https://www.greencarreports.com/news...halo-for-brand

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2017/08...al-motor-show/

How do you think a 200+ mile range Mini EV would go over in the U.S.?

I always thought a electric/gas car was a good idea. They do perform exceptionally well and get some impressive mileage. Looks like BMW is thinking of importing some of their i3 tech to Mini.

Personally I'm a bit "iffy" on a full electric car (although for performance you cannot beat them), their range has been an issue for me.

I realize these are targeted to commuters w/ shorter daily driving distances. 200 miles is great for them (they could likely go a work-week without ever charging), but for someone using the car for lets say a couple of hundred mile trip, the limitations of electric come into play.

Curious what kind of range you'd require before considering going full "sparky"?

I could see owning one w/ a 350 mile range (or a 300 mile range w/ a gas range extended). (we routinely make a 200 mile round trip run to a cabin we have w/ some around two driving when we get there). 350 mile full electric would be a comfortable cushion for us.

Only other downside to going EV is resale. After use, the battery pack is getting used up so values plummet. Maybe a lease.

 

If I was planning to move to "The Villages" I might consider one. As far as I'm concerned you're trading a lower fuel bill for a higher electric bill. Concerning your carbon footprint, if you care about such things, that energy has to be produced somewhere, so there will be emissions somewhere, unless you have your own wind farm (doubtful in FL) or your own solar array (more possible if you can afford the real estate). There is a member on another site that bought one of the first hybrid Countryman Mini's. He seemed to be reasonably happy, but didn't have enough battery to make a round trip to work and back without using the gas engine. Although I wouldn't mind owning a Tesla, I could never justify the cost (don't forget FP&L) even with gubmint subsidies, which I have a feeling will be going away soon, as they should. I'm not a fan of using my tax dollars so someone else can feel good about reducing their carbon footprint.

 

I was going 45 in a 45 and stopped at the light. An electric car pulled up alongside of me and then we both took off. That thing pulled away so fast and was doing 55 mph long before I hit 45. The odd thing was it was a fully loaded student driver car, what the heck are they teaching now? And a few days later another student driver was tailgating like mad.

I feel so out of it, being pushed off the roads by kids with training wheels. I'd buy one as soon as they come out with it. 200 mile + range is good for most of my driving needs and we have other MINIs for longer trips.

https://jalopnik.com/mini-considers-...e-y-1820834682

 

The initial cost is what scares most people off from an electric car. Sure your going to save money on gas but as mentioned above there will be an increase of some sort in your power bill. If you can buy a base mini in the mid $20's and this thing costs $45 to $50,000 it is going to take a LONG time to make that cost up and by the time you do it will need new batteries and almost no talks about how much that will cost...

 

I don't see them selling a 2 dr HT for $45-$50,000. More likely a few thousand above gasoline engine versions, assuming they still do gas. Many companies now offer free charging to employees and customers, so savings to be had.

Cars with batteries = 3 year lease for me.

 

As a grocery getter/errand boy, such an all-electric MINI could be a hoot. Needs to have the slingshot acceleration that Tesla is selling, and needs to be priced right. As others have noted, a lease would make the most sense.

But let us not kid ourselves, the precious metals and bad chemicals in batteries plus the electric motor magnets and windings raise questions as to just how much the electric solution really does ease the car's environmental footprint.

But, yes, an electric MINI, if it's fast and priced right, could be a bunch of fun.

 

Maybe on the left coast, but I've never seen a charging station anywhere around here. Maybe when they start making electric pick'emup trucks that might change.

 

would the exhaust pops sound like wires shorting out then?

 

Nah, they'd stick an 8 track in with engine sounds and an outside speaker. Or you could get one of these.

http://www.soundracer.se/?p=98

I actually bought one for my S-10. It was fun for a while, until I started thinking about some external speakers and an amp. I get carried away too easily. Ended up giving it away in self defense.

 

Like playing cards in bike spokes

 

Baseball cards you young whippersnapper!

