No excuses for EV price gouging. Battery prices have dropped off a cliff and are still falling. Good to see Fully Charged reviews becoming more objective and calling out the bad points if necessary.
Bloomberg reports that battery prices have almost halved in the last 18 months, as battery manufacturers have an oversupply (because manufacturers like BMW have overpriced EVs so demand hasn't grown as fast as anticipated). There's no reason for expensive EVs anymore!
Absolutely! Car manufacturers are taking the p*ss on pricing, here in France most EVs are in the region of 7 to 10 €K more pricey than their petrol equivalents. There's no excuse for it.
More expensive than an MG5 Luxury Long Range with 61kWhr battery. It’s said that the battery is 40% of the cost, so the round dial or something must be really expensive!
Sounds like they are still using the same battery and motor from the I3 which is inexcusable. The petrol version of the Mini is 23k, there is no reason this should cost more.
Kryten wasn't a robot as such. Some might suggest more of an android (according to the nerdy websites, that is) The scutters were the "real" robots. How nerdy is that?
@@Stephen-Jones 😂😂😂😂😂 Aha! Then perhaps Kryten might best be described as a cyborg? Some might even go so far as to align his '"ethnicity" (FFS 😂😂😂😂😂) with the Borg but an autonomous version with no connection to the "hive mind". That might be it. 😂😂😂😂😂
Yes, for me anything less than 200 miles (real world) is a city car - fine, but don't expect to take it on a long journey. In real life with 150 miles you are going to be stopping about every 100 miles which is only about an hour and a half of motorway driving, I like to think I average 2 hours between stops on a longer journey.
I get around 220km / 140miles in my 2020 Mini ( not motorway ) on average, the new one ( not motorway, not that type of car me thinks anyway) should make 200
It's 28k, which is still too much. You could get a 300 mile range Cupra born with under 10k miles on it for that much Hell, you could get a Tesla Model 3 or Polestar 2 with less than 20k miles on them for that much.
@@andders2477 as much as I'd love to criticise mini, everything has turned into SUVs, so I'll be grateful they haven't gone down the same route as Ford. The bar has been set very low indeed
Yes I agree. A lot of Mini owners don’t appear to want to make the jump to electric because the range is poor. These aren’t just city cars. I think this car should have the same range as an ID3.
@@Brian-om2hhin the winter knock off another 30 to 50 miles. It's not unreasonable to travel 60 miles to somewhere with no destination charging then drive back later without wanting to stop again.
Great review, simple and honest. With the battery prices falling I don't see how the new EV's are still at a premium over ICE versions. Well said and keep pushing that point. I look forward to the day that a similar spec ICE car and EV are at price parity. That is then truly giving the choice to consumers.
One simple word=volume! It's est compact segment cars need to do 250,000+units a year to reach profitability. Outside of tesla and a few Chinese model's no one else has that currently. And evs require massively different disciplines plus software expertise none of the legacy ice oems have atm. Just look at vag and their carid fiasco for proof. And now they wanna pay rivian up to $5,000,000,000 by 2026 for a stop gap solution until 2029 when they can get out their in house csp ev only next gen platform with in house software&cells!
I don't know what figures you achieved in the end, but in 2024 for a car that small anything under 4 miles/kWh is inexcusable. 5 or more is perfectly doable and it allows cars to have a smaller battery without compromising on range. Seat did it with the Mii which wasn't even a dedicated EV.
i can get 5.5 hypermiling my partners vw eup and that cars like 5+ yr old design (of the big battery) even my big estate with cruise at 3.8, and ive done 4.7 when hypermiling to avoid stopping to charge
@@OptimumSlinky theres a difference between rated efficiency and whats achieveable if you try. ive done 5.5 in an eup before... not safely sure but doable
This is a much better review than most: I love how instead of trying to describe how the car handles and ‘feel’ through steering and inches of legroom, he just got straight to the point: it’s not boring, it’s fun to drive, range is less but still sufficient for most people, getting in the back can be hard for some, but once in it’s decent. And focused on: the screen, the ease of use, the head up display position, the styling elements because it’s a mini, and the price. All of this without so much drama. Can’t all reviews be like this one (and the others by Robert?)
If you put in into the context of the average daily UK commute being 20.8 miles, and the average UK motorway journey being 70 to 80 miles, is it *really* so bad? Why pay for a car (or battery) that has 300 miles of range, if you only drive a 300 mile trip twice a year?
@@pachy444it's not about that, my car is not just a daily commuter, it's a weekend adventure vehicle too. I don't want to have 2 cars, I want one that does it all, and for me, that means 200 miles of real world range. As it happens, my Tesla exceeds that by over a hundred miles, but I will accept that's just a luxury, not a need.
I do wonder if the EU legacy manufacturers are even trying tbh. 4 mpk is atrocious for a car that size. My ioniq 5 regularly exceeds 5.5 in mixed driving so something this small with 2/3rds the battery size should be over 6.
Really. I see under 4 miles to a KWh in my Ioniq 5 on normal town driving, and under 3 miles on a fast A road. It's still cheaper to run than an equivalent diesel though.
Great to watch another brutally honest car review from Robert. Who really cares about the 0-60 time or the top speed nowadays. Tell us what it's like to drive and how it feels. Top job Kryten :-)
I would disagree that 150 miles (240km) is enough range for long-range driving: You want the range for 70% of the battery (10-80%, as this is the range where charging is fast), to give you more than two hours on the highway (a comfortable interval to stop at). 70% of 240km is 168km, which is barely an hour and a half driving. So about 300-350km range is the sweetspot.
Would you buy a petrol mini for long journeys ? I drive the bmw i3 which is the same as the old mini. I don’t do long runs very often. Set your trip computer every day and see how many miles you actually do. Probably never more than 100 I bet, unless work is involved
I’d agree, not quite enough for me. Regular 150 mile trips 2.5 to 3 hours I can do without a stop. Arriving at destination with a couple of % on the battery would be too close. There is a bigger battery option but super expensive for a small car.
Nice to see more Bobby reviews, I was half wondering if once he got in the back the rest of the review would be done as he was 'trapped'. Thanks for another great vid
I knew what Robert was going to say about the suspension long before he said it; you could SEE how rough it was from the inside camera as he was driving along (roads I know), that arent that bad. 150 mile real world range is really barely adequate unless you only want to potter around town; come winter - unless it has heated seats/HVAC (not mentioned), the range is going to plunge. it isnt a case of inadequate charging infrastructure, more a case of always needing to be conscious of where you need to stop next; and a short range also means those out-of-range trips are going to cost a lot more; home charging is so much cheaper than using even the cheapest Rapid charger. I occasionally do a run to Heathrow (through the Cotswolds = ~120 miles); a 100% home charge costs me ~£3 for my remaining 26.1KWh of battery, then I need 3x 20-80% rapid charges along the way, that cost me ~£33+; if I had the newer version of my car, I could JUST make the trip on my initial charge - which would cost me ~£10.
The Mini website says that the head up display (+ a few of the other features in the Mini tested here) are not standard but come as part of a £2000 Level 1 upgrade package! Sorry Robert, but it looks like someone fibbed if they told you that you were driving the base model.
The old version did about 130 which is way more that most people drive in a day.... I always wonder what daily mileage people who moan about EV range actually do.... truth is 10yrs ago lots of people bought EVs with a 80 mile maximum range and had no issues at all as a daily driver, seems to me people convince themselves they are doing intercontinental tours all the time when in reality they go to Aldi on a Saturday and 20 miles a day to work 😂
To some of us its not the day to day range,but the ability to get somewere in a hurry, or a sudden decision. We drive a 2024 hyundai kona N line s EV and are currently 85 miles from home on holiday (used 25% range to get here) which is fine, I also use a diesel berlingo van for work. But even full up the kona shows 304 miles and my 82 year old mum lives 255 miles away in North Devon, so for me a range of 600 miles would ease my mind (as the berlingo will do on a tank of diesel) should the worse come to the worse and I don't have hours to charge. I guess " my perfect " range might be higher than a lot of people's nd in time (12 years maybe) main stream ev's will have that range, but for the here and now ,for us it's a mix of diesel and electric.
