Mini’s 2024 Cooper EV comes with bigger batteries, more power
The next electric Mini will come with much bigger battery options, more power, and a refreshed design when it hits the road in 2024.
The car will have two battery options, 40kWh and 54kWh. These are significantly higher than the outgoing Mini‘s 32.6kWh battery.
While we don’t yet have official range estimates on the EPA cycle, it’s estimated that the battery options will offer 300 and 400km of range, respectively, on WLTP test cycles. But EPA numbers are always lower than WLTP, so these should work out to approximately ~145 and ~180 miles of range, respectively.
The smaller battery will keep the same 181hp/135kW motor as the current Cooper SE, and the upgraded 54kWh battery will get a power bump up to 215hp/160kW. In the future, Mini wants to offer a “John Cooper Works” model with even more power, as it has offered before on gas models – but this time the electric model will get a JCW version too. That upgrade should come in 2025.
Mini will still make a gas-powered model, but expects the electric car to make up 50% of sales by 2025, as compared to today’s 15%. Mini has stated before that it plans to go all-electric and stop selling any gas cars by 2030, with its last-ever gas model being introduced in 2025. So it’s going to need a high electric mix if it wants to keep on track for that goal.
While Mini declined to show the design of the refreshed Cooper, opting to keep it in yellow-and-back camouflage until its full reveal this fall, we’ve actually seen photos of it uncamouflaged before.
Back in December 2021, photos surfaced of a completely uncamouflaged Mini in China. The new Mini is being built in cooperation with Great Wall Motor, bearing fruit from an agreement made between BMW and Great Wall Motor in 2018.
Those photos showed significant exterior design changes, with the most drastic change being the taillights, and a larger rimless center screen.
And the uncamouflaged car was parked next to other cars – which look identical to the camouflaged car showed off today. So if you’re wondering what’s under that camouflage, well, just look back in time a couple years to see a pretty good idea of what might be there.
Electrek’s Take
My entry into the EV universe was as one of the original “Mini E Pioneers,” who drove the 500 original Mini Es first released in 2009. So I have a particular attachment for this little car, which was a great experience at the time, and one I remember fondly (read more in my review of the outgoing Mini Cooper SE electric).
The outgoing Mini Cooper SE was a pretty good deal when it first came out, offering a fun driving experience for people who know how much car they needed and knew that the Mini would be enough for them. While it was panned by some for “not having enough range,” it was the cheapest EV available at the time, and as long as the car has enough range for you – and 114 miles is more than enough for many, many drivers – then that’s all that really matters.
But since then, we’ve seen other vehicles drop in price (like the current screaming deal on the Chevy Bolt) or increase in capabilities, and the Mini has not only kept the same specs, but also got a price hike, taking it over the $30k mark which it originally started just a hair under.
So this is a much-needed refresh to get the Mini closer in line with the current market. It’s fine if it still stays smaller than other EVs – Mini buyers are often looking for less car, that’s kind of the point of the brand and the name to begin with. And we do expect Mini to come in a little higher in price than similar offerings, since Mini has always considered itself as somewhat “premium” brand, and consumers do attach some value to the “fun” aspect of the brand.
But if Mini can still stay somewhat close to the lower end of the price spectrum, in the same ballpark as the upcoming Fiat 500e refresh and perhaps somewhere in at least an adjacent universe to the impossibly low-priced Chevy Bolt, then this will remain a fun option for those who ought to realize they don’t need a land-yacht (I’m talking to the vast majority of you, here).
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Subaru today launched its compact AWD SUV at an event in New York City. With 300 miles of range, NACS charge port, a speedy 0-60 time of under 5 seconds, you could say that this is Subaru’s first modern EV, no offense to the rebadged Toyota BZ/Solterra…
The exterior looks a bit like a $100K Lotus Eletre with an off road flair. Uncharted will compete with Volvo’s EX30 Rivian’s R2S and other AWD EVs that might not be as rugged like the VW ID.4, Hyundai Kona and even the Chevy Equinox. Subaru’s lighting signature, shared with the 2026 Solterra and Trailseeker, along with its aggressive, rugged off-road styling will set it apart from the crowd.
It features new 18- or 20-inch wheel designs, as well as a high-contrast, available two-tone roof on Uncharted GT for enhanced curb appeal. At the rear, the sleek combination lamps, black badging, high beltline, and seamless rear design, complemented by a silver-painted lower rear fascia, add to the visual presence of the Uncharted. Low-profile roof rails on all-wheel-drive models add more options for carrying gear.
A NACS charge port with speeds up to 150 kW ensures convenient and fast charging options at more than 15,000 Tesla Supercharger stations nationwide. Even in cold weather conditions, the Uncharted can recharge its battery from 10% to 80% in nearly 30 minutes thanks to an onboard battery preconditioning system. At home, you can charge up to 11KW level 2 charging.
The interior is modern Subaru with rugged textile around a big 14-inch CarPlay/Android Auto screen experience (pictured below). There are 2 wireless phone chargers up front and 2 USB-C chargers in the rear.
