While there’s been growing interest amongst the public in electric vehicles (EVs) such as MINI’s own electric variants, on a whole, there’s still a need to plug the gap in terms of electric motoring knowledge. In a survey by BMW Group, for instance, 40% of responders from the region mistakenly believed that an EV could only travel up to 100 km per charge.
To address common questions and misconceptions like this, we conceptualised MINI Electric Academy — a campaign and video series in the form of an atypical ‘driving school’. Over the course of three ‘lessons’, we set out to educate people all about electric mobility in a concise, easy-to-understand way that isn’t dry or preachy, with characteristically MINI wit.
Lesson 1:
Masterclass on E-learning
To kick off the campaign, we invited the public to ‘enrol’ themselves into the academy by tuning in to a microsite, where lessons in the form of bite-sized videos were hosted.
In the first lesson, we introduced the ease of picking up all things E-lectric, from E-conomics – like paying less per kilometre than petrol cars – to the E-motive.
Lesson 2:
A Refresher on Recharging
In the second class, we tackled the topic of recharging, from the where and when, to how long it takes to juice up.
Lesson 3:
The P-to-E Exchange Programme
And for those almost ready to make the switch, we took a closer look at how Petrol cars compare to Electric ones, from speed, to range.
Social Engagement:
Basic Theory Tests
Staying true to the concept of a driving school, these lessons led on to a series of ‘tests’. Mimicking the format of real-life tests, the public could test their knowledge of EVs on MINI’s social media pages.
At the end of these tests, drivers were directed to attend ‘practical driving tests’, which were in fact test drives of the MINI Electric cars.
Handy handbooks in the form of PDFs were also created for each lesson, and could even be printed if students preferred learning via the tactile way.
Classes are still in session! Experience the MINI Electric Academy and its electric feel for yourself over at the microsite we created: https://cp.mini.com.sg/electric-academy/.
We’re happy to say MINI Electric Academy clocked more than a healthy attendance – with over 10,000 organic views – and proved that there’s no question the future of driving, is indeed electric.
