ALL ELECTRIC. ALL HERE.

This term refers to all cars that do not cause local emissions when driven, unlike internal combustion engine cars. In the first phases of material procurement and production, electric cars initially have a higher carbon footprint than a comparable combustion engine car. This is mainly due to the energy-intensive processes involved in the production of the electric car battery. However, this changes when the car is driven, as electric cars do not generate local emissions when driving, and their indirect emissions are dependent on the electricity mix.

Temperature is a key external factor that affects a battery's performance and capacity. This is no doubt a factor you may have experienced with your mobile phone: its capacity is also limited at very low temperatures. It's the same with your vehicle. The influence of temperature is minimised by optimised operating strategies, however. And did you know that the battery capacity also indicates your possible available range? Apart from the temperature, the range is largely affected by your personal driving style, and also by energy consumption factors, such as the air conditioning, trailer load, luggage etc. By far the most important factor in terms of driving style is your chosen motorway speed.

If you need to charge on the go, your all electric MINI will be preconditioned when you enter a DC charging station as your destination. This means that the high-voltage battery will be adjusted to the optimum operating temperature when you reach your destination, which will increase its charging capability and shorten the charging time.

National grid capacity isn’t the big problem most people think. So far, the market entry of EVs in the EU has been very predictable and the electric grid is constantly being developed in parallel. So there is no need for new electricity-generation capacity in the near future. Utility companies have had the time to plan ahead. However, the situation is country-specific. For example, in northern Europe, the evolution is more effortless because of the strong power grids and electric heating already in place. In other areas of Europe, the evolution is a bit more difficult due to the one-phase energy systems and older structures. But this is being adddressed at speed. In fact there is an ‘unexpected’ twist to this answer as electric vehicles can provide a vital source of flexibility in the energy system. Rather than being a threat to grid stability or capacity, EVs act as big batteries on wheels. They make it possible for energy to be stored and used at a later time. In the next few years, we will have a pool of EV chargers utilised as aggregated reserves.