Exclusive: The Surprising Technical Details of the J01 2025 MINI Cooper EV

It’s been months since the J01 MINI Cooper EV was revealed and yet we still don’t have a complete list of technical details. Until today. And there are more than a few surprises. For one did you know that the J01 Cooper is fractionally wider than the forthcoming J05 Aceman crossover? Or that the J01 Cooper SE is almost 400 lbs heavier than the outgoing Cooper SE?
The latter isn’t so surprising given the almost double range and amount of extra batteries in the new J01 Cooper SE. But wider than the forthcoming Aceman crossover is a fascinating stat and one that underlines just how related these two cars are. More than anything these numbers give you a better idea of some of the tradeoffs and very deliberate choices made by MINI when they designed the J01.
As you can see below, it would see MINI went to great lengths to match many of the dimensions of the F56, down to even the front overhang. Yes that aspect of the F56 so many of us bemoaned initially is only slightly smaller in clean sheet design of the J01. That aspect is particularly interesting to us given that MINI a clean-sheet design and the opportunity to rethink the packaging with all the freedom of that a skateboard chassis allows.
Models | J01 Cooper E | J01 Cooper SE | F56 Cooper SE | J05 Aceman SE |
Power | 184 hp | 218 hp | 181 hp | 218 hp |
Torque | 214 lb-ft | 243 lb-ft | 199 lb-ft | 243 lb-ft |
Transmission | 1 speed | 1 speed | 1 speed | 1 speed |
0-60 mph | 7.3 sec | 6.7 sec | 7.2 sec | TBA |
Range | 190 miles | 250 miles | 140 miles | TBA |
Length (mm/inches) | 3858 mm / 151.8 in | 3858 mm / 151.8 in | 3850 mm / 151.5 in | 4079 mm / 161 in |
Width w/o Mirros (mm/inches) | 1756 mm / 69 in | 1756 mm / 69 in | 1727 mm / 68 in | 1754 mm / 69 in |
Height (mm) | 1460 mm / 57 in | 1460 mm / 57 in | 1432 mm / 56.4 in | 1514 mm / 59.6 in |
Wheelbase (mm) | 2526 mm / 99 in | 2526 mm / 99 in | 2495 mm / 98.2 in | 2606 mm / 102.6 in |
Curb weight (kg/lbs) | 1540 kg / 3395 lbs | 1605 kg / 3,538 lbs | 1440 kg / 3175 lbs | 1710 kg / 3,770 lbs |
Weight distribution (Front/Rear) | F 58% / R 42% | F 57% / R 43% | F 54% / R 46% | TBD |
Front Overhang | 746 mm / 29.3 in | 746 mm / 29.3 in | 757 mm / 29.8 | 756 mm / 29.8 in |
Rear Overhang | 586 mm / 23 in | 586 mm / 23 in | 681 mm / 26.8 in | 717 mm / 28.2 in |
Luggage capacity (seats up/seats down | 210 / 800 L | 210 / 800 L | 211 / 941 L | 450 / 1450 L |
Also interesting is the weight tradeoff we mentioned above. Everyone wants more range but the downside of that is more batteries and thus more weight. While that matters less in an EV where the weight is so close to the ground, it’s still worth noting.
We’ve also compared some of the latest exclusive Aceman technical details above giving you a picture of just how related the J01 Cooper and the J05 Aceman are. It’s safe to say that the Aceman truly is just a larger J01 Cooper with four doors. In fact the more you look at it the more you realize the Aceman isn’t a replacement for the Clubman but instead a replacement for the current F55 five door hatch.
No matter which you prefer, it’s clear to see that the J01 is simpler and more minimal in its overall design language. And the dimensions of the J01 are hidden better with this new design. The higher belt-line makes the car look more aggressive and upright as does the taller but more angular hood. The J01 does away with the surrounding trim yet they somehow look smaller because of how simply they are in comparison. They also sit slightly higher on the car and thus feel more upright.
Then there’s the clean sides which have real curve to them vs the very flat F56. The J01 introduced dimensionality we’ve never seen on a Cooper before. The result is a car that looks more athletic with being overly aggressive as so many modern cars are. And yet the sizes are nearly the same.
What do you see in this data? Let us know in the comments below.
8 Comments
I’m very excited for these new MINIs. I wish they made a 5-door Cooper SE rather than the Aceman. I prefer the rounder headlights. These are both coming to the US in 2027, or is it 2026 when Oxford started producing them? I can’t wait (literally my car might die before then)!
There’s no confirmation from MINIUSA so we can just speculate based on what our sources are
saying. We would expect 2027 in the US for the J01.
Surely, the F55 Cooper 5-door, is being replaced by the ICE-only, F65 5-door, spy shots of which clearly show that it has almost exactly the same heavily modified front and rear bodywork as the MINI Cooper J01. The center door pillar on the F65 appears, however, to be a little wider than that on the F55, a result of the slightly longer wheelbase on the F65.
There has never been an all-electric F55 of course, so it would not be right to describe the J05 as a replacement for the F55. Likewise, there has never been an all-electric F54 MINI Clubman. Nonetheless, MINI’s boss Stefanie Wurst, describes the J05 Aceman most diplomatically as the “indirect replacement” for the F54 Clubman.
It’s a replacing the five door Cooper in what if offers in terms of size and practicality. What do I mean? It’s a five door built on an elongated three door platform just like the F55. It’s also nearly the same size inside offering consumers a similar size within the line-up. It’s also quite a bit smaller than the Clubman meaning it’s not a legitimate replacement for that car.
So, we agree then 🙂
I wonder how long the 2 Litre ICE-only new F65 and F66 will remain in production? My guess would be 7 years.
The upcoming Cooper SE is such an interesting prospect. The weight penalty on the EV is no joke though. The SE looks to weigh 200lb more than my E46 AWD sedan, but makes nearly the same power. On an electric torque curve, that ought to be a really good time.
I see many interesting and perhaps expected things in the data, considering the adoption of the Chinese co-developed Spotlight EV platform. The weight distribution for instance has moved further away from the typically close to BMW 50/50 ideal, to a far more nose heavy bias. Coupled with a massive overall weight increase and an increase in overall height – how this bodes for Mini’s typically pin sharp handling and steering, is anyone’s guess. Has the Chinese influence and economies of scale, diluted the essence of what makes a Mini, a Mini? I would love to see a comparison of the handling dynamics between J01 and F66 before pronouncing judgement. What is also highly unexpected considering J01’s skateboard EV platform, is that its luggage capacity is smaller than F56’s, which was already compromised and sub par in my opinion.
I look forward to test driving the J01 E, SE or JCW … hoping that maybe, it’ll be fun to drive … sadly, the above numbers aren’t too promising … it’s like removing the chocolate from a chocolate cake …