This is very true. There's always a compromise. Smaller car, small batter, decent efficiency vs larger car, large battery worse efficiency. BMW have obviously worked out that this is a okay range for the target customer. For people who want more range they can get a countryman. It's also likely to be a city, urban car or a second car anyway, so most people would be fine with a 140 mile range. My wife has an i3 and that range is around 175 miles, but she never drives more than about 75 miles in a day, so it is ideal. For big trips I have an iX with 300-400 mile range, but I would much prefer the i3 for nipping about day to day.
Well @pachy444, so would you pay that ridiculous price for whatever that is suppose to be a Chinese attempt at a mini I think it is ,with an abysmal range for the price.
I think it's similar thinking as to why people are so entranced by SUVs, and big SUVs at that, namely that they see them as a vehicle for every occasion, when in reality a 5-door hatchback will do 99% of everything they actually need it for. Just without the 'high driving position'...
I really find it wild that I am still watching you Robert, I had been a long time viewer of the Junkyard Wars. SO insane youre still at it! Hope to see you for years to come!
Love the show (as usual!) but as a product designer it pains me to see this car. One of the most iconic, recognizable, and loved car design ever to be made was totally disconfigured here. The back looks horrendous. The front fascia lack personality - and to say this of a mini is to say a lot. I hope Frank Stephenson does a critique of this, I'd love to watch it. Also, Bobby, you should have him on the show!
Thanks for saying it out loud! The previous version was much better looking. Even that nice round display seems a lit lost in that center console. Few regular meters or screens behind the wheel would make a big difference. Thank goodness there is the hud and you don't have to rely just to the center display.
They're making petrol/diesel cars because they're £10,000 cheaper and not everyone has the ability to charge an EV at home and the charging infrastructure is a few years off being fit for purpose.
EVs are not at all more expensive, this is just price gouging. The petrol equivalent is £23,150 compared to £30,000 for the slightly more powerful EV. Then you have to factor in the savings in running costs and maintenance over time. However, I agree that this Mini EV price is Crazy - A MG4 EV can be bought for around the same price as the Petrol Mini (which seems to be only available as an automatic)
5:18 Somebody got the efficiency wrong 😅. If the efficiency is 261 Wh/mile, it should be 163 Wh/km (dividing 261 by 1.6, but somebody multiplied it instead 😅)
@@MiesvanderLippe you pay kwh, your battery has kwh, you charge in kw. I don't need know what I use to go to ikea 5km away but I want to know how much I use per month or when I drive longer distances to a different city.
Since late 2023, the Electric Mini Cooper is developed and produced in China at the Spotlight Automotive joint venture facility in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu. It seems BMW made a major error in judgement building it in China, EU Tarrffs may make it uncompetitive in the UK market. It's way past time BMW manufactured it here, and stopped being cheapscates...
The Electic mini coded JOX same as Chinese but made in Oxford was supposed to launch in 2026 for Western Europe ans US. This has been put on stop because of certain issues with Spotlight and GWoCh. Regarding the tarrifs EU is going to decrease tarrifs for BMW and VW electric cars made in China so we will see how that affects the Electic Mini arrival to Oxford. I hope they will come to some agreement and they restart the project. It would create quite a few jobs.
My very first can was a yellow mini. Bought new. A few months into ownership I drove from Birmingham to Bath on a cold day. I was puzzled by the frost gathering on the inside of the windscreen. On return, I took it back to the dealer and told them of my experience. They had a look at the car and told me that the heating ducts hadn't been connected. Thankfully, your sample wasn't made at Longbridge.
I’m a HUGE fan of instrument displays that are CLEAR and CONSISE. What I mean is that if I’m looking for the speed or the navi or temperature controls; they shouldn’t blend together. If you are doing greater than 100km/hr, in traffic, you don’t have time to fiddle here and fiddle there. Make 3 displays rather than 1 display to help preserve the safety for the driver. Rather a disappointment to remove a physically shielded driver cluster (showing speed, distance, warnings, other essentials). I’m not turning my head to look at a central display that the passenger can play with. That is a hazard. (To be clear about heads up displays, you can do a windshield projection and have a decent daylight visibility while it creates no clutter. The little tinted glass where a proper clutter belongs is a failure honestly.)
I have to be honest i hated the circle infotainment with rectangle screen inside on the older minis, and i'm someone who actually likes buttons. Making the whole screen circle looks clean.
"I cann't do 3 hours on a motorway, I need to have a wee" The joys of getting older! But if you cannot do 150 miles on a motorway in a lot less than 3 hours (roadworks permitting!) then I suggest Bobby you are no longer particularly safe on motorways. I suspect the range is actually closer to 190 miles in urban environments (under 4m/kw) but 150 miles on motorway at normal motorway speeds sounds about right. But the Mini is not intended as a motorway cruiser, merely a city car so for that the range is fine. As the video suggests, the new Mini is for Mini fans only. It is completely outclassed by the MG4 and BYD Dolphin. If it was priced at c. £23-24,000 then it would be viable option
avg motorway speed in the UK is just under 50mph iirc (yes, the *limit* is 70mph - but you're not going to achieve that for long, due to congestion, roadworks, and so on).
I think the design is absolutely on point! It is now much cleaner, simplified, and it certainly looks as iconic as ever. I know the range is not the best and the price is maybe a bit to high…but I would definitely get this one instead of an MG4 or a e-208!
150miles, in ideal conditions. Unfortunately that is not sufficient here in Canada as real world would be closer to 100miles during our 6 month winter season.
Seems like Bobby's main objection to the "original" Mini-E was range for the price. Otherwise all of the adjectives he has used to describe the new Mini-E can be applied to the old. I disagree with his perspective that because the old Mini-E was basically a petro conversion, that that somehow delegitimized it as a good if not great EV. The first example he gave was "the fit and finish was just so good" -- well, the old Mini-E had that, too, so next? Pleasure to drive -- old Mini-E had that as well. Head up display? Well had Mini NOT copied Tesla, with a forward instrument cluster like the old Mini-E the new Mini-E would need not have to bother with a head-up display. Center display? Mini heritage had been no-nonsense instrumentation -- what does putting picture of kids, dog or cat have to do with driving? So most of the "improvements" IMHO were simply gimmicks that do not a great EV make. New Mini-E "SO Much Better"? I completely disagree.
Those rear lights are ridiculous - I realise they’re supposed to be half a Union Jack, but they look like arrows pointing the wrong way. Indicate left, arrow points right.
A great down to earth review, but this mini needs the indicators below the lights, as It just looks too plain and un mini like. The rear lights too don't look right (the old model ones looked better). Also never in mini history have the rear lights been triangles?
It shares its platform with the GWM Ora as GWM and BMW developed the platform together. I find it interesting that the GWM gets a bigger battery though and that the Mini has much less range. I can see some GWM bits in the interior as well and i'd bet that a fair bit of the mechanicals are GWM too. In essence, its a Chinese German British car!
The back of it really gives me "Chinese car design" vibes but I can't place my finger on why. Presumably this is a concious decision by BMW in order to try and sell in the biggest car market on earth?
