2020 Mini Cooper SE Electric delivers EV zip for short money

Mini has finally gotten into the EV game with the 2020 Mini Cooper SE Electric.

Powered by a motor borrowed from the BMW i3, this city car is both fun to drive and surprisingly affordable.

There's a catch, of course. Range. The Mini SE is only estimated to get 110 miles of range on a charge, and that's a lot less freedom than nearly every other electric car on the market today has.

This actually isn't Mini's first EV, but it's the first one you can buy. Way back in 2009, the automaker built hundreds of Mini E hatchbacks and leased them to select consumers and utility companies as part of a global test.

Unlike the old Mini E, the SE isn't a two-seater. It seats four, and the battery pack doesn't intrude upon cargo space at all. 

The Mini SE gets an oval-shaped, 5.5-inch digital gauge cluster to help keep tabs on everything from speed to state of charge and even select navigation and audio functions.

Zero-to-60 mph happens in 6.9 seconds, splitting the time between the gas Cooper and Cooper S models. Top speed is modest but plenty at 93 mph.

The BMW-sourced electric motor is good for 181 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque.

The Mini SE gets its own T-shaped battery pack, rated at 32.6 kilowatt-hours.

These funky, 17-inch asymmetric alloy wheels are the Mini SE's most distinctive visual feature, but they're also optional. 16s come standard.

Yellow accents inside and out call out that this Mini is electric. If they're too showy for you, Mini says you don't have to order them.

There's a hood scoop because... reasons. It's nonfunctional and blocked off.

The SE gets its own unique smoothed-out grille for improved aero. There is a mailslot-size air intake, however.

Keep clicking or scrolling for more images of the 2020 Mini Cooper SE Electric.