Mini Cooper Electric long-term test
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 700 miles List price £32,105 Price as tested £34,655 Official range 247 miles Test range 247 miles Options fitted 18in Night Flash Spoke 2-tone wheels (£550), Level 2 package (£2000)
30 December 2025 – Cooper2
When I first sat in my Mini Cooper Electric, I realised I had long been suffering from car-induced FOMO (that's Fear of Missing Out, for those not in the know). Let me explain – since I passed my driving test six years ago, I’ve only ever driven one car: my 2016 Volkswagen Up. And while my Up has served me very well, its measly 59bhp engine and touchscreen-free dashboard make it feel rather utilitarian compared with the swanky new cars I see on my commute.
So, you could say I was due a refresh – and it comes in the form of the Mini Cooper Electric. As you might have guessed, it’s the all-electric counterpart to the hugely popular Mini Cooper hatchback that’s been a familiar face on our roads for years. Launched in 2020, the Cooper Electric was not only the first all-electric offering in Mini’s lineup, but it’s also the first EV to ever grace my driveway. No pressure, then.
Indeed, the Cooper Electric has a lot to live up to if it wants to convert me to petrol-free driving, and it’s already off to a good start just because of its nameplate. Being a Cooper myself, it’s like I’ve been destined to drive one since birth, and fate has now brought us together.
While the original Cooper Electric was essentially a petrol Mini with the engine ripped out and replaced by an electric motor, the facelifted version from 2023 – and the version that’s now sitting on my driveway – received new electric-car underpinnings that brought some improvements to its range and driving experience.
Speaking of range, I’ve opted for the Cooper SE, which starts at £29,905 and comes equipped with the larger 49.2kWh (usable capacity) battery. That’s good for an official range of 247 miles, compared with the entry-level Cooper E’s 185-mile figure. That’s more than enough for my 60-mile round trip to work, but I’ll be interested to find out how it handles a longer journey, such as the 220-mile trek up to Leeds I have pencilled in for a few weeks' time.
If I find myself in need of a top-up, the Cooper SE’s peak charging speed of 95kW means a 10-80% charge should take around half an hour. There are rivals out there that can charge even faster, such as the MG4 or Peugeot e-208, but it’s an improvement on the Cooper E’s 75kW speed.
My Cooper SE is kitted out in Exclusive trim, which is a couple of steps above the entry-level Classic trim and costs an extra £2200. It gets me some extra goodies like a sports steering wheel and John Cooper Works sports seats.
On top of that, I’ve opted for the 18in Night Flash Spoke 2-tone wheels (£550) and Level 2 equipment pack (£2000), which adds a panoramic glass sunroof, heated front seats, adaptive LED headlights, wireless smartphone charging, a head-up display and a posh Harman Kardon sound system. This is all a lot more than what comes with my Up, and I'm looking forward to finding out if all of it is worth the money.
Most new cars nowadays, including my Cooper SE, come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring – this will be quite the upgrade from the rather archaic auxiliary cord I was using in my Up, so being able to play music, use Google Maps and charge my phone at the same time will be nothing short of life-changing.
I’ve opted for the exterior of my Cooper SE to be finished in a rather fetching shade of British Racing Green, which comes at no extra cost with Exclusive trim. There are some other paid options available, but I felt that this would be the most fitting, given Mini’s strong heritage here in the UK.
In my first few weeks of ownership, the Mini has not only handled my commute to the What Car? office, but also a trip to Heathrow Airport for an overnight stay. In that time, I’ve had my first public charging experience, which went pretty smoothly. I’m lucky enough to live in a part of the country that has decent public EV infrastructure, but I’m in the process of securing a home charger for my driveway, which will hopefully make the electric experience much easier (and cheaper). I'll be covering this in a future report.
So far, then, the Cooper Electric has been an impressive introduction to all-electric driving, but I wonder if it will be able to calm my range anxiety when I push it to its limits on longer motorway journeys.
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