ELECTRIC CARS
68
WTESTED MINI ELECTRIC
V SENSIBLE STEEDS BECAUSE SAVING IS SEXY
As anyone in lockdown with their family
knows, familiarity can breed a surprising
amount of contempt. In the case of the
Mini Electric, however, familiarity is its
strongest suit. It looks like a Mini, it drives
like a Mini, it’s as nippy as a Mini – and,
crucially, it’s priced like a Mini. If ever
there was a British electric city car for
the masses, surely this is it?
OK, you might want to make some
style tweaks – our test car came with
bogey-coloured wing mirrors and the
unfortunately-named Electric Corona
Spoke wheels (pictured); but the Mini has
always been ripe for personalisation, so
you won’t be surprised to discover there’s
a multi-coloured swap shop of design
options across three trim levels.
Inside it’s the same seats, the same
circular 6.5in colour infotainment screen
and the same old-school toggles from the
petrol-powered hatch, along with a 5.5indigital colour dash. Sat-nav is standard
and traffic reports automatically update
you on remaining battery range, rerouting
you if it thinks you’re short on juice. The
UI is reliable and smart, although as with
all Minis there’s only support for Apple
CarPlay and not Android Auto.BABY GOT PACK
What doesn’t ever change is the powertrain.
Think of this like an Apple Watch, where
you choose the style but the brains stay
the same. Across all trim levels you get
a 32.6kWh 12-module lithium-ion pack
repurposed from the BMW i3. If that feels
like a cop-out, the 145-mile range won’t
please you either – but that’s about the
same as a Honda E.
This car costs less than the equivalent
Mini Cooper S petrol model; but of course,
the UK is still woefully lacking in charging
points... and the etiquette to accompanyPRICE from £24,400 / mini.co.uk
KEY SPECS
ORange Up to 145 miles
OPower 184hp
O0-62mph 7.3 seconds
OTop speed 93mphthem. Not Mini’s fault, of course, and a
partnership with the BP Chargemaster
Polar Plus network offers access to over- But during our fortnight with the car,
we found a handwritten note lambasting
us for not moving it after 25 minutes (it
takes 36 minutes to get to 80% at a 50kW
DC fast-charge station) and met a Tesla
owner who couldn’t move his vehicle for
40 minutes despite it being fully charged,
because of a firmware update.
Anyway, how does it drive? Like you’re
playing Mario Kart. There are four modes
for varying degrees of direct steering,
power delivery and regenerative braking...
but even in the ‘eco’ modes it’s tempting
to fire food-based projectiles at fellow
motorists as you whizz past them. Master
the regen braking and you’ll soon be driving
with the accelerator only, arcade style.
STUFF SAYS Yes, we’d be happier if it offered a bit more range,
but for sheer Mario Kart lolz this is the Mini to buy ++++,
FIAT 50 0 E
Along with the Mini, the
chic little Fiat 500e is up
there with the most hotly
anticipated EV launches
of recent times. Although
details are still under
wraps, various sources
state that a 42kWh
lithium-ion battery pack
should be good for a
199-mile range, while
futuristic touches such
as flush door handles
move Fiat’s retro charm
into the modern era.
£tbc / fiat.co.ukDACIA SPRING
ELECTRICNeon orange accents, a
squat road presence and
funky styling flourishes
make it look more like a
trendy running shoe than
a car, but Dacia’s concept
is designed to offer us
a peek at its 124-mile
all-electric future. In reality
it won’t be this visually
arresting (Dacias never
are), but it promises to be
one of the cheapest ways
to beat your petrol habit.
£17,000 (est) / dacia.co.uk