Mini electric and BMW i3 join EV tour

The new Mini electric hatch and a BMW i3 will join the 2020 #LeadingTheCharge EV Road Tour starting September 26.

It’s New Zealand’s largest annual EV road trip and runs until October 3 with separate tours of the North Island and South Island.

Held by the Better NZ Trust, the tour coincides with International Drive Electric Week.

The road trip started in 2015 and was initially planned to promote EVs and tackle range anxiety by proving an EV could drive up and down the length of New Zealand with relative ease – and a little careful planning.

EV drivers are out to again prove that driving long distance using 100% electric power is possible with today’s charging infrastructure and to encourage more Kiwis to drive an EV.

This year, BMW Group New Zealand is partnering with ChargeNet NZ to complete this 1700km tour of the North Island in two of its best EVs – the new Mini electric hatch and the iconic BMW i3.

The Mini is powered by a 32.6kWh latest-generation lithium-ion battery, producing 135kW of power with its batteries mounted low and in the centre of the car in a T-shape to assist its famed go-kart handling qualities.

It has about 233km range so, with the help of some 196 rapid DC charging stations across the country installed by ChargeNet, can exploit its 50kW fast-charge ability, juicing up to 80% in 36 minutes.

Designed to revolutionise local emissions-free mobility, 2020 marks the seventh year of production for the BMW i3, the car that kick-started BMW Group’s foray into sustainable electric mobility.

Since its launch in 2013, the BMW i3 has been the most widely sold EV in the premium segment, with more than 165,000 sales worldwide.

Customers have since subjected both the vehicle and its original battery to a real endurance test, using the car not only for daily commuting but also regularly for longer distances and even holiday trips – like the one BMW New Zealand is about to undertake with ChargeNet NZ.

Reports have logged the car using only 13kWh per 100km over the entire course of hundreds of thousands of kilometres.

Thanks to technology like the i3’s kinetic energy recovery system, one owner even reported using the same set of brake discs and pads for 277,000km without needing to change them.

Meanwhile, Mini Australia has launched a Dynamic Mobility Package in conjunction with the Mini electric’s arrival to ease potential customers into the progressive world of EV ownership.

It bundles peripheral hardware and owner benefits into a four-year finance offering, with the option to hand back the car after two, and includes Mini Wallbox charging, plus a five-year Mini service Inclusive package and five-year Mini Roadside Assistance alongside an annually-renewable option to swap out the electric hatch for a Countryman to take for a weekend away.

The Leading the Charge tour featured in EVs and Beyond earlier this month.