MINI Electric Resolute Edition review – this RM211k EV makes no sense, but it means a lot

MINI Electric makes absolutely no sense, but it does make a lot of sense. Allow me to explain. Or two.

That line of contradiction is exactly what I was thinking in return Version resolute electric MINI, and here’s some background information and context. Every car is made for someone, even if that person isn’t me, and it’s essential to look at it from the target market’s POV – basically, put yourself in the shoes of the target market. him her. Those words were put into this rookie’s head years ago by his first editor, and that’s been my approach to automotive reviews ever since.

A car is an instrument first, enjoyment second. It’s what gets you around with the least amount of fuss, and the MINI Electric struggles to do that basic task. Now that claim has nothing to do with how it works, which is fine – more on that later – but given it is an electric vehicle with a claimed WLTP range of 232 km. That’s under 200 km per charge in the real world.

The MINI is a small car designed for internal combustion engines, so they did all they could by stuffing in a 32.6 kWh lithium-ion battery (28.9 kWh usable 28.9 kWh). ) into the platform to turn it into an EV. Small car, small battery, short range – that’s MINI Electric.

In fact, this car has the shortest range of all electric vehicles officially sold in Malaysia – even Neta from China, the cheapest battery-powered car on the market at RM100,000, has a claimed range of 380 km (NEDC) from a 38.54 kW battery. Only Electronic Honda, sold by some gray importers, has such a small range (220 km). Coincidentally, both are cute, compact urban cars.

After the presentation, how was my weekend with the electric MINI, in condensed form.

Photographer Pat gave me the MINI on a Friday night at 70% charge, which is estimated by the trip computer to be able to go 110 km. Half a day running around doing weekend things and I had to charge it on Saturday night when the meter was only 19%, 31 km left.

I live in an apartment and have to rely on public charging, which – if you live in the Klang Valley – is not as inadequate as many protestors claim. I ‘refuel’ at Gentari in Sunway X Park in Petaling Jaya, using a 180 kW DC fast charger. MINI and I were the only ones that moved there and the peak up to 82% cost me RM30.39. With Setel, drivers who are switching to electric vehicles don’t even need to download new/various apps – just ‘Setel it’ just like you would at the Petronas station.

Now with 82% charge you can safely roam again with a big Range of 165 km. From there, I went to Bukit Jalil for Honda’s Gen H event and on Sunday I went to Rawang to meet my friends.

A MINI Electric going to Rawang (70 km from my KL base) is like a fish out of water, when you consider the limited range of cars and the lack of public chargers in that town. It may be ‘just Rawang’, but far from the safe confines of the Klang Valley, I feel vulnerable – it’s a measured effort where every 1% counts.

Monday has come and it’s time for MINI to go home. The thing is, BMW’s headquarters is the furthest of the car brands, as far as Cyberjaya. I started the car and saw 31% and 52 km on the dashboard. End of it, yes, but it looks like savings like mine will now pay off, in the form of avoiding double charging in one weekend!

I made it to Cyberjaya and handed over the keys with the remaining range of 17% and 30km. The feeling is a mixture of relief and a sense of accomplishment; the latter combined with my average power consumption of 11.9 kWh/100km, which my EV sifu Hafriz Shah says is very good. In total, I drove 160.8 km over the weekend.

It is very likely that 150 km of that has been done in Green mode for less power consumption, the rest in Medium mode. At the ends of the scale being Green + and Sport, I didn’t use it beyond trying it out – the response in Green was muted, but that’s fine for my normal driving. Mid is very fast, with the loud, quiet torque typical of EVs; The sense of speed is amplified by the small size of the MINI.

Although I patted myself on the back when I completed a difficult task (by test-car standards), the overarching feeling was that this is not how a MINI should be driven. The symbol of Sport mode is a go-kart, and that bold signal says it all – a MINI is a fun little thing and it should be comfortably driven, not driven by. electricity in Green, for its sake.

So the MINI Electric and its under 200 km range are impractical and almost impossible to use on a daily basis. You might think of it as a toy car vacancy in your garage, but there are sexier options out there. All in all, electric vehicles are measured by range, and every other competitor sold today beats it in that area. A difficult to recommend.

That should have been the review part, but remember the part about putting yourself in the shoes of the potential customer?

It shouldn’t have been, and indeed, if I had a charger at home, it wouldn’t be at all. How far I can go is still limited by the MINI’s below-average range, but with 200km in my pocket per day, this cute car would be the perfect city car.

Perfect? Yes. Today, electric vehicles come in all shapes and sizes, with the kind of range that makes them perfectly usable as everyday transportation. However, I personally think the EV characteristics are best suited for city cars. Instant torque is ideal for point/cut/push driving, and with zero exhaust emissions you won’t pollute the air, the worst in urban centers . Small range from a small battery? 150 km is enough to cover most daily trips.

And what best represents a compact, aiming city car? The fiat500 and MINI comes to mind. Small, easy to drive and park, fun and agile – the latter is now even more powerful with electric response. It’s a familiar dimension and the fun is enhanced with a new-found instant response.

The MINI has never been a laggard, but even the high-performance versions of the ICE can’t match the Electric in terms of the immediacy and impact of torque delivery.

That heavy hand fits the MINI’s naturally hyperactive nature like a glove. Today’s MINI may be closer to a luxury executive’s style than BMW’s original noisy endeavor from the Y2K, but by today’s standards the third-generation hatchback is an eager kid. – thick rims, quick steering, quick reflexes, responsive cornering, negligible roll, solid grip when you’re in corners – it’s all there.

Along with that trip is the company side. Not a bad thing in this case, just part of the car’s unique character, and still usable on a daily basis without being obtrusive. Speaking of day to day, if you haven’t used the MINI in a while, the refinement is pretty good these days and we’re not even talking about the electric ‘silent unit’ yet. Undoubtedly, the essence of the MINI – pleasure – is not compromised in the slightest when switching from the ICE to the electric motor; on the contrary, MINI + EV is a good formula.

If you’ve already sold, the Resolute Edition returns will add to the charm. All bright exterior details have been replaced with matte bronze or gloss black trim for the icons, and it comes in a lovely Rebel Blue paint color option (also available in black and white) with small copper striped decal on the hood. For me, though, the best part of this SE is the ‘tablecloth’ patterned fabric seats – so cozy!

With that, I’ve come to the conclusion that the RM211k MINI Electric makes absolutely no sense, but it does make a lot of sense. It all depends on whether you have access to a charger at home – which disables short range – and whether you like the MINI in the first place.

No one buys a MINI because it makes sense, they buy it because they like the look and find it interesting. It’s not for most people, and in that sense nothing changes in the transition to electricity. Whichever way you think of the MINI Electric, one of my two reviews agree with you!

LIBRARY: Rebel Blue MINI Electric Resolute Edition

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