Watch Mini's new EV tow a Boeing 777 freighter
Don't try this at home, not that you have a 777 lying around.
Even though we've already taken a spin in it, the Mini Cooper SE electric hatchback won't enter production until November. Between now and then, though, Mini's got some teasers in store, and its latest is a doozy.
Mini on Friday put out a new teaser video for the upcoming Cooper SE electric car. The video is pretty straightforward: A Mini Cooper SE is hanging out on the tarmac at the Frankfurt airport, and it just so happens to be towing a Boeing 777F cargo freighter. The plane, which weighs about 150 tons before cargo, clearly exceeds any stated towing capacity, but it's a popular stunt for automakers to pull.
When it goes on sale, don't expect the Cooper SE to be too far from the standard gas-powered lineup. When we took our first drive in March, the SE wore the same wheels found on the regular Cooper, and its body panels are nearly the same, too, save for a new grille and a rear bumper without exhaust cutouts. The cargo capacity is the same as a standard Cooper. There are some reinforcements around the body to cover the extra 264 pounds it carries around, though.
While we don't have specs yet, the Cooper SE uses hardware similar to the BMW i3 . In the Bimmer, its electric powertrain puts out 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, with its 33-kWh battery enabling a range of just over 100 miles. Mini did confirm that the Cooper SE will hit 60 miles per hour in 7 to 8 seconds, and it'll go from 0% charge to 80% in 40 minutes with a DC fast charger.
Mini told us that the Cooper SE will make its debut in July. We'll likely see it on the show floor of the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, too -- provided BMW Group doesn't skip the show. Production will kick off in November, and it's believed that the US will start taking delivery of these cars before the year ends.