 

Seems like the EV MINIs from some years back that were lease only were around $800 a month. Saves you $30 a week in gas, Power Bill goes up $5 a week for a saving of $25 a week.
3 year lease at $800 at month $28800 - the $25 a week saving on gas = $900 so your 3 years lease cost you $27,900 and then you give the car back...

There is or atleast was a shop in Charlotte NC that would take your MINI and convert it to electric for $60,000. EV vehicles just aren't there yet in my mind. Unless you have plenty of spare money to play with and not worried about value for your money...

 

I've seen a tesla autocross, it was not pretty at all they also fail at trackdays

I have no interest in an electric mini. I Do have interest in a car that will drive me to work, it's 120 miles round trip

 

https://www.plugshare.com

 

Son of a gun! There's one only 6 miles away, but it's at a B&B that's open from May-September. The nest closest is at VIR which is 20 miles away and has limited hours too. Each place can service two different type plugs, for a total of 4 chances they have the correct one. Didn't realize there were so many different plugs. Still a hard pass for me.

 

Tesla has a supercharger about 20 miles from us. I understand where it was free, now, it will be for a limited time after purchase and then it's pay as you go.

W/ gas being as cheap as it is now, EV doesn't make a lot of sense unless one is interested in the novelty of the whole "electric" thing.

Pro-and cons to owning one. Here in Florida w/ Irma, we lost power for 11 days. Tough to get around in an electric when there ain't any. Of course if one had a solar array for charging, it would sure beat waiting in the gas lines that formed after the storm.

While EV seems like a decent alternative, I think it is only a intermediate solution to gas until something better is developed. I'm guessing a hydrogen fuel cell car may be something coming in the future.

Of course w/ big oil and their lobby, you can bet anything revolutionary will be "slow tracked" until they figure out a way to substitute any losses they incur w/ oil and get on the new "bandwagon".

 

An EV will by my next daily driver and hopefully it will be a Mini.

The carbon footprint is always less no matter where you're plugging it in.
It's the future.
It's fast.
Hopefully by then it will be fun. My mother-in-law's P100DL, while quicker than almost anything, is a bore to drive.

 

Hydrogen is a long ways off. I have a "water torch" 30 years ago that converted distilled water to hydrogen/oxygen. The catalyst pellets were outrageously expensive. Very low pressure output and required electricity for gas generation. The catalyst is the key and then there is gas storage, especially in a wreck. Remember the German blimps, like the Hindenburg? The US used helium from around Amarillo TX which is running out, now...

 

It should be a personal choice, not rammed down our throats! Let the free market decide which car drivers want!

 

The free market decided when Tesla got hundreds of thousands of model 3 orders in a matter of days. Whether or not they deliver on it, that was the turning point as it was a clear sign to the other manufacturers.

oh and we should try and take care of spacehip Earth...there's that little thing too.

 

A Phantasm fan too? Big fan here! ;-). I think you misinterpreted my comment. To me free market means freedom to choose. There’s nothing wrong with having choices, manufacturing posturing/maneuvering aside. The Tucker got a raw deal too, in the 40’s. I get it! Change is hard for a lot of reasons. I saw a high end a Tesla the other day...what a gorgeous car....way out of my price range.

 

Corvair got a raw deal too. Always wanted a Spyder.

 

My apologies. I'm coming from the Corvette Forum where it seems everyone wants to suck every last drop of oil out of the ground and pour it on their cereal while reading Breitbart. "Windmills kill birds! Solar Panels are evil 'cause they're not in the bible! A Tesla runs mid 10s stock? Fake news!!!"

Of course they're not all like that, but usually the ones who talk about EVs are.

I'm happy to be back here.

Best,
Gene

 

Somebodies gotta burn high test. Not enough Minis on the road to justify producing it. Gots to have my Shell V Power!

 

Just my thinking here but, the average guy making say $50,000 is probably not going to drop $45,000 on an EV unless it is somewhat stylish. The Volt starts at $33,000 and is not a cool looking car at all. Sure the Tesla's are stylish and they are fast but expensive... Most people don't spend more for a car then they make a year... even if you can stretch the payments out for 8 years...
So until they get the price point down it's not going to be an every person type thing. The big question is why does Chevy not put a better looking body on the Volt???