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BMW has long touted the Mini E program as a way to gain real-world experience with electric cars. The first lesson? Building a charging infrastructure, even at customers' homes, isn't exactly the easiest task.
The headaches seem especially prevalent in New Jersey, where a multitude of municipal authorities must sign off on each fast-charge station installed in the state.
"If you are in a house with a normal supply, "says Jim O'Donnell, CEO of BMW of North America, "you have to have an agreement from the power utility. New Jersey is the most difficult as there are so many local authorities." An inspector from each municipality has to sign off on the installation, and in New Jersey, each component can be certified, but the system as a whole may not.
Customers would likely desire the rapid charger -- using a 240-volt supply, the unit can recharge the electric Mini in a scant three hours. Using the standard 110-volt charger to do the same takes a whopping 21 hours.