Mini rejects ludicrous acceleration to keep "go-kart fun" for upcoming JCW performance EV — promises light weight and fun driving

The electric Mini Cooper JCW trim has been leaked a number of times, now, but Mini has been rather quiet about its plans for a performance EV. We know it exists, but it was just barely mentioned in the recent launch of the refreshed Mini Cooper E and SE lineup. A new interview with Motor1 gives us an indication of what to expect from the JCW brand as it goes electric.

Mini Americas's vice president, Mike Peyton, and the Global Head of Mini Product, Christian Wehner, confirmed that the John Cooper Works branding will live on in the EV era, and that Mini would strive to maintain the handling and performance characteristics of the diminutive vehicle.

"At the end of the day, it’s gotta be a Mini, it’s gotta perform like a Mini, it’s gotta drive like a Mini… so that is a little bit of a balance"

The maker of the Cooper recognises that, despite all the impressive acceleration claims many EVs make, there's more to driving than straight-line performance. Even car companies that have historically focussed on light weight above all else, like Porsche, have started making some shockingly-heavy EVs.

The heavy weight of lithium-ion batteries makes it difficult to design a performance EV that lives up to expectations in terms of range, performance, and cost.

What this means for the upcoming Mini Cooper JCW EV is that it may not have the unexpected straight-line performance or stand-out range of the likes of the Tesla Model 3 Performance or Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

Given the executives' emphasis on the heritage of the Mini Cooper, though, we can expect it to be light — or at least lighter than many other EVs — agile, compact, and comfortable to sit in.

Mini isn't the only car company to commit to lighter, more nimble electric cars, though. Earlier this month, Nissan confirmed that it will be waiting until solid-state battery tech is commercialised before the car company releases an electric Nissan GT-R, since the company believes that the new tech is the only way to achieve the weight, performance, and handling characteristics expected of the legendary supercar-killer.

In the meantime, though, the brand will continue to produce ICE versions of its performance compact cars until at least 2030, in response to continued demand, the executives confirmed.

"We’ve been talking about being more electrified or being electrified by the early 2030s. That still means we’ve got several years, particularly in North America, as well, because the demand is there for gasoline JCWs."

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