MINI trial Electric Vehicles in the UK

MINI has released the results of an in depth study into the use of electric vehicles. The company used 40 vehicles and 138 drivers to cover over 250,000 miles on UK roads.

The 40 MINI E’s were largely charged by the participants at home, at a cost of less than 2p a mile. The trial was sponsored by the Government and tried to mirror normal UK use of motor cars. During the trial data was accumulated by data loggers and used by researchers at Oxford Brookes University.

BMW will also use the data to help with development of the BMW ActiveE car based on the 1 series coupe. However, the biggest beneficiary will be the 2013 BMW i3, the first purpose built electric car from BMW.

Interestingly the average mileage of the MINI E’s eclipsed that of the control vehicles (a mixture of BMW 116i and MINI Coopers) by 3 miles, covering an average daily journey of 29.7 miles.

The participants were complimentary about the experience in general. 90% of the drivers told researchers that the charging suited them compared with a visit to the fuel station and cost savings were appreciated.

One important criticism was the lack of charging points away from home. 80% of the participants said that a national network of charging points is essential if electric cars are to succeed.

Most interesting, and promising for the future of the electric car was that 96% of participants said they would consider buying an electric car based on their participation in the survey. 30% even said they would consider buying an electric car in the next year.

Kulveer Ranger, Mayor of London’s environmental director said: ‘Electric driving technology is coming on leaps and bounds, but people naturally still have questions and concerns. Research such as this by BMW Group into real life experiences is invaluable as it debunks some common myths and underscores why electric vehicles are perfect for urban driving. The trial has also demonstrated the importance attached to supporting infrastructure, which is why the Mayor of London has launched Source London to provide a network of charge points that will help to create optimal conditions for electric vehicle use in the UK’s capital.’