Are you sure this is a new car? Just
looks like a regular Mini to me...
That’s the point. The Mini has been
an icon for 60 years, so you don’t
mess too much – even when
swapping petrol and diesel for
protons and electrons. A new
front grille, alloy wheels that
look like plug sockets and some
yellow trim are all it needs to
stand out. Otherwise it’s instantly
recognisable as a Mini, albeit one
with no exhaust pipe.But does it still drive like a Mini?
Batteries are hefty things.
According to the engineers, it
does. Adding the battery pack
meant raising the ride height,
but keeping capacity down to
32.6kWh should preserve the
go-kart handling of the regular
car. The electric motor sends
181bhp to the front wheels,
which is good for 0-62mph in
7.3 seconds – only a few tenths
off the Cooper S. This is a pure citycar, with an electric range of about
140 miles, but a half-hour 50kW
rapid charge should get it juiced
up to 80%.Any interior upgrades to make the
EV stand out from the regular car?
A few, but it’ll still feel familiar to
anyone who’s driven a modern
Mini. Analogue gauges are binned
in favour of a digital cluster that
shows power reserves and
remaining range, a new toggle
switch lets you dial up the brake
regeneration effects, and the
manual handbrake has been
retired for an electric one.So how long ’til I can say goodbye
to the petrol pump forever?
Well, it might be being built in
Oxford, but China and the US
get first dibs on production cars.
That means us Brits will have to
wait a little longer, with the first
deliveries due in March. But the
pre-order books are open now.THE SUN ALWAYS
SHINES ON E.V.
Why plug in when
the sun can give
you free wireless
energy? The
€119,000 Lightyear
One electric saloon
is covered in solar
panels to help
trickle-charge
its batteries while
it’s away from the
mains, meaning
less time hanging
around at charging
points and more
time cruising.SILICON
RALLY
New electric race
series Extreme E is
hoping to save the
planet... by racing
all over it. The
Dakar-styled
500bhp off-road
SUVs will compete
over sand, snow,
mud and gravel
in 2021 to raise
awareness of
climate change.
Please don’t turn
up to watch in an
8-litre Bugatti.DON’T LET ME
DOWN, BENTLEY
Bentley turns 100
this year, and has
decided to celebrate
by imagining what
it’ll be selling in- The EXP 100
GT promises the
ultimate in opulent
travel, with limo-like
dimensions but
eye-watering
performance from
four electric motors.
We’re hoping it
comes with a free
on-board butler.
Mini Electric
WATTS THE DIFFERENCE
£24,400 (with PiCG) / mini.co.uk ALL-ELECTRIC NEWS DASHBOARD
Too bling? The
yellow trim details
are optional and the
funky alloys can be
swapped for more
subtle ones.
EV
SPECIAL
P64WHE EL S