With the next-generation Mini Cooper Electric set to be unveiled later this year before going on sale in the summer of 2024, parent company BMW Group has released several interesting tidbits of information about the future electric city car.
Interestingly, it didn't do it using its media channels, though, but via British car magazine Autocar. New Mini boss Stefanie Wurst told the publication at a recent preview event that the new Mini Cooper hatchback will provide the foundation for a "revolution" of the brand's wider lineup.
Mini's refreshed range will include the Aceman electric crossover – the carmaker's first electric-only model – and the larger new Mini Countryman SUV, which will offer a BEV variant alongside ICE powertrains.
The all-electric Mini Cooper will launch in May 2024, and the brand's core model will be taken "back to its roots" for the next generation.
Besides a "new" name – it will be officially called the Cooper instead of Hardtop or Hatch as it is now known – the city car will feature a wider track, shorter front overhang, longer wheelbase, and larger wheels. These changes will give it a more purposeful stance over the current Mini Hardtop while retaining the same 3.8-meter (149.6-inch) length.
It will also feature a fresh face thanks to new disk-shaped DRLs surrounding the larger, bulbous headlights, with the automaker saying the updates pay tribute to BMW's first Mini launched in 2000.
Gallery: 2023 Mini 3-Door EV Testing in Lapland
As you probably know by now, the 2024 Mini Cooper Electric will be made in China by BMW Group's joint venture with Great Wall Motor called Spotlight Automotive. The vehicle will be built on the all-new Spotlight EV platform co-developed with the Chinese partner – and shared with the 2025 Aceman EV crossover – and will offer the choice of two battery packs.
The entry-level E model will feature a 40-kilowatt-hour pack (compared to the current model's 32.6-kWh), while the range-topping SE will get a 54-kWh pack. This will bring big range increases, Wurst confirmed. Range will start at 240 miles (we understand that's WLTP), which is a big gain compared to the current model's 145 miles WLTP.
Furthermore, Mini's CEO added that other (as yet unannounced) packs will give "double what is offered with the same battery sizes now."
The standard Mini Cooper E will be equipped with an electric motor delivering the same power as the current model – 181 horsepower – while the Cooper SE will get a more powerful unit rated at 215 hp; both variants will remain front-wheel drive.
When it comes to pricing, the new Mini Cooper Electric will start at over $35,500 (£30,000) in the UK; the current model has a base price of $34,300 (£29,000) in Mini's home market.
