MINI Electric
With the brand’s go-kart handling and high-quality interior, the MINI hatch promises much in Electric guise
MODEL TESTED: MINI Electric Level 3
PRICE: £30,900 POWERTRAIN: 1x electric motor, 181bhp
WE already know the Honda e is strong, but up to now the MINI Electric has been the one to beat when it comes to a small EV with style. Can the £30,900 top-spec Level 3 car compete?
Design & engineering
WHEREAS the Honda is based on the brand’s EV-specific platform, the MINI Electric is based on the brand’s UKL chassis, which it shares with BMW and other petrol and diesel-powered MINIs, so there’s possibly more compromise here on packaging.
Smaller cars such as these often have smaller batteries, and so it is with the MINI. The pack is rated at 32.6kWh total (less than the Honda) but a greater percentage of that it usable, at 28.9kWh (more than the Honda) for a claimed range of 141 miles – this is four miles more than the e, but as we’ve already seen, the Honda’s greater efficiency reverses this gap in the real world by the same amount.
The MINI’s battery is also mounted in the floor, but here it sends power to an electric motor driving the front wheels. There’s 181bhp and 270Nm of torque, which is near hot hatch levels; as with the Honda, the gearbox is a single-speed unit. You just slot into Drive and then move off.
The MINI only has two regenerative braking modes compared with the Honda’s four. The top setting is very strong and will bring the car to a halt, recouping energy and charging the battery when slowing down. The lower mode isn’t as useful.
When it comes to charging, unlike the Honda the MINI is only rated up to 50kW. However, the brand claims 36 minutes for an 80 per cent top-up, so it’s not far behind the e. This increases to three hours and 12 minutes using a 7.4kW home wallbox.
The MINI features an 11kW on-board charger, and it can take advantage of some higher-powered wallboxes or public AC charging posts; a full charge takes two-and-a-half hours, so the Honda is better in some areas, the MINI in others. The Honda’s smaller battery means home charging is still quick enough and not an issue. Most people will use DC rapid chargers when away from home, where the e’s 100kW capability could come into its own.
The MINI’s interior isn’t as interesting as the Honda’s, with a more conventional design, layout and materials, but quality is sound, as we’d expect.
Driving
The MINI feels keener on the move, with sharper throttle response and swifter acceleration. In fact, after a very slight initial lag, the MINI moves forward as fast as a hot hatch. Acceleration tails off past around 45mph, but it still gets up to motorway speeds swiftly.
One problem at these speeds is that in both cars remaining range is depleted at a much greater rate. It’s obvious they are most efficient in town. But here the MINI feels just a little too firm. The Honda isn’t immune to some bobbly reactions to patchwork town streets, but the MINI isn’t as comfortable. That’s because the focus is on fun, despite efficiency also being high on its list of attributes.
The steering is typically quick and direct, with more weight and solidity than the Honda’s. The
MINI also feels slightly grippier, and being lighter you can throw the car into corners surprisingly well, using the brake regeneration to help trim your line rather than actually touching the brakes. You do it all by modulating the accelerator and it shows how MINI has focused on making an EV feel fun, and succeeded in some situations.
Refinement in both cars is good. There’s just a touch of motor whine, while even wind noise in these small cars is kept at bay.
Practicality
THE MINI Electric is three-door only, which limits its practicality compared with the Honda, if not its overall appeal. Access to the back of the car is therefore more limited, and there’s a lot less head and legroom once you’re sitting back there; it’s claustrophobic.
While there’s more boot space on offer in the MINI, it’s not exactly cavernous, so fitting four people’s luggage in will still be a tight squeeze. Both the MINI and the Honda only seat four, anyway.
A Type 2 and a three-pin plug come as standard and there is some underfloor storage, so you don’t have to leave the charging cables in the boot.
Otherwise, the compact dimensions mean visibility is fine, just like in the Honda, but we prefer the MINI’s conventional mirrors for ease of use.
Ownership
MINI’s performance in our Driver
Power survey was poor, with owners criticising the brand’s cars for practicality and boot space, as well as safety features.
These points also apply to the Level 3 car here, because only autonomous braking is included. There’s nowhere near as much safety tech as the Honda; lane-keep assist and blind-spot monitoring aren’t available, for example.
By contrast, Honda owners rated their cars’ safety features and build quality highly, which helped contribute to its strong showing in our survey.
Running costs
ONE of the biggest incentives to running an EV as a company car this tax year is they attract a zero rate for Benefit-in-Kind tax, so business users pay nothing.
There’s also an incentive for private buyers because predicted residual values are strong. Our experts expect the MINI to hold on to
48. 2 per cent of its value after three years/36,000 miles, which equates to £14,881, while the Honda is predicted to retain 45.4 per cent or £13,239.
EVs have fewer moving parts so servicing should be affordable. Honda’s £649 five-year service works out at £130 per year, while MINI’s £10 per month deal costs slightly less, at £120 per year.