First conclusions from the owners of the Mini E

Worldcarfans has taken note of the first impressions of the owners of the Mini E (electric), a model currently being driven around the United States on a rental basis by a few lucky drivers who are testing BMW’s electric technology.

A few months ago, there were reports suggesting that the range of the Mini E is drastically reduced in cold temperatures, and in some states experiencing particularly cold weather the Mini E was reportedly suffering. The model’s overall range is 160 km, but one of the conclusions reached concerns charging time.

If charging is carried out through a high-voltage socket, the Mini can be fully charged in roughly 4 to 8 hours. But things get significantly worse if it is plugged into a standard American socket (110V), in which case it takes up to 23 hours to charge completely. The positive side of the study reveals that the 160 km range has proven more than sufficient for most of the users testing the Mini E, and that they notice little difference in driving compared with a conventional vehicle, except for the brakes (regenerative braking), which take some getting used to.

As always, range remains a complicated issue for manufacturers developing electric prototypes. Most do not go beyond 200 km (more often they hover around 100 km), and high-voltage charging points also appear necessary to recharge the car quickly. We will see what the electric car market in Spain has in store this year with the arrival of new models.

Source: Worldcarfans