Munich.  Convenient charging options, even on long-distance journeys, are a key factor in enabling people to use electric vehicles for all everyday purposes. Just in time for the holiday season, BMW and MINI are once again expanding their range of electric mobility features – ensuring that even a long journey to your holiday destination in an electric car can be undertaken with complete peace of mind. With new functions, greater price transparency and a continually expanding charging network, BMW/MINI Charging is taking decisive steps to enhance convenience and facilitate journey planning.     

Handy: New feature in the My BMW App and the MINI App ensures price transparency. 
There are many charging scenarios for electric vehicles in everyday life – at home using your own wallbox, at work, or at public charging points. It’s easy to keep track of costs when using your wallbox at home. When it comes to public charging, however, transparent charging rates and easy cost control are becoming an increasingly important issue. On longer journeys in particular, many customers have deplored a lack of price transparency when searching for charging points.  

Unlike at petrol or diesel filling stations, there are no reliable price displays at the charging point to help consumers choose. All the more so when a charging point accepts several different charging tariffs and the choice of tariff provider determines the cost of the charging session. For these common situations, the My BMW App and the MINI App offer smart solutions that are also available in-car in BMW vehicles running Operating System 8.5 or later, as well as in the latest MINI models.   

Drivers searching for a suitable charging option can view a well-structured overview of the available charging stations, along with their charging capacities, tariffs and resulting costs, in the My BMW App and the MINI App. This information can also be viewed inside the vehicle. A unique feature that makes for particular user-friendliness and transparency compared to competitors is that the customer is shown all the tariffs they have saved in the app’s Charging Wallet. Any available ad-hoc tariffs offered by local charging point operators are also displayed. This enables customers to choose the cheapest charging option with the greatest possible amount of price transparency.  

Full cost control while charging: The amount and cost of energy added can be tracked in the vehicle in real time. 
BMW is now also offering for Neue Klasse models another new feature during the actual charging process. The vehicle display and the vehicle app show the unit price per kilowatt-hour and allow customers to monitor in real time how much energy is being added and at what total cost. As with a conventional petrol pump showing a running total of fuel added and the price per litre, the energy amount and cost continue to be displayed until the charging process is completed. The result is charging with full cost control. This feature is available for BMW Neue Klasse vehicles running BMW Operating System X.   

The BMW Group Charging network is growing steadily. 
Widely available and convenient charging is a key factor ensuring the success of electric mobility. The BMW Group is therefore heavily involved in expanding the public charging infrastructure – for example, through the IONITY joint venture in Europe.  

The BMW Group Charging network continues to grow rapidly and currently comprises 3.1 million charging points worldwide. This represents an increase of around 300,000 charging points compared with the figure for December 2025. In Europe alone, the number rose by 100,000 over the same period to a total of 1.1 million charging points. In Germany, too, the number of charging points increased by around ten per cent to 200,000 during this period.  

Preferred Partner Network enables charging at reduced rates. 
With the Active tariff, BMW/MINI Charging customers also have access to the Preferred Partner Network. It offers discounted rates for selected premium providers. These may vary from country to country. Regardless of this, customers always have access to the relevant Preferred Partners throughout Europe. This means they can enjoy the benefits of their tariff at any time, even outside their home market. To date, 21 per cent of all BMW Group Charging points in Europe are part of the Preferred Partner Network.   

Easy journey planning with routes optimised for charging. 
As soon as a destination is entered, both the cloud-based BMW Maps navigation system and MINI Navigation calculate a route optimised for charging if the current range is insufficient to cover the distance to the destination. For added convenience, this can even be done from home using the vehicle app, before setting off on a journey. As part of this step, charging station preferences can also be customised. The duration of the charging stops is scheduled so the destination entered is reached as quickly as possible. The preferred charge level – the minimum level at which the driver wishes to reach their destination or charging stops – can be selected in five-per-cent increments. If desired, the system can give priority to charging stations from specific providers. Even more detailed information on the relevant charging points is available if required. The estimated duration of the planned charging stop and the associated costs can also be shown in advance.   

The closer the vehicle gets to a scheduled stop, the more frequently the availability of the selected charging point is checked. Where necessary – for example, if a planned charging point has unexpectedly become unavailable – an alternative route can be identified in good time.  

If the route guidance provided by the BMW Maps or MINI Navigation system includes a stop at a DC charging point, the high-voltage battery is preconditioned during the journey to ensure the most efficient charging possible. This preconditioning of the battery can also be initiated manually.   

All BMW and MINI fleet data on completed charging sessions is stored in the BMW backend. In this way, details like the actual charging rates achieved can be accurately recorded, enabling the system to recommend the best charging points when selecting routes optimised for charging. Live data from charging station operators on out-of-service charging points is also taken into account for route planning.  

At a glance: Questions and answers about the new BMW/MINI features designed to make holiday travel in electric vehicles easier.   

Does the My BMW App/MINI App provide a price comparison of charging station tariffs? 
Customers are shown the tariffs they have set up in the app’s Charging Wallet. In addition, prices based on local charging station operators’ ad-hoc tariffs are also displayed where available. Customers can easily compare the tariffs in the vehicle app and on the vehicle’s display.  

Can customers monitor the amount of energy added to the battery and the associated costs in real time during the charging process? 
Yes. A new feature displays the amount of energy added and the associated costs on the vehicle’s display and in the vehicle app. This is similar to the price and quantity display on a conventional fuel pump and offers full control over costs during the charging process. This function is available for BMW Neue Klasse vehicles running BMW Operating System X.  

How large is the BMW Group Charging network in Germany and Europe? 
In Germany, there are currently 200,000 charging points; across Europe, the figure stands at 1.1 million. This is an increase of ten per cent over December 2025.  

Does the battery need to be preconditioned to replenish it more quickly at public charging stations?   
With active navigation in MINI Navigation or BMW Maps and a fast-charging stop, the battery is automatically preconditioned to ensure optimum charging performance. This process can also be started manually. Preconditioning the battery is recommended to reduce charging times, but it is not a prerequisite for charging at fast-charging points.