Mini John Cooper Works Electric review

May 30, 2025 Matt Allan

We find out if the Mini John Cooper Works Electric is a true hot hatch with what it takes to compete with Alpine and Abarth

The first generation of Mini Electric was among the first EVs to be properly fun to drive. It helped dispel the “soulless milk float” criticism with its lively character, but it was a bit of an outlier.

Now, though, it feels like we’re entering a purple patch of accessible performance EVs, with the Alpine A290, Abarth 500e and 600e, Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce and others hitting the roads. So it’s only right that Mini gets in on the action once again.

Unlike before, though, rather than a single relatively low-powered model, Mini has created a three-model line-up for its Cooper hatchback. And that line-up is headed by the Mini John Cooper Works Electric (or JCW for short).

This is the first electric Mini to get the full JCW treatment, so does it do the famous badge proud?

Design, interior and technology

As is traditional for JCW Minis, the new Mini John Cooper Works Electric takes the regular Cooper SE and throws a more aggressive body kit and a load of JCW badging at it. There’s a bolder front bumper with aero channels, deep side skirts, C-pillar aero blades that feed into a whacking big rear spoiler, and a new diffuser. The whole look is sufficiently muscular and in-your-face that passers-by won’t mistake it for a regular Cooper. That’s aided by the red brake calipers, red go-faster bonnet stripes and two-tone roof that fades from bright red to black on our test car.

Mini John Cooper Works Electric multi-tone roof — The multi-tone roof looks great but is a £600 option

The interior has the same high-quality and unique finish as regular Coopers but with a load of JCW styling touches thrown at it. That means there’s the huge circular infotainment screen that, at 24cm (9.5 inches), is almost as big as the wheels on the very first Minis. There’s also the fantastically unusual fabric finish to the dashboard, which in the JCW has a bright red chequered flag-style pattern.

Other JCW-specific elements include the knitted shoulder panels in the leather sports seats, headliner ambient illumination and a JCW badged two-spoke steering wheel with a black-and-red fabric third ‘spoke’.

Like the regular Cooper, power, drive modes (Experiences, in Mini speak) and volume controls are taken care of via a neat retro-inspired panel beneath the screen. Elsewhere Mini has done a decent job of making the relatively small cabin practical and user friendly. But it is small. With the supportive front sports seats at full stretch, they literally touch the rear seat cushions, rendering this a two-seater in all but name.

The circular OLED screen is a first for Mini and houses all the latest media, navigation and connected services. It looks brilliant and features various shortcut options but it does feel busy, and elements such as heating controls are small and tricky to operate on the move. The screen also suffers if you use smartphone mirroring, which is restricted to a small square in the middle of the giant circle.

Mini John Cooper Works Electric interior — The Electric JCW’s interior has the same mix of high-tech and retro as other Minis

Battery, motor and performance

The Mini JCW Electric sits at the top of the hatchback range, packing up to 255bhp and 258lb ft of torque in regular drive modes. It gets the same 54.2kWh battery as the SE, which means 251 official miles and 95kW DC charging for a 10-80% time of 30 minutes.

But this is a hot hatch and 0-62mph is more important than 10-80% charge. So, with Sport mode engaged to unlock all the power, the Cooper JCW completes that sprint in 5.9 seconds and will run on to 124mph – plenty of poke for a small three-door.

Sink the throttle and there’s an amusing amount of torque steer before things settle down. Because you sit close to the ground, the feeling of speed is increased, and enhanced by a silly electronic whooshing sound that can be turned off.

While it’s quick off the mark, what’s more impressive is the mid-range punch. There’s endless torque whenever you need it, which gives proceedings added urgency.

But we’ve said for years that fast doesn’t equal fun, and it’s particularly important for a car like the Mini JCW Electric to deliver on the enjoyment front.

Mini John Cooper Works Electric driving image — The JCW Electric lives up to its lively predecessors’ legacy

The regular Cooper is a well-sorted car, and the JCW builds on that with bespoke suspension tuning to stiffen and sharpen things up.

Mini has done a good job of keeping the seating position low, despite the batteries in the floor. That means you still get that bum-on-the-ground feeling Minis have always had. You also still have wheels pushed right out to the corners to enhance the famous go-kart feel.

It’s heavier than before (a porky 1,725kg!) but largely manages to retain the small, nimble feel of previous generations. The steering is direct, allowing the JCW to dart through twisting sections of road with a terrier-like quality and take advantage of strong grip and that mid-range punch to power through corners. It feels lively and, the more you wring its neck, the more you get out of it. I just wish there was a little more weight and feel to the electrically assisted steering.

I’m also not sold on the synthesised motor sound, which isn’t a patch on the exhaust note of the petrol model.

The ride errs on the firm side, as you’d expect. It feels better composed and calibrated than the unsettled JCW Aceman, but on long rides the hot hatch hardness could get wearing in a way that the Alpine A290 won’t.

Price and specification

The Mini John Cooper Works Electric starts at £34,905 – £1,000 cheaper than the 217bhp Alpine A290.

As standard, it gets heated seats, a head-up display, adaptive LED headlights and wireless phone charging, plus the usual ADAS functions, smartphone integration and connected services.

However, as with every BMW Group car, you can spend a lot on the options list. My test car finished up at £43,370 by the time extras such as multi-tone roof and Level 3 pack including the panoramic roof, augmented reality navigation and electric seats had been added. Fun as this car is, that feels like quite a lot.