[12] Because the car does not require a radiator, the grille is closed; additional tweaks to the undercarriage and rear apron were made to reduce aerodynamic drag.

[5] Inside the car, the digital instrument display, shifter, and starter button are highlighted with the same yellow colour.

[21] The production Mini Cooper SE was announced in July 2019[1] and the international launch was held six months later in Miami, where BMW touted the fleet of press cars would be charged using renewable sources of energy.

[9] At launch, the factory could build up to 120 Mini Electric vehicles per day, and already had 2,000 preorders for the UK market.

[26] The "MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW" was unveiled in March 2021; it functioned as the safety car for the 2020–21 Formula E World Championship.

[27] Compared to the roadgoing Mini Electric, the Pacesetter underwent a weight reduction of 130 kg (286 lb) and featured new wheels and a rear wing with integrated safety lights.

[29][30] In 2021, the UK magazine CAR noted "the ride is firm ... the Mini fidgets and fusses more than we'd like; ... [the steering] tugs about lumpily under heavy acceleration and there's a surprising dead spot on the straight and narrow", noting the Mini "is largely indistinguishable from its combustion-engined compatriots" but "you can get the same range for less, more range for a similar price or a generally far more interesting car" from competitors on the British market.

The reviewer noted the Mini was "comfortably the quickest car here — but what surprised us more was how it lacked the sophistication of the others" and called the range "desperately short".