Why the plug-in hybrid MINI Countryman is proof that the future is electric

The new MINI Countryman plug-in hybrid
Future of driving: many commentators believe we will all be driving electric cars well before 2040

The new MINI Countryman plug-in hybrid offers simple charging solutions and efficient driving modes

The electric car revolution is well under way, as charging stations proliferate, ranges get bigger and governments get on board.

By 2040, the sale of combustion-powered cars will be banned in Britain and France, while Germany’s parliament wants the cut-off point to be 2030 and Norway by 2025.

A full charge takes a little over three hours on a standard domestic supply

Many commentators say we will all be driving electric cars well before any of these dates, so powerful has the attraction of plug-in vehicles become.

It’s easy to believe when you look at a car like the new MINI Countryman plug-in hybrid. It can power itself silently and free of tailpipe emissions for up to 26 miles, more than enough for most urban drivers' daily needs.

But it also offers the unrivalled agility that the motoring press are calling ‘‘hallmark MINI handling’’, so it doesn’t feel like something new and unusual. It feels like a typical MINI. What’s not to like?

Practicality comes first

There’s nothing complicated about the way this new Countryman works. Under the bonnet there's a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with 136hp, easily capable of powering the Countryman unaided.

But hidden under the rear seats is a bank of compact, advanced lithium-ion batteries like those in your smartphone.

They power an electric motor that turns the rear wheels. A full charge takes a little over three hours on a standard domestic supply, or much less at a fast-charge station.

Once on the road, you have three choices. On start-up, the Countryman Plug-in Hybrid automatically selects Auto eDrive.

Powering up: a full charge takes a little over three hours on a standard domestic supply

In this mode, the car automatically balances its petrol and electric motors for maximum efficiency, but also for performance and driving fun when you want it.

With both motors working together, the cleanest Countryman reaches 60mph in 6.8 seconds: just a few tenths behind the high-performance John Cooper Works version.

And when you drive one, you can sense the system cleverly balancing the power between front and rear wheels for maximum agility.

Running cheap and green

When you're ready for the pure EV experience, MAX e-Drive mode powers the Countryman using only the electric motor.

It's perfect when you know your journey can be completed on electric power: it's incredibly satisfying to reach your destination without using petrol.

If your destination has a charging point, perhaps at your office or in a public car park, you might return to find your car with a fresh 26-mile electric range.


And if you want to do your bit to improve local air quality in cities, the final ‘‘save battery’’ mode can help. It uses only the petrol engine to power the car.

It's ideal if you're driving into the city on open roads and want to save your electric range for where it really counts: in our urban areas.

The new car’s tech is simple and intuitive to use, and it allows the Countryman plug-in to offer impressive savings. Average fuel consumption is an astonishing 134.5mpg. It qualifies for a £2,500 green-car grant from the Government.

Carbon-dioxide emissions from just 49g/km mean it's free of road tax in its first year, and attracts big savings thereafter.

Built for families

But perhaps most impressively of all, you don't have to accept any compromises to get those savings and the satisfaction of driving such a clean car.

The electric-drive system has been cleverly packaged, meaning that the Countryman plug-in still offers a big, flexible boot space and room for three on the rear seat. Using petrol and electric motors, it will travel 310 miles before needing petrol.

That same conventional wisdom once told us that city cars and those for the wide open spaces were two different breeds.

Yet here's one that's fun to drive and eager to explore at weekends, yet might not use a drop of fuel as it slips silently through the city all week. No wonder the world is going electric.

Take a different path



Find out more and book a test drive at mini.co.uk