Indeed..The Inster will be at least £10k cheaper than the mini be more practical, well built as all Hyundai's are and more comfy. Mini is an exercise in style over substance and later this year it will be up against the Renault 5 which is even more funky, cute and will no doubt be much cheaper
Agree, will take a MG4 any day instead, thanks Robert for covering this and the personal comparison This new Mini is not for practicality but for peoples wanting their own Mini, this is the best one yet
I have an MG 4 and it's definitely still a great car. The infotainment system is a bit whiffy but the driving experience is excellent and it's excellent value too
I like the comment of not messing with the screen as concentrating to stay safe. Now drive on our roads and adjust the temperature and fan speed and fan direction on these ridiculous touch screens.
Happy to see more bespoke EV platforms being designed. And I really love the circular screen, very cool. But Bobby is right, the price needs to come down. And yes, why the heck are some dimwits still making fossil cars in 2024??
Perhaps they are still making petrol cars because they work!! When I look at whole life costs together with how most of our electricity is still produced I really struggle to see the argument for ev’s. Love the presentation all the same. 10 out of 10 for enthusiasm!
I think you hit the nail on the head - it should be cheaper than the petrol version, not massively more expensive. Until this happens across the board mainstream adoption will be stunted. Still, I bet we'll be seeing a lot of these around London and the Cotswolds!
I firmly believe it there's a 15% markup on the petrol version then there's a 80-100% on the electric one. I remember journalists saying EVs will be cheaper due to lower cost of parts AND fewer parts AND cheap charging, yet we see luxury prices for 4 seaters and ranges that the Chinese had in 2010. I can't wait for the oncoming storm to wash out all this crap so freedom of movement won't be a luxury
@@Brian-om2hh also, it's not just "continuously". If I am only going 100 miles out and 100 miles back, I don't want to public charge if I can get away with it. My car is filled up at home for 7.5p per kWh, versus an average 65p per kWh at a public charger. Let's say I do a trip out on my home charged battery and for the sake of argument use a whole 50kWh. Then charge that 50kWh for the journey back. The trip out cost me £3.75 of electricity, the trip back cost me £32.50. And if I could've done that whole trip on my home charge it would've cost me £7.50 Vs £36.25.
@@Brian-om2hh Yesterday, South Manchester to Just south of Glasgow very early in the morning and the return trip back late evening to meet a business client. 234 miles (3 hrs 50) each way. Went to Cambridge and back the week before for a funeral. 180 miles (3 hrs 20) each way! The minimum range any EV should have is around 250 miles, unless your only use case is dropping the kids off at school, shopping in the next town or commuting
I see what you’re saying, but the cheapest car on sale today is almost £14k. I just don’t think it’s possible to make a £10k car anymore with the extra safety regulations
Good to see the fully charged show going on the road and travelling all over the world. So good to see that we’re all helping the planet and flying around the world!
About the range - this is the base model, the SE model claims 250 miles WLTP to probably about 200 miles in the real world. But obviously is more expensive (around £40k with the higher trim). I've already ordered mine :D Not the cheapest car, I could have got better value for money in terms of range/cost but the Mini was just so much better to drive than the MG4, e-208 or Zoe.
It took BMW 4 years to develop this car. BMW concentrated so much on the development that, BMW forgot update the range for 2024 as its got the range of a 2020 EV.
Thanks for the video. I think the Renault R5 Etech is more in line with the form/design of this mini. And that one is A LOT cheaper. The plus for this mini is, it is a sporty 2-door EV, and that is about unique.
Robert clearly likes to drive local, it always makes me smile to see the Cotswold edge in the background. I drive around there quite often but have never caught him yet!
Not a fan of the design of this at all, looks like a toy and sometimes thats fun and I generally like that in some cars but they should have kept more of the regular mini design in this, much better looking car. But good to see a dedicated EV platform. My favorite small EV is probably the Honda E with all its drawbacks it was so cool and I'll have one maybe in 5 years when a small car like that can have 2,5 times the energy storage onboard! The Zoe is another nice small EV, it was cheap for a while then it went up... did spot one just the other day! I'm still hooked on the first generation Kia Niro EV haha, would still be good today with 400 km's of range, in most models it has not changed that much unless you buy 80K - 120K+ cars! Best part about that car is that it looks like a normal car inside and out... not overly complicated.
Took 1 out for a drive, its a nice car but I told the sales guy it's just too expensive especially with the C3, renault 5, Panda and the Inster coming soon.
Agreed, Mr. Llewellyn. In this time period, the only cars that should be produced that have internal combustion are enthusiast manual transmission cars. The average person would be thrilled to have a car that runs on the price of a fraction of fuel, have little to no maintenance, won't stink up the garage. Now manufacturers need to step up and make it happen!
Thanks Robert, great review! Not to be negative, but I've been a bit more critical of the latest MINI refresh. I want a small electric car for the limited city driving I do, so range it's my issue. But as a MINI purist, the exterior design has been downhill for ages. (Not to mention this model is still larger than the first 2 iterations). I'm not a fan of either the front end (it's looking like a lexus) and especially the backend (which no longer looks like a MINI). And the back turn lights point in the wrong direction again! The price is odd; the electric models are apparently made in China (so maybe the higher price is from tariffs). Sadly the MINI is billed as a "premium" car; not driving an oversized SUV shouldn't be premium.
with it being a mini the price was always going to be high, compared to other brands. I think the fact the car makes a sound as you drive is really good. I think these should be mandatory for the safety of pedestrians and other road users.
Great review Rob! I had the F56 Mini Electric, I loved it. You got to consider the Mini factor, about 100miles is about 90miles once you've really booted it! I loved my 'old' Mini Electric but with a fatal flaw of 90miles range, it really wasn't usable even for motorway commuting as you can't guarantee the destination would have charging and public charging is so costly anyway. I suspect with the newest mini ev, the range of approx 150miles would drop to around 130miles once you had abit of fun in it! Still not a usable range in my opinion, I think 200miles is an optimum range in the UK to get from A-B and back again without getting stung by public charging, which in some cases is more expensive than fuel... I think it should really be used to top up. I found myself regularly charging near empty at public chargers. I've gone back to petrol. But in the hope that public leccy will get less expensive and when EV's come down in price with an effective range of around 200miles :)
That big round screen at the front.... I'm hoping the electronics industry magazines/sites have articles and interviews with the EEs who worked on that. It looks challenging in terms of manufacturing.
I find it funny How the auto journalists in general have a hard time resetting the counter to find the actual fuel economy and preferring to blame it on previous drivers.
Took a test drive in both the new Minis and I was surprised how harsh the suspension was. Even around town you felt every lump and bump in the road. Our Mazda MX5 feels like a magic carpet ride by comparison.
Mr Llewellyn - please do not dismiss the driving for 3hrs at national speed limit on the motorway and make small the challenges that this car has. A combustion engined mini can do long distance, the battery cannot. The petrochemical fuel cel dimensions and efficiency, based on the chassis size and battery that can be fitted, will always be an issue. If you can only afford ONE car, the MG4, is a good example. When theses EV's trickle down to the used marketplace, people have one choice as their only car. 70 miles an hour for 3 hours on a UK motorway, at 3.5kW/mile = 60kW battery. This is a benchmark for many people who do the longer trips on a holiday to the lakes, cotswolds, Cornwall, Scotland, Norfolk (vis-a-vis). Depreciation will get people into better cars for sure - my 71 plate Zoe cost £36k. I have one year of my PCP remaining and autotrader prices are £10k - so trade-in will be lower, meaning we will just walk away and leave the car, requiring us to look again at other transport solutions - I'm thinking an older classic that is ULEZ free seen as EV's will now have to pay the congestion charge anyway....
If you need a break after three hours driving you need to hand in your licence. It’s also the fact you need somewhere guarenteed to charge it up when you get to your destination 75 miles away before you come home. Probably 60 miles because nobody drives around with less than a 10 miles range…
New Electric MINI and new ICE MINI are two completely different cars, look very similar but Electric is an all new car on an all new platform. ICE is secretly the old MINI with a facelift and a new interior. You could swap the wheels between them but not much else, the entire chassis and every external panel is different.
hmm expensive for a three dorr city car with a small battery and limited range as was points out. I imagine winter range nearer 120 miles. Its built in China and based upon the GWM Ora 3. Imagine it will do well as a fashion accessory.
