Anthony drives a MINI Electric Cooper SE 32.6kWh 2021.
This is Anthony’s first electric car, he’s owned the MINI Electric 2-3 years and drives 5,000-10,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 10,000-20,000 miles and he achieves 125 miles from a full charge.
Why did you choose the MINI Electric?
I previously owned a MINI (petrol) and the electric model offered a very large number of features for a lower price point. Features such as a heat pump as standard, which were considerably more on other cars.
Positives
- Fun to drive
- very cheap to run
- well-equipped (heat pump, wireless CarPlay, reversing camera, etc.).
Negatives
- Only three door
- ride can be too firm at times
- haven’t found anything else!
Compared to when you first bought the car, does your battery still charge at the same rate & do you still get the same range?
Still confidently getting over 120 miles range.
Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?
None
What are the standout technological features of the car?
- Back seats can be locked upright, expanding the boot space
- when reversing, the nearside mirror auto-tilts down to view the kerb.
Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this electric car
I’ve already said about the boot configuration but I did manage to carry an adult bike with the seats folder. It was a squeeze but it carried two adults and a bike!
What’s the biggest or funniest myth you’ve heard about EVs?
Range anxiety. I have one of the lowest ranges of any modern EV, yet have never worried. Second week of ownership I drove from Kent to Yorkshire, with two stops (for breakfast at Toddington Services & a coffee at Loughborough McDonalds). Piece of cake!
What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?
Renault 5 (if only it came out sooner), Volvo EX30, Smart #3 & MG4. If I was dreaming, the Caterham Project V!
Home charging unit
Hypervolt 7kW charger – I had it installed in August 2021. I’ve had no problems with it and my one experience contacting Hypervolt was very positive. I sent them a chat message, not expecting a response (at a weekend) and they called me back immediately and remotely updated my unit firmware.
Electricity supplier & tariff
Octopus Energy – their tariff is competitive, as long as they don’t change it without you knowing…
Insurer
Direct Line – apart from a sharp rise in premiums they’ve been OK. Although a recent online comparison showed a prospective EV in a higher insurance group would be cheaper than what I’m currently paying, so I think I will shop around more this year.
Please itemise where you’re saving money (or not) owning & running a MINI Electric
- I am currently paying £2 to charge for a week’s motoring
- there’s no road tax
- my previous petrol MINI cost £60+ per month for a full tank back in 2021, when I could make it last that long, so running costs are easily 6-7 x less
- servicing is bi-annual and costs very little (inspection & air filters) – so service costs are at least half, if not a lot more.
See other MINI Electric Owner Reviews here
