Mini Cooper Electric long-term test

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 3818 miles List price £32,105 Price as tested £34,655 Official range 247 miles Test range 200 miles Private price now £27,070 Dealer price now £28,393 Running costs (excl. depreciation) £385.95 (charging)

28 June 2026 – Best of British

In the classic Christmas film ‘Love Actually’, one of the more famous scenes is where Hugh Grant, playing the role of the Prime Minister, gives a speech about all the great things to have come out of the UK. Among them he names Shakespeare, the Beatles, David Beckham’s right foot, and David Beckham’s left foot… but I would argue the Mini Cooper Electric should be part of the list.

Sure, the Cooper Electric doesn’t technically come out of the UK, with plans to build it in Oxford having been paused by Mini and production moved to China. But still, the first electric Minis were produced here in Britain, and the Cooper Electric models still bear the iconic styling of their forebears, topped off by the Union Jack rear lights. These patriotic looks ended up being one of my favourite parts of running my Cooper SE – not only did I find myself looking back to admire it after parking up, but I also received several compliments from others on its British Racing Green paint job. A very good choice by me, I must admit.

Speaking of good choices, going for the SE model with the larger 49.2kWh battery was definitely right for me. While I don’t have a huge commute – it’s a 60-mile round trip for me three times a week – I was reliant on public charging for the majority of my time with the Cooper SE, so the less often I had to charge up, the better. During the colder months, I was only managing around 150-160 miles from an 80% charge, despite the Cooper SE having an official maximum range of 247 miles, and after just two days commuting I’d need to think about charging up again. I’m not sure I would’ve managed with the smaller battery in the Cooper E, which has an official range of just 185 miles.

Things started looking a lot better once spring rolled around and it started getting warmer, and my home charger was finally installed which made things a lot easier. That said, it is slightly frustrating that Mini (and its parent company BMW) is one of the only brands not fully compatible with my energy provider’s charging tariff, which meant it was slightly fiddly setting up a charging schedule using my phone.

Another fiddly aspect of the Cooper SE is its lack of physical controls for some of my most reached-for features. The climate controls and heated seats are operated exclusively via the 9.4in circular touchscreen, and while it’s helpful that they never disappear from the screen even if you’re using Apple CarPlay, a button or dial would be much easier to operate on the move. Luckily, there are buttons on the steering wheel for adjusting the media volume and making phone calls, which I made good use of.

Elsewhere inside, I had no issues getting comfortable on my commute, and even on longer journeys, thanks to the John Cooper Works sports seats that come fitted with the Exclusive trim. These have kept me bolstered in while winding through twisty roads (which the Cooper SE makes light work of, thanks to its sporty character), and I was especially grateful for them on the 360-mile round trip I did to Leeds earlier this year. 

Opting for the Level 2 package also gave me a panoramic glass roof, which was great for letting some extra light in during the day, plus the head-up display and wireless phone charging which I couldn’t have lived without. If I’m going to be really demanding, I would have loved to have electrically-adjustable seats; these came with the petrol Cooper S I ran as a courtesy car while mine was being repaired following an accident, and I really appreciated them, but I’m not sure I’d want to pay the extra cost to have them in my SE.

Compared with other small cars, practicality isn’t a strong point of the Cooper SE. Sitting in the back would be a squeeze for anyone taller than me (I’m 5ft 2in), and the boot space certainly isn’t big enough for my Labrador Reggie to stretch out. The rival Renault 5 would be a more practical choice.

But while the Mini Cooper Electric won’t work for everyone’s needs, I found it fit very neatly into my lifestyle. Not only is it great to look at, with its cutesy circular headlights and stylish silhouette, but it’s also a hoot to drive in urban areas, where I do most of my driving. As they say on Britain’s Got Talent, it’s a yes from me.

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