BMW Group Publishes Results of first Mini E Trial

We all know about the merits of electric vehicles but have you ever wondered how it would really be like owning one and driving it on a daily basis?

In collaboration with the British government, the BMW Group launched a trial program in the UK with 40 pure-electric MINI E cars given to 62 citizens and 72 pool users over two six-month periods, from December 2009 until March 2011.
Now that the trial period is over, MINI and the Oxford Brookes University, which undertook the research, have released their findings.
Here are the MINI E trial project results in numbers:

• 40 MINI Es


• 12 Months


• 138 Drivers (32 women, 106 men)


• 258,105 miles (415,380 km)


• 33,345 Journeys


• 80,282 kWh Electricity


• Highest mileage by an individual driver over six months: 7,954 miles (11,270 km)


• Average mileage per vehicle over six months, including fleet pool cars: 3,226 miless (4,830 km)


• Average single trip distance: 9.5 miles (15.3 km), compared to UK average of 7 miles (11.3 km)


• Average cost to charge over six months: £60, less than 2p per mile


• Virtually all recharging carried out at home.


• Almost all participants said they’d consider buying an electric car as a result of taking part in the program.


• 80% of the participants trips were made exclusively in the MINI E. With the addition of rear seats and a bigger boot, this number would increase to 90%.

The MINI E is powered an electric motor that produces 204HP and 204 Nm, while drawing energy from a 35kWh Li-Ion battery. It has a top speed of 95 mph (153 km/h) and an official maximum range of 149 miles (240 km), although the company admits that 112 miles (180 km) is a more realistic figure.

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Chevy Uses Solar Power to Charge Volts

Chevrolet announced today that it is installing solar-powered electric charging stations at two dozen dealerships in North America as part of its Green Zone initiative.

The new units will generate enough electricity to fully-charge 12 Chevrolet Volts a day, while excess electricity created will be used to power the dealership, supplementing their power needs. According to the Detroit automaker, each canopy generates enough electricity for up to 4,500 charges per vehicle annually.
“The beauty of this program is that there is no capital cost required from the dealership” said Dave Halvorson, president of American Chevrolet in Modesto, California which, along with Al Serra Auto Plaza in Michigan will be the first two dealerships to become a part of the Green Zone initiative.
“The question isn’t whether to install a solar canopy, it’s where and how many” added Joe Serra, president of Serra Automotive. “It’s a win for us because the electricity generated will help reduce operating costs, and it’s a win for the environment since solar power helps reduce our carbon footprint.”
The Chevy Green Zone is a part of GM’s plan to invest $7.5 million in Sunlogics, a solar panel manufacturing and development company that will manufacture and install both the solar panels and the charging stations.

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