With sadly no i3 replacement in sight, your best options for a small electric car from the BMW Group are found at MINI. If you’re finding the three-door Cooper hatchback (J01) too impractical, the Aceman crossover (J05) is a better choice. It’s roughly the same size as the quirky i3 while being substantially smaller than the iX1. A new photoshoot puts the spotlight on a high-end version of MINI’s first electric-only car.
This Aceman SE roams the streets of Copenhagen in Denmark, flaunting its Indigo Sunset Blue paint job. It’s built in the Favoured Trim with the optional multitone roof that has a color gradient. The top panel shifts from blue to white as you move to the front. MINI also opted for the larger 19-inch wheels. Inside, the Vescin Dark Petrol upholstery continues the exterior theme.
Much like the iX1 we mentioned earlier, MINI isn’t selling the Aceman in the United States. However, that might change in 2026 when the subcompact electric crossover will hit the assembly line in Oxford. In the meantime, it’ll continue to be exclusively built in China by Spotlight Automotive, a joint venture between the BMW Group and Great Wall Motor. America doesn’t get the electric 3-Door hatch either, but as with the Aceman, it too will be made at home in the UK from 2026. That should increase its odds of reaching this side of the pond.
Of the two electric crossovers sold by MINI, only the bigger Countryman is available with a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup. The Aceman sticks to a single-motor, front-wheel-drive configuration. It packs 215 horsepower and 330 Nm (243 lb-ft) of instant torque. That’s enough for a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 7.1 seconds and a top speed of 106 mph (170 km/h). For more muscle, the Aceman John Cooper Works has already been launched.
The Aceman SE has been engineered with a 54.2-kWh battery pack, enabling 252 miles (406 kilometers) of WLTP range. If it’s coming to America in a couple of years, the equivalent EPA range is likely to be lower. Charging at 95 kW, you’ll have to wait for about 30 minutes to juice up the battery from 10% to 80%.
Source: MINI
