- Mini has reportedly delayed the launch of the China-made electric Cooper and Aceman in North America.
- The models were slated to arrive around 2026 once production began in the U.K. but that's now up in the air.
- The new Mini Countryman EV isn't built in China, so it will debut in 2025 as planned.
The high import tariff on electric vehicles made in China, which in the U.S. is now up to 100%, has made many manufacturers reconsider their strategy and reassess their plans to expand their lineups. Mini, for instance, decided against importing the new electric Cooper hatchback, which is currently exclusively made in China, saying that it would bring it over once parallel production started in the U.K. at Mini’s Oxford plant.
This pushed the Stateside launch of the Cooper EV back by two years, but according to a new report published by Road&Track with information from Motoring File, that plan may have fallen through. The same goes for the Aceman, which is the Cooper’s crossover equivalent, that’s also built in the same Great Wall Motor factory in China and whose U.S. debut was also planned for 2026.
Gallery: 2024 Mini Cooper SE
The launch of the Cooper and Aceman EVs has now been put on hold until further notice, and it may not happen at all. Mini is still going to import the Countryman EV into North America, but there’s a chance that could be its only electric model. It will continue to offer the gas-burning Cooper hatch and convertible, both of which are manufactured in Oxford and aren’t subject to import duties, although that might change under the presidency of Donald Trump, which may impose a 10% tariff on imports from Europe.
The 100% tariff is also the main reason why Volvo delayed launching the China-made EX30 in the States. It’s now expected to arrive in the States next year once production begins at Volvo’s plant in Belgium.
We’ve already tried the China-made 2024 Cooper SE in Europe and had a lot of things to say about it. Considering it’s underpinned by the same platform as the Ora Cat (albeit with a superior independent rear suspension setup), it felt great, although not as fun as the previous Cooper SE. It has much bigger batteries, though, so it has a lot more range, making it a much more usable EV and expanding its breadth of talents.
Considering EV buyers seem to be increasingly looking at high-riding crossovers rather than the traditional hatchback, sedan and wagon body styles, perhaps the new electric Countryman is the only EV that Mini really needs in its U.S. lineup. When we sampled the Countryman SE at its launch event in Portugal in March, we found a lot to like, and we thought the EV variant was a better choice than any of the versions that still use fuel.
