The full-electric BMW Mini E has been completely developed and is going through a series of testing. People who lease the cars all over the world are driving the Minis to check out all of their functions.

There are about 450 testers in the U.S. and they are saying that the driving range of the electric vehicles goes down by about 20 percent in the cold weather. Although Mini E should have about 100-mile range after a full battery charge, one American tester reported that the battery meter showed zero miles / zero percent after only 55 miles because he drove the car in 23 degree F weather.

The owners should be really careful about driving electric vehicles in low temperatures: the battery power on Mini E goes down so quickly that they might turn out without any access to power station or household outlet which could recharge the battery and the car would have to be towed. This is what happened to another driver who wrote about his experience in Washington Post: after 87.8 miles Mini E ran out of power and had to be towed although there have not been such troubles in warm weather.

There were several reports alike and the BMW North America Chairman and CEO is asking the drivers to “proceed with caution”. He reminds that the Mini E project is still in development, so unexpected things might happen.

In order to become one of the Mini E testers a person should live in California, New Jersey or New York, pay $850 per month for the lease and provide regular feedback about the vehicle.