The Mini Cooper Electric is currently available in two versions: the Cooper E with 184 PS and the Cooper SE with 218 PS. However, an even more powerful John Cooper Works version is in the works, as we have known at least since the presentation of a prototype at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Now the car has appeared on the MIIT website.
The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology regularly publishes images and data of brand-new models that are soon to be launched on the Chinese market. This time, the JCW versions of the Mini Cooper Electric and the Mini Aceman appeared there, as CarNewsChina reports.
Mini Cooper Electric as JCW version: Image from MIIT
Mini Cooper SE
Visually, the sport version differs significantly from the normal Mini Cooper Electric. For example, the JCW version has a black crossbar on the grille, while this is painted in the colour of the car in the normal versions. There are also different wheels and a JCW logo with a chequered flag is located where the yellow "S" is emblazoned on the SE.
There is also a JCW logo at the rear instead of the yellow "S", but here there is also a striking air deflector in the colour of the car. In addition, the area under the black crossbar is also black and decorated with stylised chequered flags:
Mini Cooper Electric as JCW version: the rear end
Mini Cooper SE
On the Mini John Cooper Works E PROtoytpe version presented at Goodwood, the front was similar in design to the Chinese version, but at the rear there was no air deflector at the bottom, but a diffuser instead. It is possible that the Chinese and European versions differ here:
Mini JCW E PROtotype: Black crossbar on the grille ...
... but no air deflector at the bottom of the rear
In terms of dimensions, the Chinese JCW version hardly differs from the normal Cooper SE; the sports version is half a centimetre longer and two millimetres less high:
| Length | width | Height | Wheelbase | |
| Mini Cooper SE | 3,858 mm | 1,756 mm | 1,460 mm | 2,526 mm |
| Mini Cooper JCW E | 3,863 mm | 1,756 mm | 1,458 mm | 2,526 mm |
With a kerb weight of 1,670 kg, the car is also ten kilos lighter than the Cooper SE. From this, our colleague Andrei from InsideEVs USA deduces that the car has the same battery - and he is probably right. According to this, the storage capacity is 49.2 kWh net and 54.2 kWh gross.
The battery has NCM chemistry and comes from Svolt, a subsidiary of Great Wall Motor. BMW operates the Spotlight joint venture with this group, which developed the platform and also produces the electric Mini in China.
As expected, however, the motor is more powerful: like the other versions, the JCW version is also a front-wheel drive model, but the electric motor has an output of 258 PS, which is 40 PS more than in the SE. The top speed also increases from 105 mph in the SE to 124 mph, while there is no information on the standard sprint (6.7 seconds in the SE). The range is likely to fall short of the 250 miles of the Cooper SE. The motor code is HC0002N0, which differs from the code of the existing variants, both of which have an HC0001N0 motor, as can be seen from the official model brochure.
The JCW variant is only offered with 18-inch wheels. This is the maximum wheel size for the Cooper Electric; the other variants are also offered with 16- and 17-inch wheels.
Mini Aceman JCW MIIT front quarter view
Mini Aceman JCW MIIT rear view
The JCW version of the Mini Aceman is also presented on the MIIT site. It is powered by the same 258 PS motor with the code HC0002N0, and the top speed of 124 mph is also identical (presumably because it is limited to this value for both models). The dimensions are also similar here, only the length is 15 mm longer:
| Length | width | Height | Wheelbase | |
| Mini Aceman SE | 4,079 mm | 1,754 mm | 1,514 mm | 2,606 mm |
| Mini Aceman JCW | 4,094 mm | 1,754 mm | 1,515 mm | 2,606 mm |
The kerb weight of 1,768 kilos is again slightly lower than the Aceman SE (1,785 kilos) and the battery manufacturer is again Svolt. Mini is presumably also using the battery from the SE here, as it is unlikely to be any smaller in the sports model. The Aceman SE probably uses the same battery as the Cooper SE.
According to the official brochure, it stores 49.2 kWh, although it remains unclear whether this is net or gross. EV-Database states 49.2 kWh net and 54.2 kWh gross for both models. Incidentally, the basic versions Cooper E and Aceman E also appear to have identical batteries (with 36.6 kWh net, 40.2 kWh gross).
The Aceman JCW is equipped with 19-inch wheels. The maximum wheel size is therefore also used here. The standard Aceman versions can be fitted with 17, 18 or 19-inch wheels.
Like the Cooper Electric JCW, the Sport Aceman JCW also has JCW logos on the grille and at the rear as well as black design details, including a black crossbar on the grille. At the rear is the same air deflector as on the Cooper.
More about the Mini Cooper and the Aceman:
The bottom line
Mini won't be happy. Regardless of the manufacturer's presentation calendar, the Chinese Ministry MIIT has once again published images and data of a model that has not yet been officially presented. However, the data is not too much of a surprise.
What was new for us, however, was that the Cooper and Aceman apparently have the same batteries. Until now, Mini has apparently concealed this by communicating the net values for the Cooper and the gross values for the Aceman. We also didn't know that the battery cells come from Svolt.
Sources: CarNewsChina, InsideEVs.com