(August 6, 2011) Understanding how electric cars are driven in the real world has taken an important step forward with the release of data from the MINI E field trial in the UK.

Year-long real-world tests of a fleet of electric Minis found that driving patterns were generally the same as those who drove conventionally powered cars.

The tests discovered that everyday use of the electric MINIs didn’t radically differ from the typical driving patterns of a control group of drivers of conventionally powered cars in the same segment. In fact, the daily journey distance of 29.7 miles was slightly more than the 26.5 miles recorded by the control cars, a mix of MINI Coopers and BMW 116i models.

With 62 members of the public and 76 pool users running the battery-powered hatchbacks over two six-month periods, the government-supported trial is the most in-depth of its kind in the UK to publish its findings.

An enormous amount of data was collected electronically by data-loggers in the car and the home charging points, and also from extensive driver research carried out by Oxford Brookes University.

The early findings have already informed the development of the 2011 BMW ActiveE car, a four-seat car based on the BMW 1 Series Coupe, but the biggest beneficiary will be the BMW i3, the first purpose-built EV from the BMW Group, set for launch in 2013.  This information has also helped to inform UK policy-making decisions and other EV market stakeholders.

Interestingly, the UK average daily distance driven for private cars overall is less than 25 miles.  With information gathered by on-board data-loggers, the average single trip distance was recorded as 9.5 miles compared to the UK average of seven miles.

Four out of five people reported that 80 percent of their trips could be done exclusively in the MINI E, and this increased to 90 per cent of users saying that with the addition of rear seats and a bigger boot, all their trips could have been done in the MINI E.

Eighty-four percent said that the severe low temperatures during both phases of the field trial affected the distance that could be driven between charges, but despite that, four out of five participants told the researchers they thought the MINI E was suitable for winter use, with one user, Janet Borgers, saying she “regularly did 88 miles in a single journey in the cold weather.” Another female commuter clocked up almost 8,000 miles over a September to March period.

Given the daily driven distance of just under 30 miles, the drivers felt confident enough not to have to charge their MINI E every night. In fact, the average was 2.9 times a week according to information fed back via electricity smart meters, with special night-time tariffs successfully encouraging individual drivers to charge when it was cheapest, which coincided with a low demand period and a greater proportion of renewable energy in the grid mix.

Nine out of ten drivers told the researchers that charging actually suited their daily routine, with 81 percent agreeing with the statement “I prefer to plug in the car than go to a fuel station.”  The running cost-savings were appreciated by users, with one participant telling researchers the thing she’d miss most was: “the money I will have to start paying for fuel again!”

Most charged at home, with 82 percent using their wall-mounted charging box 90 percent of the time. 

The lack of a comprehensive public charging infrastructure in the UK was noted, with four out of five participants (82 percent) saying they thought that it was “essential” that a network of charging points was established. However, almost three quarters (72 percent) said they were able to use their car perfectly adequately right now as they had access to private charging.

Asked about their driving experience, the trial participants were full of praise. Every single one enjoyed the quietness, with one user quoted as saying: “I like the silence — it’s very futuristic and it causes a reaction when people notice you pull away without making a sound.”

And they all agreed with the statement: “electric vehicles are fun to drive.” The reason was partly down to the “fast pick-up and quick acceleration” of the 204hp MINI, again a statement that 100 percent agreed with. One even went so far to say it was “absolutely the best car I have ever driven.”