@@howardgott4946nope the electrics are built in China until 2026/27. The ICE versions are built in Oxford with the new body mated to the old chassis and running gear. Maybe the EU tariffs on Chinese built cars might force BMW to upgrade the Oxford factory sooner who knows.
Always love cheerful mini style and round screen… It’s so nice!! But I don’t think 35k starting price is justifiable. It should start from 20k, maybe 25k.
No "old usb"? I guess this car too got on the trend of not letting you play music from a usb. I know the infotainment system is not the point of these videos but is a feature that I really miss on newer cars. So many country roads lack proper service to use spotify and the such and I'm not paying extra for the ability to stream on the car when there's no internet
It's good to see Robert doing car reviews again, but I'm afraid it's a BIG miss for me and I think we'll be keeping our original 2020 Mini Electric rather than get the new one 🙁 - the bodywork no longer really looks like a mini (that rear end?! 😮) and has horrible creases in it so that it looks like it's had a prang at sometime, plus the handles will be a haven for spiders! 😆 - the interior looks really cheap, especially the buttons, and not worth the 30 grand price tag (an increase of £6k on ours?!) - yes the screen is nice but the changing of modes is sooo slow (5secs) & impractical and a backwards step from the 2020 model which is an instant change. I do agree wirh Robert that the range is more than adequate (we've had 120miles & 15% battery left before now) and a smaller battery just means quicker charging stops 😃 With the likes of the Renault 5, Fiat Grande Panda & Hyundai Inster (to name but a few) all coming out soon, cheaper and going further on a charge, I think Mini will struggle to sell these... 😬
I know it's against the spirit of the Mini, but I'd prefer rear wheel drive. The turning circle on my i3s is absolutely magnificent. It's just not possible in fwd cars.
I don't find the MG LKA annoying at all, I have he sensitivity set to min and keep within the lane markings. It's not active below 35 mph. Just use your indicators and keep in the lane.
Trouble is as with all EVs 150 miles isn’t the normal usable range when looking at 20-80% charge, 60% of 150 miles is only 90 miles. Also based on my own experience of owning a BMW i4 for 3 months I can’t believe any EV driving experience can be described as exciting.
Finally! A car that they've properly designed the radar sensor (black box thing) for. So many cars have them plonked on, but the Mini has it neatly in the centre.
That's not a car. That is cellphone on wheels. I just loved my old go anywhere Mini. And calling it Copper?! He must be turning on his grave. Bless him.
I hear you about BMW and petrol cars, but there still are situations that an EV isn't going to work. I'd love to go EV, but my 100+ year old building has no way to charge one where I park, and literally half the charging stations between myself and where I normally have to go are perpetually out of service. Maybe one day.
The round screen in the classic mini was a speedometer, the reason was because BMC needed to save money by not having to make a left and right hand drive dashboard. Despite this, the brilliant owners of the company were such geniuses that they lost money on every car they sold because they had not managed to grasp the concept of math and accounting.
@@simonmatthews7512 I learned to drive in the Classic Mini, learned automotive repair and maintenance and knew it enough that when my High School Auto repair teacher had us draw a diagram of a car's ignition and starter circuit, I drew the Mini's ignition and starter circuit instead of the one in our instruction books. So no, what I said about why the classic mini had a center mounted speedometer is pretty well known
No excuses for EV price gouging. Battery prices have dropped off a cliff and are still falling. Good to see Fully Charged reviews becoming more objective and calling out the bad points if necessary.
Bloomberg reports that battery prices have almost halved in the last 18 months, as battery manufacturers have an oversupply (because manufacturers like BMW have overpriced EVs so demand hasn't grown as fast as anticipated). There's no reason for expensive EVs anymore!
Absolutely! Car manufacturers are taking the p*ss on pricing, here in France most EVs are in the region of 7 to 10 €K more pricey than their petrol equivalents. There's no excuse for it.
More expensive than an MG5 Luxury Long Range with 61kWhr battery. It’s said that the battery is 40% of the cost, so the round dial or something must be really expensive!
Sounds like they are still using the same battery and motor from the I3 which is inexcusable. The petrol version of the Mini is 23k, there is no reason this should cost more.
Isn’t this the mini model which is manufactured in China anyhow?
"Not that I've had much experience of science fiction robots". Said with a perfectly straight face.
Kryten wasn't a robot as such. Some might suggest more of an android (according to the nerdy websites, that is)
The scutters were the "real" robots.
How nerdy is that?
😂😂😂😂
There again, to repeat, some might class Kryten as an android.
There's a lot of that sort of opinion to be found on nerdy sites.
So I gather.
Really nerdy.
@@t1n4444 in the episode DNA it is mentioned that Kryten's brain is "part-organic" just to make it even more complicated 🤣
@@Stephen-Jones
😂😂😂😂😂
Aha!
Then perhaps Kryten might best be described as a cyborg?
Some might even go so far as to align his '"ethnicity" (FFS 😂😂😂😂😂) with the Borg but an autonomous version with no connection to the "hive mind".
That might be it.
😂😂😂😂😂
for 150 miles of range, it should cost under 20K, not 38K
Yes, for me anything less than 200 miles (real world) is a city car - fine, but don't expect to take it on a long journey. In real life with 150 miles you are going to be stopping about every 100 miles which is only about an hour and a half of motorway driving, I like to think I average 2 hours between stops on a longer journey.
I get around 220km / 140miles in my 2020 Mini ( not motorway ) on average, the new one ( not motorway, not that type of car me thinks anyway) should make 200
I mean it should definitely be cheaper than it is, but virtually no car is less than $20k these days.
It's 28k, which is still too much. You could get a 300 mile range Cupra born with under 10k miles on it for that much
Hell, you could get a Tesla Model 3 or Polestar 2 with less than 20k miles on them for that much.
@@smitabhmoitra5726 Yeah but why would you have a Tesla?
Nice to see they are not all getting bigger, that is the size a mini should be. A little to expensive. Good to see Bobby doing testing.
It's feckin *massive*, for a mini :( (and the range is dire too)
If Mini's got any bigger they could replace Transits... they're huge compared to old car, and bigger than a lot of others on the road.
@@andders2477 as much as I'd love to criticise mini, everything has turned into SUVs, so I'll be grateful they haven't gone down the same route as Ford. The bar has been set very low indeed
It's huge and bloated.
In 2024 I'd expect more real world range than 150 miles, for that price. Car itself looks alright.
And how often will you drive for 150 miles continuously? The average UK daily commute is 20.8 miles...
The SE will go further if that’s really important.
Yes I agree. A lot of Mini owners don’t appear to want to make the jump to electric because the range is poor. These aren’t just city cars. I think this car should have the same range as an ID3.
@@richard7071yea surprised this wasn't mentioned. A friend has a new mini with a 50kwh battery i believe and 180-200mile range.
@@Brian-om2hhin the winter knock off another 30 to 50 miles. It's not unreasonable to travel 60 miles to somewhere with no destination charging then drive back later without wanting to stop again.
Great review, simple and honest. With the battery prices falling I don't see how the new EV's are still at a premium over ICE versions. Well said and keep pushing that point. I look forward to the day that a similar spec ICE car and EV are at price parity. That is then truly giving the choice to consumers.
They are already at price parity in China.
One simple word=volume! It's est compact segment cars need to do 250,000+units a year to reach profitability.
Outside of tesla and a few Chinese model's no one else has that currently.
