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Charging Made Easy.
Charging the MINI Electric is easy and quick so you’re always ready to hit the road. Here you’ll find out about the convenient solutions for your home or en route. We explore how you can save money and maximise your driving range. And you’ll discover the ever-expanding infrastructure of public charging stations that makes it easy to charge just about anywhere.
CHARGING AT HOME.
MINI Electric comes with two AC charging cables as standard. The first cable can be plugged into any home conventional socket. The second enables you to charge much faster using a Wallbox with a higher AC power supply. So when it comes to charging your MINI Electric – there’s no place like home.
Household plug.
You don’t actually need any complex installation or unit to charge at home. Simply use the standard occasional use cable that can be plugged into any regular AC 230 V power socket (SchuKo).
2.5 hours of slow charging will be enough for your next commute of up to 50 km.
Use the household plug overnight and you'll start the day full of energy with enough charge for several days of city driving. It will have recharged completely after approx. 15 hours.
WALLBOX SOLUTIONS.
You could consider having a Level 2 wallbox installed at your home. The second charging cable that comes standard is designed to work with such a unit and this offers you a convenient, faster alternative for daily charging – at home and when you're out and about.
More power: figures vary, but a dedicated, 3-phase 11 kW wallbox connection will generally give you up to 3-times faster charging time. So your MINI Electric can be fully charged within around 3.5 hours.
MINI Wallbox: if you are interested in installing a premium quality MINI Wallbox or a wallbox from one of our partners, we would be happy to help you locate a specialist in your area.
Home Charging.
Get the most out of home charging with our useful series of charging videos below.
GOOD TO KNOW.
One interesting fact is that since household electricity is charged per kilowatt/hour, it doesn't make a difference to you financially whether you charge your MINI faster – or slower.
PUBLIC CHARGING.
Take advantage of the ever-growing number of public charging stations that are equipped with both alternating current (AC) via a Type 2 connector, and direct current (DC) via a CCS plug that gives you up to 50kW electric power.
TYPE 2 (AC) CHARGERS.
Your MINI Electric comes with a Type 2 cable, enabling you to charge wherever you go. The top part of your MINI's CCS inlet is used for AC charging.
This is the Type 2 connector and is compatible with your home charger, public AC charging points and domestic plug sockets.
CCS FAST CHARGERS.
You can also take advantage of fast charging of up to 50 kW via the Combined Charging System (CCS). This is the standard for rapid charging in Europe. The upper part of the plug resembles the Type 2 connector, it combines with the more powerful conectors below to allow AC power to be transformed by the MINI Electric to DC power that directly charges your battery with a much higher voltage and amperage.
CCS chargers include the charging cable and no additional hardware is needed. The combination of practically-sized charging capacity and stable charging performance of your MINI ensures you can take many ways to reach your destination – and always have several charging options within reach.
Charging in public.
Get the most out of public charging with our useful series of charging videos below.
THINGS YOU CAN DO WHILE CHARGING YOUR MINI.
MEET SOME MINI ELECTRIC DRIVERS.
MONWAR, KENT.
“IT REALLY IS A BREEZE RUNNING A CAR LIKE THE MINI ELECTRIC.”
“If you’re considering the switch to electric, I’d have to say just do it! I get so much more of a rush in the MINI Electric than I do in a petrol or diesel car. I think if people were better educated about electric cars in general – charging, costs, range – they’d be more comfortable about making the change.
I know a lot of people are nervous about charging, but there are charging points everywhere now. Also, the apps and tech available to you makes planning your journeys so much easier. It really is a breeze running a car like the MINI Electric.”
MISTY, LONDON.
“AS TIME GOES ON, YOU ALSO START TO FIND CHARGERS THAT WORK BEST FOR YOU.”
“I have to say, I was a bit worried about ‘range anxiety’. I didn’t ever want to be on a long journey without enough charge. But, with the MINI Electric, I’ve had absolutely no problems. It’s exactly what I need. To be honest, there will be times where I forget to charge overnight, but I’ve still got enough left to get to work or pop to the shops.
The MINI Electric has other cool features that help you preserve your range. The different driving modes are great. There’s Sport, Mid, Green and Green+. I’m almost always in Green mode. I drive to Dorset regularly, and it’s great for long journeys. I’ve always got plenty of range, and the handling – the way the MINI Electric goes round country roads – feels great. It’s so smooth. A lot of thought has gone into making it fun and comfortable.”
IOLA, SOUTH YORKSHIRE.
“MAKE SURE YOU PLAN YOUR JOURNEYS BEFORE YOU GO.”
“My MINI Electric is my first electric car, but I’ve never really had any worries about charging. I was just curious as to how it worked. The questions I had were all pretty standard: How often do I have to charge? How easy is it? Where can I charge it? How long does it take? But, as I say, I’ve never had any issues. I do most of my charging at home via our Pod Point wallbox, but it’s easy to go further afield, too.
The MINI Electric smartphone app makes charging easy. When I’m at home, I can use the app to set the car to charge at certain times of day. I can see how much a charge will cost me, and how much range the car currently has. Then, when I’m out and about, it’s really easy to use the app to find chargers."
