Tag Archives: Germany

News

MINI Countryman SE ALL4 Goes Where Few EVs Dare

If you ever doubted whether electric vehicles can handle the world beyond the motorway, the MINI Countryman SE ALL4 has something to prove. From the cobbled streets of Munich to the rugged edges of Iceland’s Westfjords, this all-electric compact SUV doesn’t just whisper sustainability—it shouts adventure. Over more than 2,300 kilometers of continental highways, stormy seas, and Icelandic gravel, MINI’s largest model demonstrates that “zero emissions” need not mean “zero excitement.”

From Bavaria to the Edge of the World

The journey begins where precision engineering meets pretzel stands—Munich, Germany. The destination: Iceland’s remote Westfjords, a landscape that looks like it belongs on another planet. Between them lies a route of autobahns, ferry decks, and forgotten roads.

On paper, the task sounds straightforward: drive north to Denmark, catch the ferry at Hirtshals, and land two days later in Seyðisfjörður. But add in volatile North Sea weather, Icelandic gravel tracks, and sub-zero temperatures, and the Countryman SE ALL4 suddenly finds itself facing an exam few EVs could pass.

The Electric Powertrain That Earns Its Name

Under its chunky sheet metal, the Countryman SE ALL4 packs dual electric motors producing a combined 313 horsepower and 494 Nm of torque, powering all four wheels. With a WLTP range of up to 432 kilometers, it’s not exactly short of stamina either. Charging stops along the route are refreshingly brief, thanks to 130 kW fast-charging capability—enough to add serious range in under 30 minutes.

On German highways, it’s a silent glider—solid, stable, and confident at speed. The new cabin design offers more shoulder and elbow room, while MINI’s Driving Assistant Professional takes the edge off long-distance cruising with semi-automated steering and adaptive cruise. This isn’t the MINI of your city-parking past—it’s a grown-up traveler built for the long haul.

Built for the Wild (Not Just the Suburbs)

By the time the ferry sets sail, the Countryman looks the part of an expedition vehicle. MINI’s engineers fitted this particular SE ALL4 with off-road tires, a roof rack carrying a spare wheel, sand plates, spade, and jack—the sort of kit you associate with Dakar, not downtown Munich.

After a turbulent crossing on the North Sea—waves reaching eight meters high—the crew lands in Iceland amid sleet and fog. Temperatures dip below freezing, yet the MINI’s confidence remains unshaken. As daylight stretches toward midnight (thanks to Iceland’s endless summer sun), the Countryman glides over lava fields and mossy plains, showing off an impressive mix of composure and agility.

Where the Roads End

Early the next morning, caked in mud and glory, the Countryman SE ALL4 faces Route 622—one of Iceland’s most notorious trails. This unpaved track clings to the cliffs of the Westfjords, occasionally vanishing beneath the tide. It’s a test of traction, torque, and nerve.

With its ‘Blazing Blue’ paint barely visible beneath layers of dust, the MINI claws its way across loose scree and slippery turf. Each wheel dig is met with instant electric torque—no lag, no drama. Even when it scrapes the ground, the Countryman feels unflappable. Its electric motors deliver smooth, steady thrust where combustion engines might falter or stall.

Locals stop and stare—not just because it’s a MINI, but because it’s a fully electric MINI tackling a route usually reserved for lifted Land Cruisers and Defender veterans.

A True Countryman

When the path finally gives out—waves having chewed away what used to be a road—the team calls it. Not even the shovels and sand plates can save the track. But failure isn’t the point. Between Munich and Iceland, the MINI Countryman SE ALL4 has already proven what it needed to: adventure doesn’t depend on cylinders or exhaust pipes.

It’s about range—not just electric range, but emotional range. The ability to glide quietly across Europe one day and tackle the edge of the Arctic Circle the next.

And as the wind howls across the Westfjords, one thing becomes clear: this MINI might be silent, but it has a lot to say.


The all-electric MINI Countryman SE ALL4 is more than a family crossover with a plug. It’s proof that electric mobility and raw adventure can coexist—stylishly, capably, and sustainably.

Source: BMW

News

BMW Becomes First German Automaker to Get Global Green Light for Hands-Free Driving

While Mercedes-Benz is busy perfecting an S-Class that can chauffeur itself, BMW has quietly snagged a world-first regulatory win. The Bavarian brand just became the first German automaker approved under the new UN Regulation on Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS)—a key milestone on the road to hands-free driving.

The honor goes to the BMW iX3, which now officially gets the go-ahead to use the Motorway Assistant feature in multiple countries. The DCAS approval essentially gives BMW a passport to deploy the tech across much of Europe and other UN ECE member states—without the bureaucratic juggling act that previously kept features like this trapped within national borders.

For context, DCAS provides a common international rulebook for Level 2 driver-assistance systems—those that still require a human behind the wheel but can handle steering, acceleration, and braking under certain conditions. It’s the first time automakers have a unified framework for such systems, a major leap in a landscape previously defined by a patchwork of country-specific laws.

