Electric MINI revealed -- The Mini E

[templar]

That's true, but you're missing a key reason. California (and I think NY also to some extent) still has remnants of the ZEV mandate. These 500 some cars will help keep BMW on the safe side in case they're ever actually enforced.

Of course, BMW isn't doing this purely for the selfish reason to fulfill the ZEV mandate. Like all the other carmakers, they probably want to see for themselves how practical EVs are.

California still has the ZEV mandate in place but over the past year they have changed the numbers of fuel cell, plug-in electric and battery electric vehicles the manufacturers have to come up with in order to avoid penalties.

 

[vfx]

Drive a truck through the CARB hole that lets BMW get ZEV credits for leasing not selling cars.

 

[dpeilow]

Edmunds have a running blog on their car here. It seems the staff have warmed to it, but there is the usual level of ignorance in the comments.


By the way, does anyone know if the car will charge at high currents without the "wall box"?

 

[vfx]

Mini E blogs.

Life with a Solar-Charged Mini E

http://web.me.com/soareyes/Stans_Mini_E/Mini_E_Blog/Mini_E_Blog.html

http://petersminie.blogspot.com/

http://minie19.wordpress.com/

http://twitter.com/MiniE172

http://www.ev-nation.org/

http://coopere230.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/jsheiner

http://www.twistyblitz.com/www.twis...8_A_PLUG_IN_MINI,_WHY_3_views..._Part_1a.html

http://electricminicooper.blogspot.com/

http://mini-e-edju.blogspot.com/

http://mini-e.blogspot.com/

http://www.stuartistry.com/my-mini-e/ (277)

http://mikegrahamjr.blogspot.com/

http://electricmini.blogspot.com/

http://myemini.wordpress.com/

http://mini-eroy.blogspot.com/

http://mini-e-418.blogspot.com/

http://web.me.com/mjwink/MINIWINK/Welcome.html

http://kathybakken.vox.com/library/posts/tags/mini-e/


You'd think it was a requirement to getting a car.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I just finished going through Edmund's Mini E blog. Lots of negative commenters (some just don't like EVs in general, some don't like the Mini E in particular, some like the Volt more, etc), but it looks like the editors have warmed up to it quite a bit.

 

[vfx]

I know there are a lot of E Mini blogs up there ^^^ but this one is well written.
Mini E 19

 

[dpeilow]

Liked the fusion reactor post :smile:


Has anyone seen any semi-scientific measure of the car's range on the freeway and/or with a passenger onboard?

 

[dpeilow]

Take a look at the last slide of the Mini E presentation here.

•Customers
–Passionate driver community
–Interest levels in next generation EVs is strong

•Lease End Management (under consideration)
–Lease extensions as a “bridge” to the next generation BMW Group BEV
–Vehicle re-deployment in other markets

Sounds like BMW are listening - let's hope they keep to that.

 

[doug]

The BMW guy giving the presentation made a point to say the cars wouldn't be crushed.

 

[JRP3]

No one would be dumb enough to go through that PR disaster again.

 

[vfx]

No one would be dumb enough to go through that PR disaster again.

But there are so many other things they can do.

Put them in a warehouse. (after 5 years it won't make a difference)
Dismantle them "for research".
Ship them to a third world country for the charity bennies and let them languish.
A bunch went to regional municipalities already. Give the rest to more pseudo-interested government organizations. We will never hear from them again. -I was behind the scenes at Griffith Park last week. Saw about 10 dead golf carts parked behind a building.

 

[JRP3]

All still better than crushing a perfectly good vehicle.

 

[vfx]

Mg

the mini-e program is going well enough that bmw is considering allowing leases extensions, richard steinberg the program manager said at carb's zev technology symposium today.

.

 

[dpeilow]

MINI E gets UK launch | Auto Express News | News | Auto Express

MINI selects 40 UK test drivers for MINI E leases — Autoblog Green

Nothing dropped through my letterbox yet :frown:

 

[dpeilow]

Looks like those news sites jumped the gun.

Received this today:

27th October 2009

Hello,

Thanks again for applying to participate in the MINI E Trial in the UK.

While we are in the 'driver recruitment phase' of the research project, we wanted to keep you in the loop with what is happening. In short, we are currently reviewing all the applications we have received (and we have had a lot)!

A fuller explanation is that in order to ensure a fair and representative research sample (this is a serious scientific trial after all), Oxford Brookes University have clustered all the applicants into different segments and we have started contacting applicants in these segments, in the order that we received their application. This means that all applicants will hear from us, by phone or email, within the next two months depending on when they applied and what segment they occupy. MINI Es will be handed over to the triallers in December.

And just so you know, when we contact an applicant, we start by running a quick standard credit check and a quick standard driving licence check. After that, Southern Electric make an appointment to survey the applicant's home to make sure that the wall box that charges the MINI E can be fitted safely to their property. If everything is OK, the applicant will sign the six month finance agreement and we arrange to install the wall box. The MINI E driver is then ready to roll in December.

In our experience, this means that MINI E driver recruitment takes up to six weeks to complete. So please bear with us for now and we'll let you know the outcome of your own application by the end of November at the very latest. Please don't respond to this email to chase up on your application or check on progress, as we need to observe 'due process' research wise.

Good luck and we hope you are one of our pioneers.

Many thanks,

THE MINI E TEAM

 

[dpeilow]

I'd say ABG is over reacting again here. One car's problems does not a flaw in the approach make...

GM-Volt founder stranded, learns why EVs take so long to bring to market — Autoblog Green

...even if it is funny that it happened to mister "fill it up, please".


Also, this bit is interesting:

Undoubtedly, this is an excellent way for BMW to learn the pitfalls of EV use in the real world and they have always maintained that the MINI E fleet is meant to do just that. In fact, BMW is planning to expand the trials to Australia.

So, will they build right hand drive versions? They are not doing so for the UK, as the numbers are small and it is "just a research vehicle".

 

[mpt]

MINI-E owners meet - Naunas, Montclair NJ

Shark2k & I joined the MINI-e meet today at Naunas (Nauna's Bella Casa ristorante -- Montclair's Favorite Family Restaurant -- Family owned & operated since 1986) Restaurant in Montclair NJ.

At least 9 MINI-e where there and there was much comparing of BMW-Tesla technology followed not by a drive round town but a lunch put on by Tom the owner of Naunas and one of the MINI-es.

Check out the MINI-e cake...

Good times.

 

[shark2k]

Yup, fun times, and it was great having a Roadster there. People definitely got curious when they saw all the same looking cars parked next to each other.

-Shark2k

 

[dpeilow]

2009 Mini E: 141 Miles, Rusty Rotors, Happy Drivers

Q: Who's ever run out of juice and had to be taken to the nearest charger on a flat-bed tow truck?

A: No one.

Sounds like ACP should be getting a lot of knowledge from this too.

 

[Serge]

Lot of "whining" about Mini E home charging unit installation in this Wired article. Did any Roadster owners experience "red tape" issues with HPC installation?

Plug design: No worldwide standard of connectors currently exists. The Society of Automotive engineers is expected to adopt a universal charging plug — known in the EV biz as SAE J1772 — sometime next year, but for now manufacturers are going their own way

Well, there is IEC 62196 (Mennekes) for the European part of the world. Also, I thought that committee was supposed to vote on J1772 at the end of October; delays once again?