• Just one motor and battery option
• Strong performance in a straight line
• Extra weight dulls cornering ability

Electric motor

The MINI Electric’s engine range is pleasingly simple with just one motor and battery configuration available. The motor is mounted on the front axle and develops a meaty 184hp and 270Nm of torque, which MINI says is enough for a 0–62mph time of 7.3 seconds. That’s only sixth tenths of a second slower than the three-door petrol-powered Cooper S.

The EV’s top speed is a lot less than the petrol variant’s at just 93mph, but that isn’t much of a concern for a car that’ll spend most its time on the road pottering around town at 30mph. The battery pack has been sized for city duties, too, at just 32.6kWh.

To make the most of its dinky battery pack, MINI fitted the Electric with a regenerative braking system. There are two levels of severity – the weaker setting offers slightly more drag than coasting, while the strongest setting works almost like the normal brakes in a petrol car.

It’s a little unusual the first time you use it, but after a couple of hours you can learn to live with it. The system is also strong enough to pull the MINI Electric to a halt around town, which means you can do most of your daily driving without touching the brake pedal. Efficiency is excellent around town but falls off a cliff as you approach motorway speeds.

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There are a few driving modes to play with too, called Green, Green+, Mid and Sport. Green+ is the only setting you won’t find on the standard MINI Hatch, as it was specially designed for the EV. It dials up the regenerative braking system, dulls the motor’s performance and disengages frivolous comforts like the air-conditioning and heated seats to eke the maximum number of miles from the battery.

Unless you really need to conserve energy, we recommend leaving the car in Mid mode. Sport seems tempting, but the snappier throttle response chews through the battery power far too quickly. The full force of the motor is also enough to make the car squirm around the road as it hunts for grip – 270Nm of torque is plenty to turn the front tyres into smoke and noise.

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What’s it like to drive?

• Sporty ride and heavy steering
• Firm, but well-damped suspension
• Easy to drive, but quite uninspiring

MINIs have always been good at taking corners quickly, but some of that sharpness has been lost by the added weight of the Electric’s powertrain. It isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it’s probably the best-handling small electric hatchback on the market and the closest thing to an electric hot hatch you’ll find right now.

It takes bends with enthusiasm and keen drivers will appreciate its heavy and quick steering setup. The suspension is quite firm, too, which means it doesn’t roll as much as the more comfort-biased Honda e. However, despite its sporty edge, the MINI Electric is still quite comfortable at speed. Slow down and it jostles you around far more than a Corsa Electric or e-208, though.

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The steering is responsive compared to its electric rivals, but it’s not as good as the petrol car’s. MINI has softened the system off to suit the extra weight the EV needs to lug around, which has resulted in a sizeable dead spot around the centre. Sport mode does alleviate this slightly, though.

The grip also runs out sooner than the petrol model, simply because you can’t fight the laws of physics. The added weight of the battery pack works to push the front wheels wide of the turn, which means you can’t make the most of the power.

Should these points stop you from considering a MINI Electric? Of course not – it’s still a cracking drive for an EV. Just don’t expect it to thrill you in the same was as the petrol model.