BMW trying to figure out what to do about its electric Mini test

BMW Mini E's is plying the streets of the east and west coasts, being driven by consumers in an experiment in electric transportation.

By BMW

There are about 600 pure electric versions of BMW's Mini running around. The German automaker is now about six months into its test of how the electrics will hold up in real-world consumer tests. Now it 's trying to figure out what to do next.

"We're looking at whether to extend (leases) with the existing clientele or (find) a new clientele next year," said Ian Robertson, BMW's worldwide sales and marketing chief in an interview with Drive On earlier this month.

But he says BMW is learning a lot from the experiment:

For one, he says, there's a big problem with different cities that typically blanket a metro area having different requirements for the garage recharging equipment required to own an electric car. In fact, there's not even a common recharging plug depending on what country you're in, Robertson says.