Sebastian Mackensen (Head of MINI Brand Management) and Peter Wolf (Head of MINI Series Management) advance today the features of the first plug-in hybrid model by the British premium brand, to be launched soon.
The new MINI is in the latest tranche of the development process and its competitive technological advantage lies on a intelligent energy management appropach.
“With this model we want to convince MINI customers of the benefits of hybrid drive”, says Mackensen, “and impress everyone who already has hybrid driving experience with MINI’s unique go-kart driving feel.” The key to achieving this lies in intelligent energy management which is used to control how the combustion engine and electric motor operate together.
Smart energy management: Increasing stability
The Hybrid concept provides yet another benefit: the electric motor transmits its power to the rear wheels, the combustion engine to the front wheels. Since the intelligent energy management is linked to the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), traction and drive stability are optimised via the drive system.
“As soon as there is any risk of drive slip, the second drive unit is activated to provide additional traction when starting off or ensuring a high level of steering precision when cornering”, explained Wolf.
Smart energy management: Recharging batteries while moving
There’s a third mode with the eDrive toggle switch: SAVE BATTERY. In this mode, the combustion engine powers the car whilst at the same time, the high voltage battery can retain charge at a constant level or indeed increase charge via a generator. Extended driving in SAVE BATTERY mode enables enough power generation for purely electric driving later.
Long haul electric driving over the 40-60 km/h
The high-voltage battery under the rear seats provides power for long-lasting electric driving. AUTO eDRIVE standard mode allows speeds of up to 80 km/h, whilst in MAX eDRIVE mode speeds of up to 125 km/h are possible.
The rpm counter in the instrument cluster on the steering column has been replaced with a power display. It informs the driver about the electric motor’s power reserves before the combustion engine fires up. When exactly the combustion engine starts varies depending upon the vehicle’s speed and the intensity with which the driver operate the accelerator pedal.
For Mackensen this is a question of character: “In a hybrid MINI model, driving electrically must also be an exhilarating experience. This means that entirely electric driving is not limited to speeds of 30 or 40 km/h, but to speeds well beyond city traffic pace.”
Same agility and “unplugged” look
At first glance, one wouldn’t recognise the test car as a hybrid model. And that’s not because of the camouflage foil used. The charging socket for the high-voltage battery is discreetly integrated in the left side scuttle.
Everything also looks familiar in the cockpit. The start/stop button in the centre of the dashboard glows yellow instead of red. As usual, one just must press the button to start the car.
Thanks to the eDrive components, which are positioned very low down at the rear, the car’s centre of gravity is lowered and the weight is evenly balanced between the front and rear axle. Best solution to achieve an even higher level of the well known MINI agility.
Image over the headline.- Sebastian Mackensen (Head of MINI Brand Management) and Peter Wolf (Head of MINI Series Management) present the first plug-in hybrid model by the British premium brand. © MINI.
