Mini Electric Hatchback 135kW Cooper S Level 1 33kWh 3Dr Auto

Is the Mini Electric the best EV to lease in 2022?

It would come as no surprise that manufacturers are busily competing with each other to produce the best-selling electric cars in the UK. Quite amazingly, more EVs were registered in 2021 (190,000+) compared to 2019-2020 combined. With this trend only continuing to grow, the big question is when will electric vehicles outsell petrol and diesel?

Just to provide context, in 2021 762,000 petrol cars were registered and 135,000 diesel options were registered. So while EVs are now out-selling diesel cars by some margin, there is still room for growth when comparing this to the petrol options. However, what is perhaps stalling the continued growth of EVs against petrol options is that there are only so many vehicles to select due to an ongoing microchip shortage, the impact of COVID and manufacturer delays in releasing new (and more affordable) zero-emission cars to lease.

But aren’t electric cars just too expensive? This is a statement often uttered by mainstream press, anti-electric campaigners and colloquial pub talk. Our first clarification would be to those statements - what do you mean by expensive? Do you mean the cost price, the monthly leasing cost, the running costs like insurance and fuel? This is where we need to be more targeted with our education for the UK demographic, in particular with those customers looking to lease an EV for the first-time.

While an EV is on the surface more expensive than a petrol or diesel equivalent, you need to build into this the potential savings you can achieve with an electric car whether this be company car tax / salary sacrifice savings, cheaper fuel costs and the fact that leasing companies are now providing stronger residual values to EVs. This is making them the same price, if not cheaper than a petrol or diesel alternative. To explain the latter element, a contract hire agreement is a fixed term contract of 2 - 4 years and which is set on annual mileage (between 5,000 - 20,000) and with an initial rental / deposit which meets your needs and requirements.

To be clear, this is a USERSHIP arrangement, where you or the business will never own the car. So what happens at the end of the contract with an EV lease? The vehicle will be collected from your home and workplace and will then be sold at an auction or with an online retailer like Cazoo or Cinch. Getting the best lease deal is about choosing a car which has a stronger residual value, as the more the leasing company thinks it can sell the car at auction for, the cheaper your monthly will often be. With the future of the UK’s used-car market becoming highly dependent on electric car options to select, the new EV car industry needs to ensure that transactions are being carried out.

Can the Mini EV be a flagship cost-effective electric car for 2022? While the car made an entrance to the UK in 2021, the supply issues and impact of COVID has resulted in slightly less registrations being able to take place. However, Mini were still able to register just over 31,000 new petrol / diesel / electric vehicles in 2021, making this the UK’s third most-popular car. Quite interestingly, the Mini was outsold by over 3,000 units by Tesla!

But what must hearten the BMW and Mini group is the UK’s appetite for great value hatchback options and the Mini is certainly one of the favourites; especially when you take into account build quality, aesthetics and driver-experience. The Mini is without a doubt one of the most attractive small cars to procure in the UK. Now there is an all-electric platform available, it’s very difficult to see how other manufacturers can compete, particularly when some have still not released an option to compete with it! And Mini are aiming to meet all budgets with the availability of three key models:

• Level 1 - a £27,000  entry level option which offers navigation, Apple Car Play, digital cockpit, cruise control, heat pump, multifunctional steering wheel;
• Level 2 - a £29,000  mid-range option with navigation, driving assistant pack (speed limit & traffic sign info, city collision mitigation for pedestrians, high beam assistance), rear view camera, comfort access, heated seats, rear parking control, part-leatherette; and  
• Level 3 - a £34,000 luxury option with navigation PLUS, front and rear parking control, adaptive LED headlights, panoramic roof, full leather interior.

Mini Electric Hatchback 135kW Cooper S Level 1 33kWh 3Dr Auto

In terms of the EV shown, the Mini Electric Hatchback 135kW Cooper S Level 1 33kWh 3Dr Auto, this is based on the following configuration:

• Special metallic - Moonwalk Grey
• Double stripe cloth - Carbon black with sport seats
• Black roof and mirror caps
• 16" Victory spoke alloy wheels in black

As part of helping our e-car lease customers get the very best Mini car leasing deals, please make sure you use our Lythium “Living with ... “ guides which will help you, or the company, understand if the EV-lifestyle is right for you.