Until now, BMW had relied on a special exemption from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority to deploy an earlier version of Motorway Assistant. With DCAS certification, that stopgap is history. The iX3 can now offer the system—hands-free operation included—without legal red tape.

Here’s what the tech actually does: Motorway Assistant lets drivers cruise hands-free at speeds up to 81 mph (130 km/h) while remaining alert and ready to take over. It’s still officially Level 2 autonomy, meaning you can’t nap or scroll Instagram, but the system can handle lane changes with a simple glance—literally. The driver just looks toward the next lane to confirm it’s clear, and the car does the rest.

Even smarter, the system can proactively suggest lane changes ahead of exits or slower traffic, giving the experience a more human-like flow. And in Germany, BMW takes things a step further with a City Assistant mode that’s rolling out on the iX3. The feature allows the car to automatically stop at red lights and move again when they turn green.

BMW says this is just the start. Future over-the-air updates will bring even more urban smarts, slowly transforming the iX3 into a near-autonomous commuter companion—at least within the bounds of Level 2.

While Mercedes may still claim bragging rights for Level 3 hands-free cruising on the S-Class and EQS in Germany, BMW’s regulatory leap gives it a far broader playing field. In the battle for real-world autonomy, the one with the most global approvals may just win.

Source: BMW

News

Deepdrive: The German Start-Up That Wants to Reinvent the Wheel

There’s something wonderfully audacious about the idea of reinventing the wheel. But that’s precisely what Deepdrive — a Munich-based electric motor start-up — is doing. And, just to really annoy Isaac Newton, they’re putting the engine inside it.

Yes, in-wheel motors. That mad, once-dismissed idea that turns each corner of your car into its own self-propelled power unit. It’s been tried before — usually resulting in too much weight, too much complexity, and not nearly enough range. But Deepdrive’s seven-strong team of ex-Formula Student engineers think they’ve cracked it. And after a few hot laps around the Salzburgring in some heavily disguised Tesla and Volvo prototypes, it’s hard not to believe them.

Efficiency That Actually Means Something

Deepdrive claims its motors can make EVs up to 20 percent more efficient. Not a bad boast in a world where manufacturers trip over themselves for a one-percent gain. Chief engineer and co-founder Alex Rosen says the trick lies in trimming the fat — or rather, the friction.

“When we started, conventional EV drivetrains were losing about 40% of their energy to heat and transmission losses,” Rosen explains. “Now it’s closer to 25%, but that still leaves us a huge margin to work with.”

With an electric motor tucked neatly inside each wheel, there’s no need for driveshafts, differentials or heavy gearboxes. What you get instead is beautifully direct power delivery, ultra-precise torque vectoring, and — because every wheel can act independently — the sort of handling wizardry that’d make a rally engineer blush.

The Space Race

But efficiency is only half the story. Deepdrive’s tech could change how cars look.

Without the bulky central motor or axles to package around, designers suddenly have a blank canvas. Shorter overhangs, lower floors, more cabin space — Rosen calls it “never-seen proportions.” Imagine a supermini with limo legroom, or a low-slung GT with the interior volume of a family hatch.

It’s the kind of design freedom carmakers dream of but rarely get. And the big players are watching. Deepdrive has already attracted €50 million from BMW and Volkswagen, both quietly keen to see if these bright young minds can out-innovate their own R&D departments.

From Student Dream to Industry Disruptor

The Deepdrive story reads like a Silicon Valley fairy tale — except with more pretzels and fewer hoodies. The founders met while building race cars for their university’s Formula Student team in Munich. After graduation, they scattered into Germany’s industrial giants, where they quickly became frustrated by “big company inertia.”

So, in 2021, they jumped ship, pooled their know-how, and set out to prove that in-wheel drive wasn’t a dead end.

“Developing in-wheel motors was our original big idea,” Rosen says. “Everyone said it couldn’t be done economically, but we were obsessed.”

Fast-forward four years, and their obsession has turned into something real — something that’s now thundering around a racetrack near Salzburg under a pair of familiar Swedish and Californian badges.

The Double-Rotor Disruptor

Of course, Deepdrive isn’t stopping there. Their latest project is a dual-rotor electric motor that’s lighter, cheaper and more compact than traditional single-rotor units.

Think of it as the halfway house between conventional EV powertrains and the full in-wheel revolution — ideal for manufacturers not yet ready to ditch the driveshaft. It saves on copper, iron and magnets, which in EV-land translates directly to fewer costs and fewer headaches for supply chains. BMW has already been experimenting with it, and Continental is reportedly sniffing around too.

So, What’s Next?

Deepdrive plans to scale up for small-series car production by 2028. If that sounds ambitious, that’s because it is — but ambition is what got them here in the first place.

There’s still plenty to prove: long-term durability, ride comfort, cost, and how all that cleverness handles real-world potholes. But if Rosen and his team are right, the next big leap in EV tech won’t come from battery chemistry or charging infrastructure.

It’ll come from the wheel itself.

And that, dear reader, might just be the most exciting thing to happen to the automobile since someone first bolted an engine to a cart and decided to go for a drive.

Source: Deepdrive