The range of the Mini Countryman E has been boosted from 286 miles to 311 miles in a bid to keep pace with longer-legged EV rivals.

Key to the improvement is a new silicon-carbide inverter. This reduces how much energy is lost in converting DC from the car’s battery to AC used by its motors and systems, improving range. A further uplift is brought by new low-friction wheel bearings on the front axle.

The car's battery hasn't been physically changed, its gross capacity remaining at 66.5kWh, but its usable capacity has been increased from 64.6kWh to 65.2kWh.

The tweaks also mean the four-wheel-drive Countryman E All4 can now drive 290 miles per charge, up from 267.

For reference, the rival Skoda Elroq offers up to 355 miles of range, while the Ford Explorer offers up to 374 miles.

The Countryman E is currently the cheapest version of Mini's larger crossover, starting from £29,255 compared with £29,325 for the petrol-engined Countryman C.

That is thanks to the UK government’s Electric Car Grant scheme, through which the German-built EV qualifies for a £3750 discount.

The Countryman accounts for almost a third of all Mini’s sales, with 93,305 examples having been registered globally last year.