BMW Production Chief Defends Electric Mini’s Driving Range

BMW’s production chief Oliver Zipse was keen on defending Mini’s decision to offer the new electric Mini Cooper SE with only one battery option.

Zipse, who is considered to be BMW’s next CEO after current boss Harald Krueger announced he’s stepping down, said that a bigger battery pack would make the electric Mini too expensive for its own good.

“It’s an urban car and 140 miles is exactly on the sweet spot. There are not so many electric cars in that price range,” Zipse said to Automotive News.

Also Read: MINI Cooper SE Breaks Cover With 181 HP Electric Motor, Up To 167 Miles Of Range

Mini revealed earlier today the much anticipated battery-electric version of its three-door hatchback, which features the electric motor from the i3S, a 32.6 kWh battery and a claimed driving range of between 146 and 167 miles (235 to 270 km).

The new Mini Cooper SE will be priced from £24,400 in the UK -including the local government’s plug-in car grant-, making it slightly cheaper than a ‘equivalent spec level’ petrol Cooper S with an automatic transmission. Prices in Germany start from 32,000 euros.

The new electric Mini manages to fit the T-shaped battery pack into the space usually reserved for the fuel tank and exhaust system. The electric motor sits at the same position where the internal combustion engine sits -it even uses the same engine mounts.

Mini says that the new Cooper SE is focused more on performance rather than range. 0-62mph (100km/h) comes in 7.3 seconds, with the top speed limited to 93mph (150km/h). The company’s new EV will be able to recharge its battery up to 80 percent from flat in 35 minutes via a 50kW charger, or 150 minutes with a 11kW wall box.