Mini Cooper Electric long-term test: report 2
Can Mini's smallest electric car be the perfect answer for someone who lives in the city? We're living with one to find out...
The car Mini Cooper SE Exclusive Run by Eleanor Cooper, news writer
Why it’s here To find out if this cutesy small electric car is more than just a pretty face
Needs to Absorb the stress of morning stop-start commutes, shrug off pangs of range anxiety and slot into small parking spaces with ease
Mileage 1338 List price £32,105 Price as tested £34,655 Official range 247 miles Test range 217 miles
19 January 2026 – Headed North for the winter
As my first electric car (EV), the Mini Cooper Electric has been a huge learning curve for me. In fact, it’s only the second car of any sort that I’ve owned, but I thought it important to face my fears and take my car out of its (and my) comfort zone. And it just so happened that I had the perfect opportunity to do just that: a trip to Leeds for a party.
Now, having gone to university in Leeds, I was familiar with the journey there from my home in Hampshire. My old Volkswagen Up would make the trek a few times per year and could manage it on half a tank of petrol. However, I knew it wasn’t going to be quite as easy in the Cooper.
Leeds and back is a 360-mile round trip, and my SE model has a maximum official range of 247 miles. You don’t need to be a mathematician to work out that some public charging would be required.
Luckily, I knew there were a number of public charging stations along the M1. Unluckily, when I stopped at Donington Park services with around 18 miles in hand, I discovered all of the chargers there were in use. I spent 10 minutes panicking a little as I circled the car park, until a charging bay became free, and I nabbed it.
Half an hour later, I was on the road again with an 80% charge. By the time I had parked up in Leeds, I had about 60 miles of range remaining, but that was a problem for the following morning.
When that arrived, I decided to get my car some electricity before I got myself breakfast and coffee. This time, I quickly found a convenient Tesla Supercharger site just outside Leeds, with plenty of chargers going spare.
My mates and I then made it home with no issues, although I did find that the cold weather ate away at my Cooper SE’s range more than I expected. It will be interesting to see how the car fares on a similar trip during the warmer months.
So, my EV fears haven’t completely disappeared, but they’re a lot better than before, with one successful long trip under my belt. Hopefully, it’s the first of many and such journeys become second nature.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
Read more on our long-term Mini Cooper Electric >>
Buy a new car with What Car?
Like the sound of the Mini Cooper Electric?
If so, check out our New Car Deals pages to see how much you could save on a Mini Cooper Electric.
We’ve got the biggest selection of discounted new cars available in the UK.
