Mini electric car trial results

Running an electric car costs less than 2p a mile, an extensive field trial has found.

Mini leased a fleet of 40 electric Minis to a mix of fleet car drivers and private buyers over two six-month periods to help understand how such cars are used in the real world.

The trial included 138 drivers who between them made 33,345 individual journeys, racking up 258,105 miles.

The main findings included:

• The average daily distance was 29.7 miles
• The average single trip was 9.5 miles
• Four out of five people reported that 80% of their trips could be done exclusively in the Mini E.
• The average range was 90 miles
• Drivers recharged 2.9 times a week, mainly at home at night when electricity was at its cheapest
• 81% said they preferred recharging at home over refuelling a petrol or diesel car at a fuel station
• 96% said they would consider buying an electric car after completing the trial
• Average cost to charge over six months - 60, less than 2p per mile

The UK trial mirrored those in the Beijing, Berlin, on the east and west coasts of the USA, Munich, Paris, Shenzhen and Tokyo. In the UK 40 Mini Es were driven from December 2009 until March 2011.

Parent company BMW says the biggest beneficiary of the research findings will be its i3 electric car, due to be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show next month ahead of going on sale in 2013.

Suzanne Gray, general manager of BMW i said: 'The feedback from the trial has been invaluable in helping our understanding of how people really respond to electric cars and other factors necessary to support electric car drivers.

'With this information we will be in a strong position to provide a well-rounded product and service proposition to customers of the BMW i3 and to work with other players in the electric vehicle market to make it a successful experience for a new generation of users.'