[MiniFootPrint]

Did some research on the 2019 Mini EV battery and there's nothing to be found aside from the older Mini E prototype from 2009. Although that was a long time ago, it can still prove to be relevant.

Aside from what we know about the prototype, we should also look into what is required of EV's today. 200+ mile range is one of them and the 2009 Mini E only got 100.

The 3250-pound electric car goes limp after just 100 miles, and it will go only that far if you drive it sparingly.

Sure, you can recharge it. Figure three hours with the included 240-volt/48-amp lightning box that must be specially wired into your garage. Or 24 hours on a regular 110-volt/12-amp wall plug. You’ll want to stay close to home.

The Mini E also gets a 573-pound battery pack with 5088 lithium-ion cells that look slightly larger than AA batteries. The battery pack, also cooled by a gusty blower, resides where the back seats once did—and where most of the cargo was once stored.

Source

 

[Greenie]

Well to be competitive with other EVs in the market these days or in the future, they will need to have at least 200 miles in one charge.

 

[Josh911]

Right! To get into this competition they will probably need to come up with the even higher number than 200 miles. As I know current BMW i3 has 200 miles battery life and it's going to be one of the main rivals in this EV race.

 

[Greenie]

News of BMW's electric car battery has come out and it sounds like they're aiming for 430 mile range for their future cars. Maybe not in time for the first Mini EV, but perhaps the generation after will have amazing range.

https://electrek.co/2017/11/27/bmw-invest-electric-car-range-new-battery-cell-center/

 

[Mr. Twister]

News of BMW's electric car battery has come out and it sounds like they're aiming for 430 mile range for their future cars. Maybe not in time for the first Mini EV, but perhaps the generation after will have amazing range.

https://electrek.co/2017/11/27/bmw-invest-electric-car-range-new-battery-cell-center/

Great news! 430 miles is a huge number for the current EV market, but I hope that by 2025 it will become an average range for any electric car.

I don't think that we should expect the first generation of MINI EV to have 430 miles though. MINI is coming in 2019, so by that time, I'd like to see at least 200 miles per charge.

 

[Greenie]

Maybe even less depending on BMW's electric battery density because that's not a lot of floor space to work with or hide a larger battery pack in. Not sure if the Mini EV would sell well if they can't deliver at least 200 miles in range.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

Great news! 430 miles is a huge number for the current EV market, but I hope that by 2025 it will become an average range for any electric car.

I don't think that we should expect the first generation of MINI EV to have 430 miles though. MINI is coming in 2019, so by that time, I'd like to see at least 200 miles per charge.

Most people are happy enough with 30-50 miles when you really look at it especially for those that live in the city or suburbs. Then there's the fact about how fast chargers are showing up just about everywhere, some for free depending where you look. I just hope that 430 mile range doesn't get reduced too much with extreme cold weather... as it stands in extreme cold that could be cut in half!

 

[Greenie]

More range means less range anxiety and more buyer confidence. Sure, some days I may not drive more than 30-50 miles, but that doesn't mean I'd go for a car with that range over something with 200.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

More range means less range anxiety and more buyer confidence. Sure, some days I may not drive more than 30-50 miles, but that doesn't mean I'd go for a car with that range over something with 200.

What gives me hope in the current state of EV's is the fact that most Chevy Bolt owners can get adequate range from charging at home or at least just once or twice a day. No mad rush to charge while commuting.

 

[Greenie]

Maybe the future of MINI EVs are in solid state batteries? BMW has partnered up with Solid Power to research and develop solid-state cells for for their electric vehicles. Green Car Reports says they hope to replace the lithium-ion cells with a proprietary, inorganic material to extend drive range and battery shelf life. That's great news to me, though who know how long this'll take.

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1114357_bmw-partners-with-solid-power-to-develop-solid-state-cells-for-electric-cars

 

[MiniFootPrint]

One thing for sure is that whatever contracts car makers have right now will either have to be followed through to the end or maybe they pay a fee but as with any industry it will be a strong progression. They don't make money by jumping to the next greatest thing right away.

 

[Greenie]

I certainly hope they follow through because if they really can deliver on those promises, solid state batteries could be the electric segment's future. There's a race for the longest range and how fast a car can be charged, those seems to be the standards for EVs, things that the new battery promises to provide.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

At the rate things are moving at now it might be one of the only things to give brand a competitive edge and at the same time keep up with cafe standards which don't always fall in line with the progression of products. They actually help force change with products

 

[Greenie]

Two of the main things people are worried about are touched upon in their summary, which is charging and range. Of course charging is mostly dependent on the EVSE itself, but the battery plays a part as well. I think the Bolt slows down charging when it's around 80% full or so. Seems like a waste of charge time you pay for and it'll make longer to charge that way. Would be nice if that isn't the case with Mini vehicles.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

At least it has some good range which has been exceeding what most people actually need out of range.

By the numbers that I have seen even half of the mileage Bolt's get owners have been happy. So 50% of the battery is what people actually need meanwhile 80% is when it starts to trickle charge. Not bad if you ask me

 

[Greenie]

Prefer is trickle charge occurs later on in the process, around 90% or so in case of road trips. You would wan't every bit of charge you could get over long distances. Would be happier if there was no trickle charge, but I can see the necessity of it.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

I see it as a way to idiot proof the battery due to how costly it can be to replace them and what that can do to how the product sells.
On that note, I hope these batteries last long enough before they have to be changed because batteries can either have a shorter or longer life span than what they're rated for

 

[Coops]

I see it as a way to idiot proof the battery due to how costly it can be to replace them and what that can do to how the product sells.
On that note, I hope these batteries last long enough before they have to be changed because batteries can either have a shorter or longer life span than what they're rated for

My concern with the lifetime of these batteries is what will happen to them once they're dead? In a push for environmentally friendly vehicles, the last thing we need is landfills full of car batteries. Lets hope manufactures are considering ways to recharge/ repurpose them.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I don't normally drag old threads out from the closet, but I found this one and got a good chuckle. Most of the discussion is expecting 200+ miles of range, at one point it jumps to 430 miles with a solid state battery!

I'm glad that Mini didn't try to eek out 200 miles in the Cooper SE. 110 miles is good for me. Doubling the battery would have added so much volume, weight, and cost that I just would have passed on the package.