2023 Mini Cooper Electric Hardtop Performance

The Mini Cooper is famous for its lively performance and sharp handling, but with the added weight of a large battery pack, can the Mini Cooper Electric still live up to its fun image? Yes, it can. Despite being heavy by Mini standards, the Cooper EV provides impressive go off of the line and feels typically nippy thanks to an immediate burst of torque from the electric powertrain. Mini claims a 0-60 mph sprint time of 6.9 seconds, but independent testing has revealed times as low as 6.1 seconds. With 181 hp being sent to the front wheels, the Mini Cooper Electric Hardtop should feel like a proper little hot hatch, but we found that the aggressive traction control system eliminated any kind of tire-smoking action and limits the overall driver enjoyment. Still, this hatch is more fun to drive than the average small EV.

Under the skin of the electric Mini Cooper Hardtop 2-door sits an electric motor mated to a 32.6-kWh battery pack with 28.9 kWh of usable power. This package produces a healthy 181 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via a single-speed automatic transmission. We appreciate the quick throttle response and low-down pull on offer: it makes the Electric Cooper an absolute joy to drive around town, and highway cruising is a pleasure, even when fully loaded. For slightly more money, the Chevy Bolt EV has a slightly quicker claimed 0-60 time but the Mini is fast enough to have fun.

Manufacturers across the board are doing their best to improve EV efficiency and combat range anxiety, so it will disappoint many to learn that the Mini Cooper Electric Hardtop offers a range of only 114 miles. This restricts the Cooper Electric to city limits. The EPA states that the Mini Cooper Electric Hardtop can deliver 119/100/110 MPGe city/highway/combined. By comparison, the Nissan Leaf returns a combined 111 MPGe and a max range of 149 miles, while the Chevy Bolt EV returns 120 MPGe and provides a maximum range of 259 miles.

Mini says the Cooper Electric's battery can be charged to 80 percent in 36 minutes when using a fast charger, and a home AC charger will add 20% battery charge per hour. That works out to around five hours for a full charge, so this solution is ideal for overnight charging.