2022 Mini Cooper Electric Resolute Edition: One conflicted Cooper

The MINI formula combines modernised retro-styling with up-to-date internals to create a vehicle that is thoroughly contemporary, but still has the charm and charisma of the classic Cooper.

And the marque will survive the transition to electrification, with parent company BMW announcing that the British marque will be fully electric by 2030. A logical move, considering how popular these cars are

.More likely than not, those future MINI models will be ground-up EVs, with underpinnings that were designed to accommodate a battery pack and an electric motor from the onset. But the MINI, as featured, was never conceived with electrification in mind.

What’s new?

MINI’s decision to introduce a styling package keeps the MINI Electric looking fresh and relevant, especially up against some of its newer, ground-up EV rivals. This special edition wears a specially formulated shade, dubbed Rebel Green.

There’s greater symbolism to that hue too - it is supposed to be a nostalgic look at the storied history of the marque. But as a car built to fall on the fashionable side of the ecological spectrum, one simply cannot just reminisce about a bygone era.

Which is why MINI has contrasted the green with graphics and exterior contrast options that shows off their commitment to the future. The Resolute Bronze detailing is also supposed to showcase the Anglo-German brand’s “unmatched MINI optimism and curiosity”.

All I can say is that the car looks great. Which is practically a given at this point, since MINIs have become style icons in their own right.

Mechanically identical to regular MINI Electric

The alterations are purely cosmetic, as the car retains the entire drivetrain of the regular MINI Electric. This means you have a front-mounted electric motor, good for 181 bhp. The car is still decently spritely, with good pickup till around 80 km/h.

And I also have good things to say about the front end too. There’s certainly traction, and you’ll realise that the rack feels decently quick. But inputs are all done via muscle memory instead of responding to stimuli from the wheel, as the overboosted power steering tends to overwhelm the raw feedback from the road.

It also retains the 32.64 kWh battery pack of the normal MINI Electric. Admittedly, the range I managed to achieve with the original car was dismal, though I’ll attribute that to user error.

With more seat time behind the wheel of the current crop of e-cars, the lessons I’ve taken away means that I actually achieved 210 kilometres of driving range if I ran the pack down to nought.Cabin design is unchanged, except for the Resolute-specific interior graphics.

Should you buy one?

When the LCI version of the MINI Electric was launched, there weren’t very many entry-level premium electric vehicles on sale. If you wanted to be a budget-conscious early adopter with taste and style, you had no other option but a MINI Electric.

MINI’s decision to preserve the brand’s trademark handling prowess meant that the engineers couldn’t load the bodyshell of the vehicle with a bulky battery pack. This greatly affected the range, as it just lacks overall energy density.

In a time where widespread, overnight AC charging is still not yet available, the sub-optimal range probably pushed a lot of buyers into purchasing a non-electric MINI model instead.

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Which brings us to the elephant in the room. The MINI Electric is just not competitive enough in 2022 for people who can only afford to have a single car in their life.

Many compelling options, mostly Swedish, have been launched throughout this calendar year. But there's one very big reason why you may still go MINI.

Sure, those cars may have a charm that is unique to them, but you'll only get that special MINI sense of occasion, in a MINI. The experience itself often makes the journey the highlight, instead of your actual destination.

However, the limited range does hamper its daily-driver capabilities, so it'd best be suited for an eco-warrior with enough disposable income.

In that scenario, the MINI Electric Resolute Edition works as an excellent, feel-good weekend car!

This article was first published in Motorist.