New MINI Cooper JCW Electric aims to be ultimate EV hot hatch
Fresh spy shots have given us our first look at the new MINI Cooper JCW Electric, showcasing plenty of exterior design changes over the upcoming MINI Cooper supermini[1].
The JCW (short for John Cooper Works) will be a compact all-electric[2] hot hatch[3] that will have rivals in the shape of the Abarth 500e[4] and the production version of the Alpine A290_ß[5] concept.
This isn’t the first time MINI[6] has toyed with the idea of a JCW-badge electric model. Back in 2020 the firm announced an all-electric John Cooper Works was in development and in 2021 there was the MINI Electric Pacesetter[7] – a safety car for Formula E. MINI boss at the time, Bernd Korber, said the Pacesetter “does reveal one of the directions we could take with the electrification of the JCW brand”. He also said “we have to go and define JCW in an electrified context and era. But that’s possible, there’s no problem, no contradiction”.
That possibility is now a reality judging by these new spy shots. Camouflage covers the entirety of the exterior body panels but we can clearly see the grille low down on the front bumper has gained a new shape compared to the same part on the standard car. The faux grille higher up will probably take on a new design.
As with JCW MINIs in the past, there should be some exclusive paint finishes and accents to signify this is the sportier offering, a set of bespoke alloy wheels will also help the JCW stand out. To the rear there’s a larger roof spoiler, a new diffuser look to the rear bumper and a larger rear reflector behind the rear wheels.
Entry-level electric Cooper Electric models will utilise a 40kWh battery, with higher-specification SE versions upping this to 54kWh. We don’t expect that MINI will offer a separate battery just for the JCW so the 54kWh unit should be used here. We also expect a single electric motor on the front axle and to keep it in contention with the rivals from Alpine and Abarth, a power figure comfortably north of 200bhp seems likely.
Click here for our list of the fastest electric cars in the world[8]…
References
- ^ MINI Cooper supermini (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
- ^ all-electric (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
- ^ hot hatch (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
- ^ Abarth 500e (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
- ^ Alpine A290_ß (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
- ^ MINI (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
- ^ MINI Electric Pacesetter (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
- ^ fastest electric cars in the world (www.autoexpress.co.uk)