The BMW Group, which includes both the BMW and Mini brands, has just launched the latest update to its partner’s smartphone app, which includes additional functionality that should convince owners of petrol and diesel cars that electric cars are for them.
BMW’s latest tool, called the Electric Vehicle Analysis function, is designed to simulate how well an electric BMW fits into its current owner’s normal driving habits and overall lifestyle.
All the user needs to do is register the app with their combustion engine vehicle, as long as it runs BMW Operating System 7 or higher, and then make at least 200 trips, covering a total distance of at least 2,000 kilometers (approximately 1,250 miles).
After selecting one of BMW’s EV alternatives as a comparison car, the app calculates the outcomes and determines how many of those journeys could easily have been completed on a single battery charge.
The German automaker says the feature is designed to “combater range anxiety and concerns about the everyday usability of fully electric vehicles.” The app will not only suggest purely electric vehicles, but also consider hybrid models if the user’s normal driving patterns require the extra range.
In addition, the BMW Group has also released a number of EV-focused updates for the My BMW and My Mini apps. For example, it is now possible to plan a route via smartphone that is optimized for charging, instead of having to do it in the car.
The apps also inform the user about facilities near charging stations, such as restaurants, cafes, banks and supermarkets, complete with detailed information about them. This way, EV owners do not have to wait while charging the battery and can combine this with other daily activities.
According to BMW, 13 million customers worldwide use the My BMW App and Mini App, benefiting from real-time functions such as current rates for charging stations in the immediate vicinity.
Analysis: The Urge to Take the Leap
BMW’s recent app is a smart move to highlight how few regular journeys actually require stopping to charge an electric car’s battery.
Granted, the app admits that some key assumptions are made when proposing an all-electric alternative, such as that potential owners will have easy access to charging facilities in the most visited destinations.
In addition, it is assumed that owners of electric cars will be able to charge their vehicles at home overnight, so that the batteries are charged for upcoming journeys.
Despite all this, the app cleverly makes it abundantly clear that only a tiny percentage of normal journeys require additional charging stops – something a big, eye-catching graph might help EV skeptics understand.
Of course, the app then suggests the perfect BMW EV that suits the user’s driving style. It is also possible to take a test drive at a local dealer with one click, so that the driver no longer has to deal with the buttocks on the seats and the cars at the gas station.
