Mini has increased the battery range of its Countryman Electric SUV thanks to a couple of technical improvements to the car’s powertrain.
This minor update comes as Mini tries to keep the battery-powered Countryman competitive with newer all-electric arrivals like the Skoda Elroq, which was recently awarded The Car Expert’s Car of the Year accolade.
Technical tweaks to the powertrain include the introduction of a new ‘silicon-carbide inverter’, which assists in reducing lost energy between the battery and the electric motor, and an extra half a kilowatt-hour of battery power, increasing the battery’s usable capacity up to 65kWh. Mini has also installed new wheel bearings on the front two wheels to “reduce rolling resistance.”
The result is that the Countryman Electric ‘E’ variant can now muster up to 311 miles on a single charge – up from 286 miles – while the all-wheel drive Countryman Electric ‘All4’ can handle distances of up to 290 miles without recharging – up from 277 miles.
With prices starting just over £29k, the Mini Countryman Electric currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 73%.
