Iceland and its Westfjords are among the most spectacular landscapes for nature lovers. Every year thousands of camping and off-road enthusiasts visit the region in specially equipped off-road vehicles and tour camper vans. It is a crazy idea to make the journey from Munich to the alleged end of the European world in an electric mini -Landsmann SE.
Preparation of the Mini for Iceland’s untamed terrain
80 percent of all streets in Iceland are unpaved, and although the ring road was paved a few years ago, a tour with a regular vehicle is not recommended. While most tourists prefer to explore the island on paved roads in white rental cars such as the Dacia Duster 4 × 4 and real off-road enthusiasts in defenders, G-classes, patrols or specially improved expedition vehicles, all4-electrically driven and slightly raised in a mini-country SE.
Since many of the streets of Iceland are not only unpaved, but also the mountainous tracks with mud, rocks and ruins are covered, the wheels have been improved. The blue compatriot with the golden roof is equipped with off-road tires, and the roof houses a large off-road rack with space for a spare tire and sand plates and other tools if things are getting tight in the middle of nowhere in Iceland. An electrical wind would be perfect; But that is not easy to retrofit the aerodynamically designed front end, and since it approaches midsummer, the auxiliary lights were at home at the front or roof – it is probably not really dark at night.
Munich to Hirtshals: Where the reach of reality hits
The adventure tour begins in Munich at a sunny 23 degrees Celsius quite unspectacular. The battery is fully charged and the journey continues with a stopover in Hamburg against Hirtshals in Denmark, where the ferry leaves to Sedisfjödur. An electric car with a large roof shelf and off-road tire-das costs the area.
The promised 400 kilometers, which the 64 -KWH -Akku in the underbody -only protects against sharp stones and the rough terrain -is possible in the entire package with the Rustic -grave grave with tires with higher motorway speeds in the entire package. But the trip to Hamburg is as relaxed as expected. The wind noise from the roof shelf with replacement tires is quickly drowned by the sound of the good sound system, the rough profile pattern sings less than feared, and so the young off-roader chugs north with its 230 kW / 313 PS all-wheel drive.
The connected navigation system calculates the charging process excellently, and the navigation card shows where and at what speed it is possible to charge. Unfortunately, the Countryman SE has only been repeated a lot for such a long distance trip with a maximum of 130 kilowatts, in which the battery should not be exceeded up to 80 percent itself. German cities and charging stations fly by, while it quickly becomes clear that consumption is well over 140 km/h due to the changes in the vehicle and reaches impressive heights above the Icelandic hills.
Up to Hamburg, the electric crossover usually creates 120 to 130 km/h, apart from a short sprint of 180 km/h, before things get hard on the A7 south of Hamburg. With a compatriot SE All4, which is set to over 80 percent, you can drive 240 to 280 kilometers between the charging points on the motorway without having to come into trouble. With increasing distance, they get used to the countless functions that are offered by the large, circular screen in the middle of the dashboard. It is razor -sharp, but its submenus are confusing. Admittedly, it takes a while to get used to it, and the lack of instruments alone is more annoying than the adaptation options of the electrical massage seats, which should be larger for a crossover of this size.
Ferry to the Arctic: A sea of skeptics and rough water
After stations in Hamburg / Germany and Hirtshals / Denmark, the ferry with the name Norröna drives to Sedisfjödur, with a short stopover on the Faröer – two long days with some serious waves. When getting in, the electric country man is a topic of conversation in number one and not only because of his off-road look. Iceland fans of off-road campers, converted fire engines and hardcore defenders are interested in the crossover, whose electrical drive is even more irritating than the lack of ground clearance, water tanks or roof tents. The compatriot has to endure in the stomach of the ferry for two days, and for most of the more than 1,500 passengers it is much more comfortable because the hard weather holds the winds between seven and ten wind speeds – with constant waves of six to eight meters.
Cold welcome: Iceland greets with snow, wind and range fear
So the mini is not the only one who is happy to see the light of the Icelandic world in Sedisfjödur again – in the middle of light snowfall, minus a degree Celsius and dark clouds. If you drive north on the empty street 1, it quickly becomes clear that the area under these weather conditions decreases considerably faster than before. There are actually enough charging stations on the increasingly empty ring road to Rjukanda Waterfall and Grimstadir, as promised on board electronics and smartphones. However, reality is different, however, since it means cold and a strong headwind on the plateau that the surplus range of more than 70 kilometers until the next charging suggestion evaporates within minutes before the hypercharger is no longer accessible with 150 kW.
With the switching off of electricity, the mental crawl mode and the car with 70, 60 and finally 50 km/h to the Dimmuborgir Lava Field and the nearby inner pool, which is supposed to deliver a short energy push of six kilometers before the planned Fast charger. Reached with a remaining range of almost five kilometers – you can rely on the displays of the Mini. A short ten minutes under 20 kW and then past the hot springs, tourists and campers to the hypercharger, which increases the compatriot as desired, while excellent fish and chips offer entertainment to the residents.
The tires in the all-terrain tire are a great feature; Not only do they prove to be very useful on long trips, but also appear in Iceland on ice, rain and unpaved roads. The harder chug in crawl mode is over and we continue to the west with a fleet gallop when the weather improves. The already impressive landscapes of LAVA rocks are becoming increasingly impressive, the summer heat comes through again and again in the evening, and the only thing that is the 750 km long stage Mars on this day are the charging stations.
Lava streets and charging problems
Because one or two standardized European charging apps do not work in Iceland. Ionity, EnBW or ARAL pulse -local providers and especially in the charge are required here, since in contrast to the great 300 and 400 kW charging stations in Denmark do not accept all stations credit cards. It is also not cheap – between € 0.31 and € 0.87 per kilowatt hour are calculated to switch on the family mini. The manageable loading speed of the kilometer hungry car is not significant, since the charging station often limits loading power to 50 kW, and outside of Reykjavik, charging of power supply is rarely available.
At 12:30 p.m., the increasingly dirty compatriot reaches the Flocalund Hotel in bright sunshine before leaving the demanding leg of the Route 622 the next morning at 5 a.m. – one of the most demanding routes in the Westfjords with a particularly spectacular implementation of the water, which can only be negotiated at deep tide. While some adventures had expired when planning the tour when choosing the vehicle and its off-road equipment, they were proven to be wrong the next day.
Cliffs, meadows and the unexpected ability of the Mini
From the north, the Blue Mini Countryman SE comes with the golden roof cap much better than any other. The electrical SUV organizes slightly green meadows, cloudy rubble and narrow paths with cliffs and water crossings at slow speed. Here and there it touches the floor, scratches the grass, while the view of the sea and the steep coasts are becoming increasingly spectacular.
At the slow off-road speed, the electrical area is not a problem at all, and limited ground clearance alone is occasionally forced to avoid alternative maneuvers. Could the entire Route 622 really be conquered with the E-Countryman? After almost two hours from Thingeyri to Hill and Dale, it is clear that it is not done. The heavy rains of the past two weeks have caused a landslide, and the already narrow and challenging route is no longer passable for no vehicle. Even spades, sand boards and jacks are useful.
Waffles, weather and the way home
The return journey in the same way is only slightly disappointed, and the attempt to get as far as possible on the R 622 from the south is left shortly before the most spectacular section of the beach. Here, too, the waves and the weather have swept away. Back to the pleasant, trendy café Zimbahöllin with his delicious waffles before she went back to Reykjavik and back. But this time – to the ferry.
Stefan Grundhoff; Press in form / photos: Bernhard Filser
