Feedback from the first trials of the Mini E has been released, as the carmaker embarks on a second six month trial of its electric model.
The BMW-owned carmaker begins the second half of the twelve month testing this week, with private individuals and company fleets recruited within the UK to take part in the trials. Lucky motorists from within the triangular geographical area between Andover, Oxford and West London have been selected to lease and run the prototype vehicles until February 2011.
Findings from the first public trial of 40 EVs, which concluded in June, show that electric drivers made very little alterations to their car use when compared a control group running MINI Cooper and BMW 116i conventionally-fuelled vehicles. Users were found to have similar car use in terms of average journey distance, daily mileage and frequency of use.
Before the trials began, users expected limitations in terms of range and charging times. In practice these have only proved to be barriers in a very few specific cases.
However, there was a very strong feeling from both private and fleet users that renewable energy should play an important role in future electricity generation, to allow electric models such as the MINI E to optimise its ecological advantages.
One problem users reported is that they found the two seat capacity of the electric model very restrictive (the battery takes up the space which usually situates the back seats) and reported that the range of the battery was much diminished during the extremely cold weather conditions in December 2009 and January 2010.
In summary, users liked MINI E’s lack of noise, the convenience of home charging, low off peak power charges, not having to go to a petrol station and queue, driving a zero emissions vehicle, MINI E’s acceleration characteristics and regenerative braking.
“The early learning from this first stage of the MINI E trials has given us very positive feedback and pointers as to where we will need to improve” explained Jochen Goller, Director of MINI UK.
The German carmaker intends to use the feedback to help develop and improve its BMW Megacity electric vehicle, which is due to launch in 2013.