And evs require massively different disciplines plus software expertise none of the legacy ice oems have atm. Just look at vag and their carid fiasco for proof. And now they wanna pay rivian up to $5,000,000,000 by 2026 for a stop gap solution until 2029 when they can get out their in house csp ev only next gen platform with in house software&cells!
I don't know what figures you achieved in the end, but in 2024 for a car that small anything under 4 miles/kWh is inexcusable. 5 or more is perfectly doable and it allows cars to have a smaller battery without compromising on range. Seat did it with the Mii which wasn't even a dedicated EV.
Be interesting to see how Nissan performs m/KwH with the promised solid state batteries due in 2028.
Lucid just hit 5mi/kWh, and that’s the most efficient EV on the planet. It’s not THAT easy to clear 5.
@@OptimumSlinkyplenty of EVs achieve over 5mi/kWh.
i can get 5.5 hypermiling my partners vw eup and that cars like 5+ yr old design (of the big battery) even my big estate with cruise at 3.8, and ive done 4.7 when hypermiling to avoid stopping to charge
@@OptimumSlinky theres a difference between rated efficiency and whats achieveable if you try. ive done 5.5 in an eup before... not safely sure but doable
This is a much better review than most: I love how instead of trying to describe how the car handles and ‘feel’ through steering and inches of legroom, he just got straight to the point: it’s not boring, it’s fun to drive, range is less but still sufficient for most people, getting in the back can be hard for some, but once in it’s decent. And focused on: the screen, the ease of use, the head up display position, the styling elements because it’s a mini, and the price. All of this without so much drama.
Can’t all reviews be like this one (and the others by Robert?)
Cant believe the range is still so bad 😂
140 mile range. As someone in the market for a smaller EV, 200 miles real range is what I’d want from a car. 140 is just a no go.
Yes because you do.... How many miles a day?.... 25...30?
They do a longer range one as well!
If you put in into the context of the average daily UK commute being 20.8 miles, and the average UK motorway journey being 70 to 80 miles, is it *really* so bad? Why pay for a car (or battery) that has 300 miles of range, if you only drive a 300 mile trip twice a year?
@@pachy444it's not about that, my car is not just a daily commuter, it's a weekend adventure vehicle too. I don't want to have 2 cars, I want one that does it all, and for me, that means 200 miles of real world range. As it happens, my Tesla exceeds that by over a hundred miles, but I will accept that's just a luxury, not a need.
I do wonder if the EU legacy manufacturers are even trying tbh. 4 mpk is atrocious for a car that size. My ioniq 5 regularly exceeds 5.5 in mixed driving so something this small with 2/3rds the battery size should be over 6.
Really. I see under 4 miles to a KWh in my Ioniq 5 on normal town driving, and under 3 miles on a fast A road. It's still cheaper to run than an equivalent diesel though.
Great to watch another brutally honest car review from Robert. Who really cares about the 0-60 time or the top speed nowadays. Tell us what it's like to drive and how it feels. Top job Kryten :-)
Your avatar looks familiar somehow… 😜
@@CoLD.SToRAGE No that really is a picture of my face 🙂
@@PHXRenegade In that case, I’m glad to have provided the music to your working life!
@@CoLD.SToRAGE And if you really did do the music to Lemmings, you are a genius, love those tracks :-)
The efficiency for wh/km seems to have a typo. Likely 140 and not 420 as written in the bottom left corner
I would disagree that 150 miles (240km) is enough range for long-range driving: You want the range for 70% of the battery (10-80%, as this is the range where charging is fast), to give you more than two hours on the highway (a comfortable interval to stop at). 70% of 240km is 168km, which is barely an hour and a half driving. So about 300-350km range is the sweetspot.
By "enough, " I think he simply means it's doable, not ideal or convenient. it's much better than the previous model
Mini Cooper SE 2024 has aa range of 400 km. This was the Mini Cooper E 2024
Would you buy a petrol mini for long journeys ? I drive the bmw i3 which is the same as the old mini. I don’t do long runs very often. Set your trip computer every day and see how many miles you actually do. Probably never more than 100 I bet, unless work is involved
And I think the 70% rule will be just about right on the SE.
I’d agree, not quite enough for me. Regular 150 mile trips 2.5 to 3 hours I can do without a stop. Arriving at destination with a couple of % on the battery would be too close. There is a bigger battery option but super expensive for a small car.
Nice to see more Bobby reviews, I was half wondering if once he got in the back the rest of the review would be done as he was 'trapped'. Thanks for another great vid
They didn’t film it in order, he is still in there. You’ll see him hiding in other reviewers videos.
@@joemacleod-iredale2888 😂 the new game "spot Robert's head" 🤣
I knew what Robert was going to say about the suspension long before he said it; you could SEE how rough it was from the inside camera as he was driving along (roads I know), that arent that bad.
150 mile real world range is really barely adequate unless you only want to potter around town; come winter - unless it has heated seats/HVAC (not mentioned), the range is going to plunge.
it isnt a case of inadequate charging infrastructure, more a case of always needing to be conscious of where you need to stop next; and a short range also means those out-of-range trips are going to cost a lot more; home charging is so much cheaper than using even the cheapest Rapid charger.
I occasionally do a run to Heathrow (through the Cotswolds = ~120 miles); a 100% home charge costs me ~£3 for my remaining 26.1KWh of battery, then I need 3x 20-80% rapid charges along the way, that cost me ~£33+; if I had the newer version of my car, I could JUST make the trip on my initial charge - which would cost me ~£10.
Like a Renault 5, but bulkier, less range, more expensive, less charisma and an ugly gum shield in its gob… No thanks
The Mini website says that the head up display (+ a few of the other features in the Mini tested here) are not standard but come as part of a £2000 Level 1 upgrade package!
Sorry Robert, but it looks like someone fibbed if they told you that you were driving the base model.
The old version did about 130 which is way more that most people drive in a day.... I always wonder what daily mileage people who moan about EV range actually do.... truth is 10yrs ago lots of people bought EVs with a 80 mile maximum range and had no issues at all as a daily driver, seems to me people convince themselves they are doing intercontinental tours all the time when in reality they go to Aldi on a Saturday and 20 miles a day to work 😂
To some of us its not the day to day range,but the ability to get somewere in a hurry, or a sudden decision.
We drive a 2024 hyundai kona N line s EV and are currently 85 miles from home on holiday (used 25% range to get here) which is fine,
I also use a diesel berlingo van for work.
But even full up the kona shows 304 miles and my 82 year old mum lives 255 miles away in North Devon, so for me a range of 600 miles would ease my mind (as the berlingo will do on a tank of diesel) should the worse come to the worse and I don't have hours to charge.
I guess " my perfect " range might be higher than a lot of people's nd in time (12 years maybe) main stream ev's will have that range, but for the here and now ,for us it's a mix of diesel and electric.
This is very true. There's always a compromise. Smaller car, small batter, decent efficiency vs larger car, large battery worse efficiency. BMW have obviously worked out that this is a okay range for the target customer. For people who want more range they can get a countryman. It's also likely to be a city, urban car or a second car anyway, so most people would be fine with a 140 mile range. My wife has an i3 and that range is around 175 miles, but she never drives more than about 75 miles in a day, so it is ideal. For big trips I have an iX with 300-400 mile range, but I would much prefer the i3 for nipping about day to day.
Well @pachy444, so would you pay that ridiculous price for whatever that is suppose to be a Chinese attempt at a mini I think it is ,with an abysmal range for the price.
I think it's similar thinking as to why people are so entranced by SUVs, and big SUVs at that, namely that they see them as a vehicle for every occasion, when in reality a 5-door hatchback will do 99% of everything they actually need it for. Just without the 'high driving position'...
Did Robert say, ‘Tinny’ the Robot?” Frunkin’ HIGHlarious!