BATTERY CHARGING EQUIPMENT.
FAQS.
To install your MINI Wallbox and a wallbox from one of our partner companies correctly, we recommend using our installation service. Simply arrange this service with your MINI Dealership or our official installation partner (Deutsche Telekom Technischer Service GmbH) who will then take on all consultation, installation and start-up tasks.
The benefits for you at a glance:
- Inspection of electrical connection requirements at your property.
- Recommendation of suitable installation locations based on your personal parking situation.
- Installation, connection and start-up at your chosen installation location (including laying up to 2 m surface-mounted cabling).
- Briefing on the charging process.
- 24-month warranty.
We recommend a three-phase connection with fuse protection of at least 16 A – this will allow 11 kW to be supplied to the vehicle. A three-phase connection with 32 A fuse protection will be future-proof. All PHEV vehicles can be charged with a max. 3.7 kW single-phase supply using the MINI Wallbox Essential.
Shorter charging time: Up to 7.4 kW (single-phase) or 11 kW (three-phase), cable length 5.0 m, simple cable handling, integrated fault current detection ("DC leakage").
Yes, if you use a charging plug with "Type 2" standard or the CCS plug (combi plug).
5 metres, securely attached to the Wallbox.
Yes, the MINI Wallbox Gen 3 is certified for external use according to protection class IP 54. This means that protection against weather is not absolutely necessary. The Wallbox has been developed and certified for external use. However, we recommend installing it indoors for reasons of comfort; this additionally prevents snow and ice from forming on the Wallbox during winter and will keep your Wallbox free from dirt and moss for longer.
No – comprehensive electromagnetic tolerance tests have confirmed that the MINI Wallbox Essential does not emit any radiation.
It’s best to maintain a charge of between 20 and 80 per cent. Lower or higher levels are possible, but to optimise the life of your battery, it is recommended to stay between these marks. In your vehicle’s menu, you can easily and conveniently set your target charge to 80 per cent, so you’ll never have to worry about it. This should cover all your daily driving needs. If you actually need more, simply set a higher target.
During the charging process, the charging cable is locked, which locks the vehicle. The BMW i Wallbox Connect can also be locked when it is not in use.
Yes – however, this does mean that energy will continuously be consumed, but at a low rate.
The MINI navigation system provides you with direct access to all charging stations in the MINI Charging network.
You can also search for charging stations: When you set "charging stations" as a special destination in your navigation system, you will be presented with a list of charging stations near you.
The MINI Charging app offers you another option by allowing you to access a list of all available charging stations on your smartphone.
You can use the MINI Charging map or the MINI Charging app to unlock charging stations and start the charging process.
Some charging columns can be operated using the MINI Charging app. The app, which features an integrated QR code scanner, is as easy to use as it is to install. To do so, simply download the app, enter your MINI Charging contract number and your PIN.
- Switch the engine off and apply the handbrake.
- If necessary, set the current before charging.
- Do not use any extension cables.
- Always connect and disconnect the charging cable in this order:
Connecting:
- Connect to the socket.
- Connect to the vehicle.
Disconnecting:
- Disconnect from the vehicle.
- Disconnect from the socket.
LED lights:
- White light: Signal light
- Red light: Charging error
- Orange light: Initialising
- Blue light: Charging active
- Green light: Charging complete
5. Lock the vehicle. The charging process will only start once your vehicle is locked.
We know the weather here in the northern hemisphere. So yes, your MINI Electric and all our chargers are completely weatherproof and will protect you from any electric shocks, so it’s perfectly safe to charge your MINI in the rain.
Normal charging with alternating current (AC):
This charges your car efficiently, primarily overnight but also during the day. Compared to a domestic power socket, an AC charging station provides more power and can charge the battery in just a few hours. This type of charging station is referred to as an AC charging station, for short.
Quick charging with direct current (DC):
DC quick charging stations are the better option when you need to charge your car fast. They can recharge your vehicle's battery quickly – while you go shopping or have a bite to eat, for example. The charging process lasts between 30 and 40 minutes. This type of charging station is referred to as a DC charging station, for short."
The key raw materials of the high-voltage storage are cobalt, lithium, graphite and nickel. The shell of the high-voltage battery is made of aluminum. MINI (BMW Group) is committed to developing a supply chain that is responsible, sustainable and one that meets our own high ethical and human rights standards. Each nominated supplier must provide information on the implementation of environmental, social and governance standards including respect for human rights and the prohibition of forced labour.
We work closely with key raw material suppliers to ensure that all materials are responsibly sourced both to protect and enhance the environment, and to ensure the safety and well-being of the employees at any point along the supply chain. We also continue to streamline logistics operations to reduce impacts from transporting components to our plants.
MINI (BMW Group) examines the origin of our raw materials very closely and critically. When selecting suppliers we adhere to the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct. Furthermore, we commit our direct suppliers to meet our sustainability requirements with their own suppliers. The transparency of supplier networks is the basis for ensuring our sustainability requirements for our suppliers.