No Honda e, no problem: New Mini Countryman SUV and Cooper hatch electric vehicles coming in 2024 as brand’s EV vision finally takes flight

September 2, 2023September 1, 2023 John Carey 2920 Views Cooper, Countryman, ev, Mini

Right now Mini sells only one small, outdated and slow-selling EV in Australia, but this is about to change. For the BMW Group-owned Brit brand 2024 will be an EV-centric year.

It will launch electric versions of its all-new Countryman SUV and Cooper hatchback. Both were officially revealed Friday, ahead of the IAA Mobility expo in Munich.

While ICE versions of both these models will continue in production, Mini also plans to reveal a new EV-only model next year.

The arrival of the Countryman EV will be an especially big deal in the SUV-loving Australian market. Mini did not produce previous generations of the Countryman with an EV drivetrain.

Scheduled to land around July 2024, the new Countryman will come with both single-motor and dual-motor EV drivetrains. They’ll be badged S and SE respectively. The SE will be the only all-wheel-drive version in the Countryman range.

The front-drive S is expected to have a 140kW electric motor and a 54kWh battery pack, while the SE’s pair of motors will draw on a 65kWh pack to deliver a combined total of 230kW.

Speaking at a pre-show preview of the new Mini models, brand boss Stefanie Wurst said the Countryman SE would deliver a driving range of up to 440km.

The new Countryman grows significantly in comparison with the model it replaces. According to Wurst it’s 14cm longer and 6 cm taller. There’s more interior space for both passengers and cargo.

The Countryman range is built on the same vehicle platform as BMW’s ICE-powered X1 and electric iX1 range, and will be produced in the same Leipzig factory.

Cooper is the new name for Mini’s new small car. When a hatchback spearheaded BMW’s revival of the brand back in 2000 it was simply called Mini, which was fine when there was only one model.

“Cooper is the name for a family,” said Wurst at the preview. “The three-door will come in two electric flavours, and two combustion-engine drivetrains.” The Cooper S and SE EV hatchbacks will arrive mid-year, around the same time as the Countryman EVs.

The Cooper S will have a 135kW motor and a 40kWh battery pack. It’s expected to have a driving range of around 300km, a big improvement over the official 233km of the current Mini. Equipped with a 160kW electric motor and a 54kWh battery pack, the Cooper SE will be able to deliver a driving range of around 400km.

Expect Australian prices for Mini’s new EVs be announced closer to their arrival.

Late in 2024 Mini will, for the first time in a decade, add a new nameplate to its line-up. “It is a smaller, edgier Sports Activity Vehicle, or a crossover concept, that only comes as an electric drivetrain,” said Wurst. The Mini boss has told UK media she expects it to become the brand’s best seller.

The vehicle will be produced only as a five-door, and will slot between the new Cooper and Countryman in the Mini range. It’ll look a lot like the Aceman concept revealed in June 2022.

EVs currently make up around 15 percent of Mini sales worldwide, according to Wurst. The executive said the aim is to reach 50 percent in the next two years, and for Mini to be 100 percent EV by 2030.

John Carey

Grew up in country NSW, way back when petrol was laced with lead. Has written about cars and the car business for more than 35 years, working full-time and freelance for leading mags, major newspapers and websites in Australia and (sometimes) overseas. Avidly interested in core EV technologies like motors and batteries, and believes the switch to electromobility definitely should be encouraged. Is waiting patiently for someone to make a good and affordable EV that will fit inside his tiny underground garage in northern Italy, where he's lived for the past decade. Likes the BMW i3, but it's just too damned wide...