I really find it wild that I am still watching you Robert, I had been a long time viewer of the Junkyard Wars. SO insane youre still at it! Hope to see you for years to come!
Better, but still pretty poor miles/kWh per £ compared to the competition
Tesla Model Y RWD base model in Germany atm: 39.000 €
New Mini Cooper: 35.000 €
Decent people don't give Elon Musk their money.
I'll second that strongly...
Love the show (as usual!) but as a product designer it pains me to see this car. One of the most iconic, recognizable, and loved car design ever to be made was totally disconfigured here. The back looks horrendous. The front fascia lack personality - and to say this of a mini is to say a lot. I hope Frank Stephenson does a critique of this, I'd love to watch it. Also, Bobby, you should have him on the show!
I think the back is the best bit! Really cool and different to the competition!
@@1polly I'm with andiogocastro, the back does not look like a mini - more like a Fiat.
Thanks for saying it out loud! The previous version was much better looking. Even that nice round display seems a lit lost in that center console. Few regular meters or screens behind the wheel would make a big difference. Thank goodness there is the hud and you don't have to rely just to the center display.
if you think that about this..... you will absolutely love the new ford capri :D
They're making petrol/diesel cars because they're £10,000 cheaper and not everyone has the ability to charge an EV at home and the charging infrastructure is a few years off being fit for purpose.
An RAC study concluded that over 60% of the UK's homes had either a driveway or a dedicated parking area.
EVs are not at all more expensive, this is just price gouging. The petrol equivalent is £23,150 compared to £30,000 for the slightly more powerful EV. Then you have to factor in the savings in running costs and maintenance over time. However, I agree that this Mini EV price is Crazy - A MG4 EV can be bought for around the same price as the Petrol Mini (which seems to be only available as an automatic)
Right what about the other 40% or do they not matter. Is it I,m alright mentality
5:18 Somebody got the efficiency wrong 😅. If the efficiency is 261 Wh/mile, it should be 163 Wh/km (dividing 261 by 1.6, but somebody multiplied it instead 😅)
Or someone liked 420 better. 😏
42kwh/100km (thats how the world measures it) is the consumption of a van on the autobahn.
@@flossemdI think wh per km is the best metric. The differences feel as big as they are. 4.2 or 3.8 seem kinda similar but really aren’t.
@@MiesvanderLippe you pay kwh, your battery has kwh, you charge in kw. I don't need know what I use to go to ikea 5km away but I want to know how much I use per month or when I drive longer distances to a different city.
Since late 2023, the Electric Mini Cooper is developed and produced in China at the Spotlight Automotive joint venture facility in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu. It seems BMW made a major error in judgement building it in China, EU Tarrffs may make it uncompetitive in the UK market. It's way past time BMW manufactured it here, and stopped being cheapscates...
The Electic mini coded JOX same as Chinese but made in Oxford was supposed to launch in 2026 for Western Europe ans US. This has been put on stop because of certain issues with Spotlight and GWoCh. Regarding the tarrifs EU is going to decrease tarrifs for BMW and VW electric cars made in China so we will see how that affects the Electic Mini arrival to Oxford. I hope they will come to some agreement and they restart the project. It would create quite a few jobs.
My very first can was a yellow mini. Bought new. A few months into ownership I drove from Birmingham to Bath on a cold day. I was puzzled by the frost gathering on the inside of the windscreen. On return, I took it back to the dealer and told them of my experience. They had a look at the car and told me that the heating ducts hadn't been connected. Thankfully, your sample wasn't made at Longbridge.
Real Men don’t need heating!🎉
I’m a HUGE fan of instrument displays that are CLEAR and CONSISE. What I mean is that if I’m looking for the speed or the navi or temperature controls; they shouldn’t blend together.
If you are doing greater than 100km/hr, in traffic, you don’t have time to fiddle here and fiddle there. Make 3 displays rather than 1 display to help preserve the safety for the driver.
Rather a disappointment to remove a physically shielded driver cluster (showing speed, distance, warnings, other essentials). I’m not turning my head to look at a central display that the passenger can play with. That is a hazard.
(To be clear about heads up displays, you can do a windshield projection and have a decent daylight visibility while it creates no clutter. The little tinted glass where a proper clutter belongs is a failure honestly.)
I have to be honest i hated the circle infotainment with rectangle screen inside on the older minis, and i'm someone who actually likes buttons. Making the whole screen circle looks clean.
"I cann't do 3 hours on a motorway, I need to have a wee"
The joys of getting older! But if you cannot do 150 miles on a motorway in a lot less than 3 hours (roadworks permitting!) then I suggest Bobby you are no longer particularly safe on motorways.
I suspect the range is actually closer to 190 miles in urban environments (under 4m/kw) but 150 miles on motorway at normal motorway speeds sounds about right. But the Mini is not intended as a motorway cruiser, merely a city car so for that the range is fine.
As the video suggests, the new Mini is for Mini fans only. It is completely outclassed by the MG4 and BYD Dolphin. If it was priced at c. £23-24,000 then it would be viable option
140 miles is 2 hours on the motorway, not 3
140 miles is 7 hours on the M25❤
avg motorway speed in the UK is just under 50mph iirc (yes, the *limit* is 70mph - but you're not going to achieve that for long, due to congestion, roadworks, and so on).
Where ?
maybe at 2am
@@rtfazeberdee3519 maybe
5:18 I guess the conversion from miles to Km is the other way 😛 -> 160 Wh/Km or 16 kWh/100Km as we prefer to use 😉
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one that noticed this…..
I was thinking 420 was a bit much…
I think the design is absolutely on point! It is now much cleaner, simplified, and it certainly looks as iconic as ever. I know the range is not the best and the price is maybe a bit to high…but I would definitely get this one instead of an MG4 or a e-208!
150miles, in ideal conditions. Unfortunately that is not sufficient here in Canada as real world would be closer to 100miles during our 6 month winter season.
Seems like Bobby's main objection to the "original" Mini-E was range for the price. Otherwise all of the adjectives he has used to describe the new Mini-E can be applied to the old. I disagree with his perspective that because the old Mini-E was basically a petro conversion, that that somehow delegitimized it as a good if not great EV.
The first example he gave was "the fit and finish was just so good" -- well, the old Mini-E had that, too, so next? Pleasure to drive -- old Mini-E had that as well. Head up display? Well had Mini NOT copied Tesla, with a forward instrument cluster like the old Mini-E the new Mini-E would need not have to bother with a head-up display. Center display? Mini heritage had been no-nonsense instrumentation -- what does putting picture of kids, dog or cat have to do with driving? So most of the "improvements" IMHO were simply gimmicks that do not a great EV make.
New Mini-E "SO Much Better"? I completely disagree.
Those rear lights are ridiculous - I realise they’re supposed to be half a Union Jack, but they look like arrows pointing the wrong way. Indicate left, arrow points right.
They look like they belong on a Kia
@@cybergornstartrooper2157agree they are quite a jarring design....I was thinking they are not too different from the Ssangyong Tivoli.
I thought it was a new Nissan Micra when I saw the video thumbnail.
A great down to earth review, but this mini needs the indicators below the lights, as It just looks too plain and un mini like. The rear lights too don't look right (the old model ones looked better). Also never in mini history have the rear lights been triangles?
Indeed. They lost the recognizable rear end. It's no longer Mini.
never thought I’d see a display that looks like a dinner plate, but there you go
It shares its platform with the GWM Ora as GWM and BMW developed the platform together. I find it interesting that the GWM gets a bigger battery though and that the Mini has much less range. I can see some GWM bits in the interior as well and i'd bet that a fair bit of the mechanicals are GWM too. In essence, its a Chinese German British car!
When I first saw it I thought of the ora cat...
German and British only in history and ownership. It’s fully Chinese engineered and made.
