Electric cars are in our future, like it or not, but does that mean the joy of driving will be a thing of the past as well? The good news is no. While we’ll soon only have fond memories of the sound of a burly V8 engine, there is at least one automaker that is proving that fun and electric can go hand in hand.
While it may not have a driving range on par with other small electric vehicles, you can squeeze out all the fun from its 114-mile range. With 181 horsepower on tap, the MINI Cooper SE is nearly as powerful as the Cooper S, on which it’s based. The numbers don’t lie, since the electric MINI can reach 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, just a few ticks behind the Cooper S.
Just like the standard MINI, the MINI Cooper SE is perfect for the city and now you can zip around town in the same nearly identical car while reducing your carbon footprint. No compromises here, if you’re already a fan of the standard Mini, but also want an electric vehicle, you can get the best of both worlds with the electric MINI.
Driving the Cooper SE around the streets of Los Angeles proved that its range wasn’t much of a concern. I could zip over to Spago to have brunch with some friends, followed by a few stops at my favorite shops on Melrose. I didn’t want my day to end, so I took a quick jaunt over to Little Beach House Malibu to enjoy the sunset, then it was back home without having to stop to charge it.
The MINI Cooper SE is an excellent electric car for the city. While those other compact EVs may have much longer driving ranges, but they are not a MINI. With a starting price of just under $31,000, the Cooper SE is hard to ignore if you’re looking for a chic urban electric runabout.
This MINI Cooper SE is among the most affordable EVs on the market today. In short, this Mini is designed for folks that don’t need an extended range but for those who want the peace of mind of knowing that a single charge will allow them to drive to work, run errands, and return home without needing another charge.
Words By Marc Carter