New Mini John Cooper Works Electric revealed with 258bhp

On sale April 2025 Price from £38,420

The idea of an electric hot hatchback used to be considered sacrilege by die-hard car fans, but over time, it's been proven that just because a car switches from petrol to electric power, it doesn't have to lose any fun in the process. The new Mini John Cooper Works Electric is here to prove that theory, and it's off to a good start by having more power than any other electric Mini.

Indeed, with 227bhp coming from its electric motor, the Mini John Cooper Works Electric offers more pulling power than the regular Mini Cooper Electric in range-topping Coooper SE form. You can activate a Boost Function at the flick of a switch for an extra 27bhp of power, too pushing the total output up to 258bhp, which could be particularly useful for overtaking on faster roads. The John Cooper Works Electric should manage 0-62mph in just 5.9sec – that’s more than a second faster than the rival Abarth 500e, and faster than most versions of the Cupra Born.

The John Cooper Works Electric comes equipped with a 54.2kWh (total capacity) battery and has an official range of 251 miles. This is practically the same as the standard Cooper SE, which has a slightly smaller 49.2kWh battery and an official range of up to 250 miles, and is more than both the Abarth 500e and MG4 XPower can manage. The Cupra Born can go further still, though.

Like the regular Cooper E, the John Cooper Works Electric has lower, stiffer sports suspension, complete with high-performance grip tyres as standard. While it’s not necessarily a go-kart, the regular Cooper E is still fun to drive along twisty country roads, and John Cooper Works Electric will aim to dial up the experience further.

On the inside, the seats are furnished with synthetic leather, and you get the same knitted fabric across the dashboard that is seen in the Cooper E. A 9.4in circular OLED display in the middle of the dashboard provides infotainment controls. This is the same as what you get in the Cooper E – where we like the responsive touchscreen, but the layout can be confusing, and we’d much prefer physical controls for the air-conditioning. 

There’s also a choice of up to seven ‘modes’ which offer customisation of the interior ambient lighting, while a digital key and parking assist system come as standard, which means your car will be able to move in and out of parking bays automatically, all at the touch of a button on your smartphone.

In terms of space, the new John Cooper Works Electric should be similar to the regular Mini Cooper – that is to say not overly spacious for more than two people. That means other rivals, like the MG4, are likely to be better bets if practicality is among your top concerns. For one thing, the John Cooper Works Electric is a three-door model only.

The John Cooper Works Electric can be charged at speeds of up to 95kW, so if you charge it at the fastest public charging stations, it should manage 10-80% in less than 30 minutes. It's worth noting that the MG4 can both accept faster speeds, while the 500e is capped at 85kW.

Prices for the John Cooper Works hatchback will start at £38,420, making it more expensive than the Abarth 500E and MG4 Xpower. The larger Cupra Born, meanwhile, is priced from £36,125.

The Mini Aceman electric SUV has also received the John Cooper Works treatment, and prices for that will start at £40,220, with both models going on sale in April.

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