Ora died on its arse as a brand. Kind of odd to see it as a reskinned Mini. Anyway, too expensive and not enough range.
The back of it really gives me "Chinese car design" vibes but I can't place my finger on why. Presumably this is a concious decision by BMW in order to try and sell in the biggest car market on earth?
yes and it will be half price in china
Resplendent in "Fully Charged Yellow". I'd be comparing it to something like the Hyundai Inster. I prefer the Inster.
Indeed..The Inster will be at least £10k cheaper than the mini be more practical, well built as all Hyundai's are and more comfy. Mini is an exercise in style over substance and later this year it will be up against the Renault 5 which is even more funky, cute and will no doubt be much cheaper
Agree, will take a MG4 any day instead, thanks Robert for covering this and the personal comparison
This new Mini is not for practicality but for peoples wanting their own Mini, this is the best one yet
I have an MG 4 and it's definitely still a great car. The infotainment system is a bit whiffy but the driving experience is excellent and it's excellent value too
I like the comment of not messing with the screen as concentrating to stay safe. Now drive on our roads and adjust the temperature and fan speed and fan direction on these ridiculous touch screens.
Explaining how a button works LOL. Great video. thank you
A reskinned GWM ORA 03?
Happy to see more bespoke EV platforms being designed. And I really love the circular screen, very cool. But Bobby is right, the price needs to come down. And yes, why the heck are some dimwits still making fossil cars in 2024??
@alexandersaksvoll5373 there is still a big market for ice vehicles that’s why it is all about money always has been and always will dimwit.
Perhaps they are still making petrol cars because they work!! When I look at whole life costs together with how most of our electricity is still produced I really struggle to see the argument for ev’s. Love the presentation all the same. 10 out of 10 for enthusiasm!
his reviews are always wayyyy too positive
Hard ride, too expensive. What else?
I think you hit the nail on the head - it should be cheaper than the petrol version, not massively more expensive. Until this happens across the board mainstream adoption will be stunted. Still, I bet we'll be seeing a lot of these around London and the Cotswolds!
I firmly believe it there's a 15% markup on the petrol version then there's a 80-100% on the electric one. I remember journalists saying EVs will be cheaper due to lower cost of parts AND fewer parts AND cheap charging, yet we see luxury prices for 4 seaters and ranges that the Chinese had in 2010. I can't wait for the oncoming storm to wash out all this crap so freedom of movement won't be a luxury
I know a taxi driver local to me with the MG4 LR who gets over 300 miles a charge even on motorway trips. On hot days, he has seen over 340 miles
Not enough range for that price. Looks good, but how did that work out for the Honda E?
When did you last jump in your car and drive for 150 miles continuously?
@@Brian-om2hh last weekend, Manchester to Tenby.
@@Brian-om2hh also, it's not just "continuously". If I am only going 100 miles out and 100 miles back, I don't want to public charge if I can get away with it. My car is filled up at home for 7.5p per kWh, versus an average 65p per kWh at a public charger.
Let's say I do a trip out on my home charged battery and for the sake of argument use a whole 50kWh. Then charge that 50kWh for the journey back.
The trip out cost me £3.75 of electricity, the trip back cost me £32.50.
And if I could've done that whole trip on my home charge it would've cost me £7.50 Vs £36.25.
@@Brian-om2hh Yesterday, South Manchester to Just south of Glasgow very early in the morning and the return trip back late evening to meet a business client. 234 miles (3 hrs 50) each way. Went to Cambridge and back the week before for a funeral. 180 miles (3 hrs 20) each way! The minimum range any EV should have is around 250 miles, unless your only use case is dropping the kids off at school, shopping in the next town or commuting
£30k is just too much. Imagine if someone did a Fiat 500, little pocket rocket, £10k electric car. It would sell like hot cakes.
I see what you’re saying, but the cheapest car on sale today is almost £14k. I just don’t think it’s possible to make a £10k car anymore with the extra safety regulations
@@CharlieGB03 yeah, it’s a fair point. The lowest priced Fiat 500 is now almost £17k… which is nuts
Good to see the fully charged show going on the road and travelling all over the world. So good to see that we’re all helping the planet and flying around the world!
Are BMW incapable of designing a good looking car
Yes
Looks like a mini.
@@TisMeJohnDee no it doesn't it look like a Chinese copy before they could make anything good
About the range - this is the base model, the SE model claims 250 miles WLTP to probably about 200 miles in the real world. But obviously is more expensive (around £40k with the higher trim).
I've already ordered mine :D
Not the cheapest car, I could have got better value for money in terms of range/cost but the Mini was just so much better to drive than the MG4, e-208 or Zoe.
It took BMW 4 years to develop this car. BMW concentrated so much on the development that, BMW forgot update the range for 2024 as its got the range of a 2020 EV.
Thanks for the video. I think the Renault R5 Etech is more in line with the form/design of this mini.
And that one is A LOT cheaper. The plus for this mini is, it is a sporty 2-door EV, and that is about unique.
It's 50% more expensive than petrol, the range is rubbish, charging speed is catastrophic, and the suspension is non existent. Truly lovely...
And the whole car is an excuse to stealth move Mini production out of the UK.
Robert clearly likes to drive local, it always makes me smile to see the Cotswold edge in the background. I drive around there quite often but have never caught him yet!
I knew what the noise would be before you played it - the Jetsons
Wasn't the Jetsons noise referred to as a "wibble"?
Not a fan of the design of this at all, looks like a toy and sometimes thats fun and I generally like that in some cars but they should have kept more of the regular mini design in this, much better looking car. But good to see a dedicated EV platform.
My favorite small EV is probably the Honda E with all its drawbacks it was so cool and I'll have one maybe in 5 years when a small car like that can have 2,5 times the energy storage onboard!
The Zoe is another nice small EV, it was cheap for a while then it went up... did spot one just the other day!
I'm still hooked on the first generation Kia Niro EV haha, would still be good today with 400 km's of range, in most models it has not changed that much unless you buy 80K - 120K+ cars!
Best part about that car is that it looks like a normal car inside and out... not overly complicated.
Such a nice colour for a Mini. Makes me sad seeing so many of these being bought in dull colours
Took 1 out for a drive, its a nice car but I told the sales guy it's just too expensive especially with the C3, renault 5, Panda and the Inster coming soon.
Yay to reviews of base models!
Agreed, Mr. Llewellyn. In this time period, the only cars that should be produced that have internal combustion are enthusiast manual transmission cars. The average person would be thrilled to have a car that runs on the price of a fraction of fuel, have little to no maintenance, won't stink up the garage. Now manufacturers need to step up and make it happen!
Thanks Robert, great review! Not to be negative, but I've been a bit more critical of the latest MINI refresh. I want a small electric car for the limited city driving I do, so range it's my issue. But as a MINI purist, the exterior design has been downhill for ages. (Not to mention this model is still larger than the first 2 iterations). I'm not a fan of either the front end (it's looking like a lexus) and especially the backend (which no longer looks like a MINI). And the back turn lights point in the wrong direction again! The price is odd; the electric models are apparently made in China (so maybe the higher price is from tariffs). Sadly the MINI is billed as a "premium" car; not driving an oversized SUV shouldn't be premium.
They really spoiled the front of the Mini. That band of bodywork where the larger grill used to be is awful. Everything else looks good
We will now be expecting Kryten or the skutters to make that noise in the New Series of Red Dwarf that hasn't been announced yet. 😂
Besides the centre display, it's boring.
The headlights look stolen from the Ora Cat and the boot/backend looks like Fiat designed it
with it being a mini the price was always going to be high, compared to other brands. I think the fact the car makes a sound as you drive is really good. I think these should be mandatory for the safety of pedestrians and other road users.