All trim levels of the Subaru Uncharted are equipped with an All-Weather Package, including heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and windshield wiper de-icer; power rear gate; interior ambient lighting; and DriverFocus® Distraction Mitigation System. The Uncharted Sport adds X-MODE® Dual-Mode with Grip Control, heated steering wheel, StarTex® water-repellent upholstery, panoramic view monitor, and more. Uncharted GT will include a panoramic moonroof with motorized shade, 20-inch wheels, ventilated front seats, Harman Kardon® premium audio system, smart rearview mirror, and more.
The Uncharted battery is just under 75kWh, around the same size as a long range Tesla Model Y and it will get close to 300 miles in its FWD model (boo). Uncharted Sport and GT models are equipped with standard Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with X-MODE, an anticipated range of up to 290 miles, and 338 horsepower which will appeal to more Subaru customers.
Full gallery below:
Electrek’s take
While Subaru maintains its close relationship with Toyota in EVs, and this is a C-HR rebadge, the Uncharted breaks some new ground. I love the NACS port, I love the range and the acceleration. Subaru’s fans might finally have an EV they can upgrade their ICE vehicle for.
That’s one thing that might be concerning for Subaru in the EV age: In ICE vehicles, Subaru makes one of the best, complicated AWD systems. However with EVs, AWD is almost table stakes at this point. Subaru will have to continue to innovate in the off road capable small SUV segment if it hopes to compete with all of the EV encombants. At this point, Subaru is a suspension and branding mod for Toyota.
The Uncharted certainly seems to be a good start.
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Lucid Motors’ (LCID) shares soared over 50% after the company secured a multi-hundred-million dollar investment from Uber to deploy robotaxis. So, why did Lucid just announce plans for a reverse stock split?
Why did Lucid announce a reverse stock split?
Lucid and Uber announced a new alliance on Thursday to deploy 20,000 electric robotaxis over the next six years.
The new robotaxi service, set to launch next year, will combine Lucid’s advanced software-defined EV platform with Nuro’s Level 4 self-driving tech.
As part of the new alliance, Uber plans to make “multi-hundred-million-dollar investments” in Lucid and Nuro. The first autonomous prototype is already in operation on a closed track at Nuro’s facility in Las Vegas.
Lucid’s interim CEO, Marc Winterhoff, said, “This investment from Uber further validates Lucid’s fully redundant zonal architecture and highly capable platform as ideal for autonomous vehicles.” Winteroff claimed that the new alliance “is the start of our path to extend our innovation and technology leadership into this multi-trillion-dollar market.”
The Lucid Gravity boasts an impressive EPA-estimated range of 450 miles. Its electric sedan, the Lucid Air, just broke a Guinness World Record after traveling 749 miles (1,205 km) on a single charge.
Lucid’s partnership with Uber sent share prices surging over 50% during trading hours on Thursday. In a separate filing with the SEC today, Lucid announced plans to initiate a 1-for-10 reverse stock split.
The split won’t affect shareholder ownership, except in cases where fractional shares are created. In that case, shareholders will receive a cash payment.
Lucid said it believes the reverse stock split “will allow the company’s common stock to be more attractive to a broader range of investors and other market participants.”
A vote of confidence
During an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday, Winterhoff explained that a portion of the $300 million investment from Uber will be used to develop the self-driving tech with Nuro. Winterhoff added that Lucid’s surging share price was “a vote of confidence.”
According to Winterhoff, the reverse stock split is not due to Lucid’s fear of being delisted, but rather to attract larger investors.
It was also more of a “technical” strategy to reduce volatility and help Lucid participate in the broader stock market.
Many institutional investors avoid stocks priced below $5 due to the higher risk and price swings. The proposed stock split still requires shareholder approval, which will be voted on at an upcoming special stockholders’ meeting.
After that, Lucid’s Board of Directors will determine whether it’s still in the best interest of the company and its stockholders to proceed.
Lucid’s stock rose over 36% on Thursday, closing at $3.12 per share. Although shares of LCID are up just slightly (+2%), they are now up year-to-date. However, they are still down 18% over the past year and nearly 95% from their all-time high of over $58 a share in February 2021.
Last week, after meeting with Lucid’s CFO, Taoufiq Boussaid, Benchmark analyst Mickey Legg set a target share price of $5.00, which was subsequently raised to $7.00 following the announcement of the Uber partnership.
Legg wrote a note to investors, “After meeting with LCID’s CFO Taoufiq Boussaid on Tuesday and reviewing 2Q production and deliveries, we remain confident in the company’s path to scale.”
Lucid delivered a record 3,309 vehicles in Q2, its seventh straight quarter with higher deliveries. The company aims to produce 20,000 vehicles this year, more than double the roughly 9,000 it made in 2024.
After ending the first quarter with $5.76 billion in liquidity, Lucid said that it has sufficient funding to last until the second half of 2026, when it plans to launch its more affordable midsize EV platform. The first two models will be a midsize SUV and sedan, starting at about $50,000.
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