of their go-kart handling. That would be a shame. But it would make me appreciate my '21 SE all the more.

And the SE is already bigger than I wish it to be. Maybe I'm in the minority, but the range works great for me. I don't want more unless I can have it without sacrifices like a larger or heavier car.
 
Jim In Tucson said:
No. No. No. There are plenty of BEV cars that are larger and have bigger batteries. And, there are a lot more BEV’s coming to market. I really like the MINI as it is. Please don’t turn it into a MAXI.
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Especially in the US where we don't have other smaller EV options like the ID.3, Honda E, etc. Bolt is nice, but no one's buying those for a while. Everything else available is just so big.
 
It seems possible the next MINI BEV will be an all-electric Countryman, which is huge by MINI standards. Since it's already a hybrid (and called an SE, blah), converting to BEV makes some sense. I keep holding out hope for a BEV Clubman which is bigger than the Hardtop, but realistically it sounds like the Clubman is more likely to be discontinued.

Beyond speculation, MINI has said they are definitely coming out with a smaller Hardtop, and have said a BEV convertible is in the works. I don't see how either of those could have more battery than the SE and maintain any sort of MINI-ness.
 
GetOffYourGas said:
And the SE is already bigger than I wish it to be.
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I was amazed to see how the current MINI compares to the size of the original Mustang. The Mustang is longer, but it's only 0.2 inches wider and much lower. My SE is the largest car I've ever purchased for my personal use (our Honda Clarity is much larger).

upload_2021-9-16_11-39-36.webp

MINI keeps saying they'd like to reduce the size of their smallest car, but that would work against electrification. In 2019, Inside EVs repeated Autocar's claim that the tiny Rocketman (see below) would begin coming off MINI's production line in 2022, but there's no indication that's going to happen.

upload_2021-9-16_11-45-23.webp
 
insightman said:
In 2019, Inside EVs repeated Autocar's claim that the tiny Rocketman (see below) would begin coming off MINI's production line in 2022, but there's no indication that's going to happen.
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I think the Rocketman was a pre-BEV concept. But MINI's talk of a smaller Hardtop is different from the Rocketman, slightly smaller than the current Hardtop but not super tiny.
 
Puppethead said:
I think the Rocketman was a pre-BEV concept. But MINI's talk of a smaller Hardtop is different from the Rocketman, slightly smaller than the current Hardtop but not super tiny.
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The article I linked was about the earlier Rocketman concept being revived as a BEV. However, you are correct that MINI has made non-Rocketman noises about somehow reducing the size of the F56. How that squares with MINI's Chinese plans I cannot fathom.
 
If the proposed new US EV tax credit scheme gets passed, the SE in its current form is unlikely to last (in the US, at least). They’d have to find some way to squeeze more batteries in to reach the 40 KWh threshold to pick up the entire $7500 tax rebate that it gets now.

I’m glad I got mine ordered and hope it gets here before December 31st.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
insightman said:
Thanks for that link, however to me that test mule looked exactly like the current F56 (except for the even lamer fake hood scoop) so I didn't count it.
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When that article first appeared I thought the same thing. Others, however, then pointed out small, but potentially important, differences, which support the idea that it is different car.

For example, the windshield is laid back more, and the mirrors mount higher, at the leading edge of the side window, rather than on the door itself. There is also a larger roof spoiler and a partial wrapping-around of the roof pillars that are different. Presumably the goal of these changes is to reduce aerodynamic drag and increase highway range.

ETA: Sorry, tried twice to insert photo found at this link, which shows these details: https://insideevs.com/photo/5673197/2023-mini-cooper-electric/
 
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Here is another report linking that test model to Great Wall in China (original photos were taken in Sweden).

https://topelectricsuv.com/news/mini/mini-paceman-electric-suv-details/

The third photo here clearly shows how the mirrors are mounted differently, and also the way the read window is slightly recessed.

https://www.burlappcar.com/2021/01/2022-mini-cooper-few-changes.html

(Note: not trying to prove a point, but just 1) really interested in this car myself, and 2) sharing what I've come across out there.)
 
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polyphonic said:
Gotta love the ever-present comments on range from the appliance car crowd. "but my Leaf goes 200 miles and it drives plenty sporty!?!? what gives!?!?"
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My first EV was a Leaf. It was comfortable and large. Acceleration was sufficient for most things other than passing at speed (mine only had 80kW on tap!). It was ANYTHING but sporty. Take that thing around a corner too fast, and the body roll will give you vertigo. That anyone would consider it "sporty" blows my mind.
 
CuriousGeorge said:
Here is another report linking that test model to Great Wall in China (original photos were taken in Sweden).

https://topelectricsuv.com/news/mini/mini-paceman-electric-suv-details/

The third photo here clearly shows how the mirrors are mounted differently, and also the way the read window is slightly recessed.

https://www.burlappcar.com/2021/01/2022-mini-cooper-few-changes.html

(Note: not trying to prove a point, but just 1) really interested in this car myself, and 2) sharing what I've come across out there.)
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You're right, the side mirrors and a few other things make it clear that this isn't an F56. I cannot imagine what MINI could do in that size/form-factor to pack in twice the battery power, so I still expect the next MINI SE to be larger and heavier. I wonder how sporty the Tesla Model 2 will be?

That TopElectricSUV article allows us to continue hoping for the Rocketman, but, again, how big a battery can you stuff in such a tiny car? Would MINI dare bring out an urban car with less than 100 miles of range?
 
Skateboard platform + somewhat bigger battery + improved aerodynamics = better range in a slightly smaller package w/o too much of a weight penalty?
 
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