[Coops]

Mini U.K has recently announced that two concept vehicles will be making their European debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in two weeks. Hopefully this gives us the chance to finally peak inside/under the hood of the upcoming electric model, as there have been many auto shows where its been present but no new details were shared. C'mon BMW, no one cares about your interactive dancefloor.

 

[Tandy]

Yeah I hope we finally get some details on this model, at least in regards to what sort of pricing they have in mind. Being the first electric, I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up delivering the same sort of range that's in the new Leaf.

 

[Coops]

So long as it has a proper cooling system and isn't priced at a premium over rivals, it should be a worthy competitor in the segment. Though I wouldn't expect any class leading figures in terms of range and charging times.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

Its bigger brother the BMW 3-Series EV is said to get around 200-miles. Being (what supposed to be) a lighter platfrom, maybe we can expect a 5% increase on range?

 

[Tandy]

It's range is going to be heavily dependent on the battery that's used, and obviously there is less space to work with on the Mini platform. We've seen from Fiat that their EV models will only be practical as city commuter cars.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

This is why I think car makers need to speed up the use of supercapacitors. They're already used in much smaller applications like security systems but as part of the powetrain, it can take the industry to new heights.

 

[Coops]

Both supercapacitors and solid state batteries will make a significant difference in the density and capability of new EV's. Since the technology is advancing so quickly, there's a chance we could see some of this tech used in more premium models such as the Taycan or Tesla Roadster first.

 

[Tandy]

I believe that the cost per kilowatt hour has dropped by something like 80% over the past few years. As that's the main cost of manufacturing an EV, I'm guessing it wont be long until EV's are actually cheaper than their ICE counterparts.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

I know that in big cities, smaller vehicles for more local travel will be in high demand. When combined with self-driving tech then we should see a major roll out of very cheap EV's. Won't be surprised either if its Tesla's next product, one under the Model 3.

 

[Coops]

There is currently something like 450 EV manufacturers in China, and I know there are several of them who have an interest in expanding to North America. Though it may be difficult for them to get consumers on board, I'm assuming that their models will be significantly cheaper than the competition.

 

[Morris]

I think they are going to have a pretty tough time stealing away any market share away from the likes of Nissan, Tesla and Chevy. That being said, there is a gap in the segment for cheaper entry level EV's, which I'm guessing is where these models will sit?

 

[Tandy]

They will have to be cheaper, or far more efficient than what's already being offered. I know the technology in Asia is typically a few years ahead of NA, so there's a chance that they could be delivering 2020 figures.

 

[Coops]

The first Chinese EV company that coming to the states is a premium brand, so I would imagine their vehicles will be priced accordingly. They have advertised segment leading range though, boasting up to 434 miles on the top spec model.

 

[Morris]

Better range is great, but I really don't think people are going to buy into an unfamiliar brand. I know reliability wont be as big of an issue with EV's, but there's a big difference between cheap and expensive electronics.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

Reliability won't be an issue but we will have to worry about the odd time that a battery might go without warning, regardless of how new or old it is.