Robert Llewellyn is the Graham Norton of cars and other vehicles. He is so much better then other presentators. It is always a joy to watch him.
Great review Rob! I had the F56 Mini Electric, I loved it. You got to consider the Mini factor, about 100miles is about 90miles once you've really booted it! I loved my 'old' Mini Electric but with a fatal flaw of 90miles range, it really wasn't usable even for motorway commuting as you can't guarantee the destination would have charging and public charging is so costly anyway. I suspect with the newest mini ev, the range of approx 150miles would drop to around 130miles once you had abit of fun in it! Still not a usable range in my opinion, I think 200miles is an optimum range in the UK to get from A-B and back again without getting stung by public charging, which in some cases is more expensive than fuel... I think it should really be used to top up. I found myself regularly charging near empty at public chargers. I've gone back to petrol. But in the hope that public leccy will get less expensive and when EV's come down in price with an effective range of around 200miles :)
Sounds a bit like the Jetsons vehicle sound.
I thought the same.
Or the cars from Logan's Run
The best thing about that car for me is something Robert didn't mention. It's in colour!
(I loathe the fashion for monochrome dullness)
That big round screen at the front.... I'm hoping the electronics industry magazines/sites have articles and interviews with the EEs who worked on that. It looks challenging in terms of manufacturing.
Nothing is more relaxing than a old style car review by Bobby.
I find it funny How the auto journalists in general have a hard time resetting the counter to find the actual fuel economy and preferring to blame it on previous drivers.
Took a test drive in both the new Minis and I was surprised how harsh the suspension was. Even around town you felt every lump and bump in the road. Our Mazda MX5 feels like a magic carpet ride by comparison.
The problem with small battery evs is that you’re more inclined to charge it to 100% which means you’re more likely to degrade the battery.
Mr Llewellyn - please do not dismiss the driving for 3hrs at national speed limit on the motorway and make small the challenges that this car has. A combustion engined mini can do long distance, the battery cannot. The petrochemical fuel cel dimensions and efficiency, based on the chassis size and battery that can be fitted, will always be an issue. If you can only afford ONE car, the MG4, is a good example. When theses EV's trickle down to the used marketplace, people have one choice as their only car. 70 miles an hour for 3 hours on a UK motorway, at 3.5kW/mile = 60kW battery. This is a benchmark for many people who do the longer trips on a holiday to the lakes, cotswolds, Cornwall, Scotland, Norfolk (vis-a-vis). Depreciation will get people into better cars for sure - my 71 plate Zoe cost £36k. I have one year of my PCP remaining and autotrader prices are £10k - so trade-in will be lower, meaning we will just walk away and leave the car, requiring us to look again at other transport solutions - I'm thinking an older classic that is ULEZ free seen as EV's will now have to pay the congestion charge anyway....
Up-thumbed at 3:16 just for that interesting unusual sound!
Mini should have 300 REAL miles of range and cost $25,000, PLEASE ! Sales would be off the charts
If you need a break after three hours driving you need to hand in your licence. It’s also the fact you need somewhere guarenteed to charge it up when you get to your destination 75 miles away before you come home. Probably 60 miles because nobody drives around with less than a 10 miles range…
Surely calling a vehicle that big a "mini" without a vehicle also in the range called a "maxi" is breaking the trades description act?
New Electric MINI and new ICE MINI are two completely different cars, look very similar but Electric is an all new car on an all new platform. ICE is secretly the old MINI with a facelift and a new interior. You could swap the wheels between them but not much else, the entire chassis and every external panel is different.
hmm expensive for a three dorr city car with a small battery and limited range as was points out. I imagine winter range nearer 120 miles. Its built in China and based upon the GWM Ora 3. Imagine it will do well as a fashion accessory.
I’m pretty sure it’s built in Oxford England…because I work there on the assembly line
@@howardgott4946nope the electrics are built in China until 2026/27. The ICE versions are built in Oxford with the new body mated to the old chassis and running gear. Maybe the EU tariffs on Chinese built cars might force BMW to upgrade the Oxford factory sooner who knows.
One of your Personal Best Reports!
Always love cheerful mini style and round screen… It’s so nice!! But I don’t think 35k starting price is justifiable. It should start from 20k, maybe 25k.
Remember it’s a cooper though..
No "old usb"? I guess this car too got on the trend of not letting you play music from a usb. I know the infotainment system is not the point of these videos but is a feature that I really miss on newer cars. So many country roads lack proper service to use spotify and the such and I'm not paying extra for the ability to stream on the car when there's no internet
You can stick mp3s on your phone and it will work from that I would think via android auto
Nice to see you back behind the wheel doing reviews again Robert. Hope to see you do more in future.
It's good to see Robert doing car reviews again, but I'm afraid it's a BIG miss for me and I think we'll be keeping our original 2020 Mini Electric rather than get the new one 🙁
- the bodywork no longer really looks like a mini (that rear end?! 😮) and has horrible creases in it so that it looks like it's had a prang at sometime, plus the handles will be a haven for spiders! 😆
- the interior looks really cheap, especially the buttons, and not worth the 30 grand price tag (an increase of £6k on ours?!)
- yes the screen is nice but the changing of modes is sooo slow (5secs) & impractical and a backwards step from the 2020 model which is an instant change.
I do agree wirh Robert that the range is more than adequate (we've had 120miles & 15% battery left before now) and a smaller battery just means quicker charging stops 😃
With the likes of the Renault 5, Fiat Grande Panda & Hyundai Inster (to name but a few) all coming out soon, cheaper and going further on a charge, I think Mini will struggle to sell these... 😬
I know it's against the spirit of the Mini, but I'd prefer rear wheel drive. The turning circle on my i3s is absolutely magnificent. It's just not possible in fwd cars.
The spirit of mini has long since departed. They might as well make the car rwd for the fun factor even if it's a mini in name only.
Still no 4 door version? Even though they've made a 4 door gas Mini hatchback for a while now?
I don't find the MG LKA annoying at all, I have he sensitivity set to min and keep within the lane markings. It's not active below 35 mph. Just use your indicators and keep in the lane.
Having owned an MG4 for 8 months, and putting 40k on the clock. I fully agree it has draw backs, but it's still a great car. 😊
Trouble is as with all EVs 150 miles isn’t the normal usable range when looking at 20-80% charge, 60% of 150 miles is only 90 miles. Also based on my own experience of owning a BMW i4 for 3 months I can’t believe any EV driving experience can be described as exciting.
Well said @harrycummings6501
Finally! A car that they've properly designed the radar sensor (black box thing) for. So many cars have them plonked on, but the Mini has it neatly in the centre.
That's not a car. That is cellphone on wheels. I just loved my old go anywhere Mini. And calling it Copper?! He must be turning on his grave. Bless him.
I love how everyone seems to have learned from the Honda E. I just wish that car was getting a second gen.
I hear you about BMW and petrol cars, but there still are situations that an EV isn't going to work. I'd love to go EV, but my 100+ year old building has no way to charge one where I park, and literally half the charging stations between myself and where I normally have to go are perpetually out of service. Maybe one day.
The round screen in the classic mini was a speedometer, the reason was because BMC needed to save money by not having to make a left and right hand drive dashboard.
Despite this, the brilliant owners of the company were such geniuses that they lost money on every car they sold because they had not managed to grasp the concept of math and accounting.
Still repeating the tired old stories Ford put about to try and discredit the Mini when they couldn't compete with it. PS It's 'maths'.
@@simonmatthews7512 I learned to drive in the Classic Mini, learned automotive repair and maintenance and knew it enough that when my High School Auto repair teacher had us draw a diagram of a car's ignition and starter circuit, I drew the Mini's ignition and starter circuit instead of the one in our instruction books. So no, what I said about why the classic mini had a center mounted speedometer is pretty well known