Mini Electric Makes Local Debut – 270km Range, 28.9kWh Battery, RM218k

For the first time in its 6-decade history, British marque Mini has finally come to embrace the electric mobility revolution in the form of the all-new Mini Electric. Making its local debut today, the Mini Electric also marks an important milestone for parent company BMW Group Malaysia, as it now offers the most number of all-electric models in its lineup compared with any other brand available locally. Joining the BMW i3s, the Mini Electric represents an important shift for the Mini brand as well as BMW Group, as the German conglomerate positions itself aptly to take on the wave of battery-electric vehicles.

“For the very first time and in celebrating MINI’s 61st birthday, we are thrilled to bring this innovation into reality with the New All-Electric MINI. Since we introduced the first electrified MINI model with the MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid, electrified MINIs have become a fan-favourite worldwide. In 2019, MINI delivered close to 17,000 units of the Countryman PHEV worldwide. This success drives our commitment towards electromobility even further as it underlines the increasing shift towards electrified vehicles among MINIacs globally.”
Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director, BMW Group Malaysia

Available as a 3-door, the Mini Electric occupies no more space than its conventionally-powered siblings. Despite that, they’ve managed to cram a 28.9kWh battery in a T-shaped configuration under the skin. Thanks to that, the Mini Electric enjoys a maximum range of 270km (based on the NEDC cycle), with motivation provided by a 184hp/270Nm motor that powers the front wheels. “Maximum thrill of the road without the carbon footprint,” they claim.

Notably, the battery can be recharged from 0-80% in just 36-minutes via a DC fast-charger, though more realistically you can expect similar results from a MINI Wallbox charger or a public charger in about 2.5-hours. Additionally, power can be recuperated via braking regeneration, which on its own is significant enough to enable one-pedal driving for the first time on a series-production MINI.

To mark it out as the new Mini Electric, the car features lots of unique flourishes about the place guaranteed to draw your eye. There are specific bumpers and a grille up front in grey with an Energetic Yellow E-Badge. And there are grille blades that can be had in either grey or yellow, depending on how bold you’re willing to be. Lighting is provided by Matrix LEDs on the front and signature Union Jack units at the rear, while there are E-Badges on the side scuttles too to mark it out. The mirror caps have been aerodynamically-optimised for minimum drag, and can be had in either Black or Energetic Yellow, while all mirrors (exterior & interior) offer anti-dazzle functionality as standard.

The Mini Electric also runs on 17-inch dual-tone alloys as standard, with run-flat tyres.

Round the back, you can find a charging flap with an embossed E-Badge as well, marking it out as the all-electric model. However, the tailgate handle comes in grey as standard to provide contrast, as do the E-Bagdes and model badging that feature Energetic Yellow also for contrast.

Stepping inside, you’ll find unique features like the Electric Cockpit Fascia, the yellow start-stop button, unique floor mats and gear lever, as well as the brake-regent toggle. Both driver and front passenger get to enjoy dual-zone climate control while seated on carbon-black cross-punch leather seats, while they’ll be dazzled by the 12-colour ambient lighting setup when the singes down. There’s also a sports steering wheel that’s leather-wrapped for the driver, as well as a raised centre console with integrated electric parking brake. Centre-stage is an 8.8-inch infotainment display with the MINI Connected suite, as well as a MINI-first all-digital instrument cluster for the first time.

Despite the need for a battery, it hasn’t hampered the Mini Electric’s practicality at all. There’s 211L of space behind the rear seats as standard, just like the regular three-door model, while the total maximum cargo space with the rear seats folded is rated at 731L. Adding to the practicality is Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring as well as a wireless charging tray, though it’s noteworthy that Android Auto remains noticeably omitted.

Another unique feature of the Mini Electric pertains to the all-important driving experience – the four driving modes on offer (Sport, Mid, Green, and Green+) are all tailored to suit the new state-of-the-art MINI eDrive system, which offers things like the Green Driving Assistant that features the Range Assistant that suggests routes and solutions should there be insufficient charge for any given journey. There’s also an efficient Green Route that will suggest driving mode and stop-overs at charging stations, while the navigation system will automatically show a given range based on the charge level at any given time.

The Mini Electric also offers connectivity via the MINI Connected app. With Connected, you can monitor your Mini’s charge level at any given time, monitor your driving stats, and even read up on how you can maximise the efficiency of your drive. Additionally, you can also precondition the car to a set temperature while it’s being charged, ensuring that you enjoy comfortable motoring no matter the time of day.

Debuting on the Mini Electric is the Driving Assistant package, which consists of automatic high-beam at speeds above 50km/h, city-speed autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and adaptive cruise control. You also get autonomous parking and all-round parking sensors as standard.

The new Mini Electric can be had in the exclusive White Silver with Energetic Yellow pairing, or you can have it in British Racing Green, or Chili Red. The new Mini Electric is available through all authorised MINI dealerships nationwide beginning today, priced at RM218,380.78

Like all new MINI models, the Mini Electric is covered by a 4-year warranty with 5-years roadside assistance, as well as free towing services, replacement vehicle, Seamless Mobility, Accommodation, Mobility Services Solutions as well as Repatriation services. The battery is separately covered by an 8-year/100,000km warranty.

The Mini Electric can be had with Balloon Financing from BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia, with ownership starting at RM2,421/month bases on an 80% loan estimate over a 5-year tenure.

Like the new Mini Electric? Reckon 270km range is more than enough for you to do your daily commute? Let us know in the comments below.

GALLERY: 2020 MINI Electric – Launch Gallery