MINI Cooper SE real-world range test (based on a story from the manufacturer and my hazy calculations): 146 miles per full charge.
BMW made a big deal (press release) about their MINI E project manager, Elena Eder, driving the MINI Cooper SE from BMW's offices in Munich to the IAA car show in Frankfurt earlier this month. The MINI's GPS system agreed with Google Maps (does BMW use Google Maps?) that the length of the most advantageous route between the two cities is 400 km (248.6 miles). I guess it is sort of a big deal because I doubt any other car in the show was driven a long distance to get there.
We can assume Ms. Eder's MINI's 32.6 kWh battery was fully charged as she set out from Munich. BMW claims the MINI Cooper SE can achieve 235 to 270 kilometres (146 to 167 miles) of EV range, based on some combination of manufacturer-friendly European testing methods. So Ms. Eder needed to stop along the the 248.6-mile route to charge her MINI Cooper SE.
The press release says she charged her MINI to 80% of full charge, which was sufficient to ameliorate range anxiety: "When the car was charged on the way to the IAA, there wasn’t even time for dessert. Within just 35 minutes, the high-voltage battery – which had previously been almost fully depleted – was charged to 80 percent of its total capacity. This meant that there was more than enough power on board to tackle the second stage of the trip without any worries."
I wonder how close to fully depleted "almost fully depleted" was? I'd be surprised if she wasn't accompanied by a BMW support vehicle that could provide charging (towing?) assistance if her battery (motor?) didn't make it all the way.
The press release describes the end of the journey: "Finally, the MINI Cooper SE rolled into Hall 11 of the Frankfurt exhibition centre with sufficient residual range..." What is "sufficient residual range?" Was it the distance from the street through the loading dock to Hall 11?
If Ms. Eder coasted powerless to the DCFC charging station, and then added 80% charge, she expended 180% of a full charge on her trip. Subtract, say, 10% for the sufficient residual range factor and we get 170% of a full charge used to go 248.6 miles. 248.6 miles/1.7 full charge = 146 miles for a full charge, which matches the low-end of the electric MINI's reported range range. (Now you must ask, did insightman write this entire post only so he could use the phrase "range range?")
It would be nice if the press release revealed how much time Ms. Eder's trip required so we could calculate her average speed, which certainly would have had an effect on EV range. Back in the day, a group of people drove a gen-1 Honda Insight gas/electric hybrid at an average speed of 18 mph to go 2254.6 miles on a 10.6-gallon tankful of gasoline (for almost 213 mpg). I'm sure she drove faster than 18 mph, but how much faster?
Here is a photo of Elena Eder charging her MINI Cooper SE on the road to Frankfurt (OK, so I Photoshopped out the hood scoop--arrest me!)
BMW made a big deal (press release) about their MINI E project manager, Elena Eder, driving the MINI Cooper SE from BMW's offices in Munich to the IAA car show in Frankfurt earlier this month. The MINI's GPS system agreed with Google Maps (does BMW use Google Maps?) that the length of the most advantageous route between the two cities is 400 km (248.6 miles). I guess it is sort of a big deal because I doubt any other car in the show was driven a long distance to get there.
We can assume Ms. Eder's MINI's 32.6 kWh battery was fully charged as she set out from Munich. BMW claims the MINI Cooper SE can achieve 235 to 270 kilometres (146 to 167 miles) of EV range, based on some combination of manufacturer-friendly European testing methods. So Ms. Eder needed to stop along the the 248.6-mile route to charge her MINI Cooper SE.
The press release says she charged her MINI to 80% of full charge, which was sufficient to ameliorate range anxiety: "When the car was charged on the way to the IAA, there wasn’t even time for dessert. Within just 35 minutes, the high-voltage battery – which had previously been almost fully depleted – was charged to 80 percent of its total capacity. This meant that there was more than enough power on board to tackle the second stage of the trip without any worries."
I wonder how close to fully depleted "almost fully depleted" was? I'd be surprised if she wasn't accompanied by a BMW support vehicle that could provide charging (towing?) assistance if her battery (motor?) didn't make it all the way.
The press release describes the end of the journey: "Finally, the MINI Cooper SE rolled into Hall 11 of the Frankfurt exhibition centre with sufficient residual range..." What is "sufficient residual range?" Was it the distance from the street through the loading dock to Hall 11?
If Ms. Eder coasted powerless to the DCFC charging station, and then added 80% charge, she expended 180% of a full charge on her trip. Subtract, say, 10% for the sufficient residual range factor and we get 170% of a full charge used to go 248.6 miles. 248.6 miles/1.7 full charge = 146 miles for a full charge, which matches the low-end of the electric MINI's reported range range. (Now you must ask, did insightman write this entire post only so he could use the phrase "range range?")
It would be nice if the press release revealed how much time Ms. Eder's trip required so we could calculate her average speed, which certainly would have had an effect on EV range. Back in the day, a group of people drove a gen-1 Honda Insight gas/electric hybrid at an average speed of 18 mph to go 2254.6 miles on a 10.6-gallon tankful of gasoline (for almost 213 mpg). I'm sure she drove faster than 18 mph, but how much faster?
Here is a photo of Elena Eder charging her MINI Cooper SE on the road to Frankfurt (OK, so I Photoshopped out the hood scoop--arrest me!)
