HAPPY E - Motoring Thread ONLY Happy posts
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3rd Gear
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HAPPY E - Motoring Thread ONLY Happy posts
HAPPY E - Motoring Thread ONLY Happy posts
This is a thread to celebrate the joys of the E - Mini
Not allowed to post bad things, just Happy things.
How great it is not to have to put gas in the tank, why the rest of us should be jealous, how it sounds, how it works different, HAPPY STUFF.
This is a thread to celebrate the joys of the E - Mini
Not allowed to post bad things, just Happy things.
How great it is not to have to put gas in the tank, why the rest of us should be jealous, how it sounds, how it works different, HAPPY STUFF.
2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 90
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From: San Clemente, CA
It IS great. See my post in response to yours under "problems." And good idea for a new thread.
This is a new car so we're using these forums to help us "debug" each other's birthing problems - but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that these cars are an absolute blast.
This is a new car so we're using these forums to help us "debug" each other's birthing problems - but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that these cars are an absolute blast.
1st Gear
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 25
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Thanks for the good "Carma" vine.
Loving the Mini-E and just turned 1800 miles on the odo. It absolutely replaces my G35 in every way. We do have another vehicle which is a ford Escape so the big shopping trips and family outings are in that.
Concur with Steve on his driving experiance.
What I also love about the Mini-E is the quiet jet-whine sound of acceleration and deceleration with the regen. For me it is even a sweeter sound than a nice exhaust sound from a high performance ice car. It elevates and drops with the accelerator action.
It's a perfect setup for our family until a plug in hybrid or electric suv hits the market.
What I also love is the cost of fuel. For me as a solar guy the math is incredible. Now the cars are still expensive but they are going to be coming down as more are produced, but the other half of owning a car is the fuel and the maintanance and here is where the real savings are.
I have had a few engineers look at these numbers and a solar guy and they all agree at the validity of these numbers as a fuel comparison.
MPG of the fuel and MPKWH (miles per kilowatt hour) of the Mini-E are higher than posted, but in real world driving this is about right
Gasoline Mini
12,000 miles 26mpg at $3,50 a gallon of gas= $1615 per year
25 years of driving, $40,375 (assumes zero price change
with 8% annual escalator $120,613
Yearly average $4824 for gas
Electric powered Mini-E
12,000 miles, 3.25 mile per KWH is 3700 kwhs @.16cents = $592
25 years of driving, $14,800 (assumes zero price change
with 8% annual escalator $ $43,256
Yearly average $1730 for electricity
Solar electric powered Mini-E
12,000 miles, 3.25 mile per Kwh. Generate 1850 kwhs annually at peak hours to pay for 3700kwhs used at off peak.
A 1.1 kwh solar pv system, at a cost of $5500
25 years of driving, $5,500 no annual escalator as the sun does not raise it's prices.
Yearly average $220 for Solar P.V electricity
In the Prius and Chevy Volt and in most of the emerging electric and plug in electric cars, batteries are life ofvehicle, warranted for 10 years, 150,000 miles.
Solar fuel from the roof sure beats trying to put a well and a refinery in your backyard
cheers!
Peder #183
Loving the Mini-E and just turned 1800 miles on the odo. It absolutely replaces my G35 in every way. We do have another vehicle which is a ford Escape so the big shopping trips and family outings are in that.
Concur with Steve on his driving experiance.
What I also love about the Mini-E is the quiet jet-whine sound of acceleration and deceleration with the regen. For me it is even a sweeter sound than a nice exhaust sound from a high performance ice car. It elevates and drops with the accelerator action.
It's a perfect setup for our family until a plug in hybrid or electric suv hits the market.
What I also love is the cost of fuel. For me as a solar guy the math is incredible. Now the cars are still expensive but they are going to be coming down as more are produced, but the other half of owning a car is the fuel and the maintanance and here is where the real savings are.
I have had a few engineers look at these numbers and a solar guy and they all agree at the validity of these numbers as a fuel comparison.
MPG of the fuel and MPKWH (miles per kilowatt hour) of the Mini-E are higher than posted, but in real world driving this is about right
Gasoline Mini
12,000 miles 26mpg at $3,50 a gallon of gas= $1615 per year
25 years of driving, $40,375 (assumes zero price change
with 8% annual escalator $120,613
Yearly average $4824 for gas
Electric powered Mini-E
12,000 miles, 3.25 mile per KWH is 3700 kwhs @.16cents = $592
25 years of driving, $14,800 (assumes zero price change
with 8% annual escalator $ $43,256
Yearly average $1730 for electricity
Solar electric powered Mini-E
12,000 miles, 3.25 mile per Kwh. Generate 1850 kwhs annually at peak hours to pay for 3700kwhs used at off peak.
A 1.1 kwh solar pv system, at a cost of $5500
25 years of driving, $5,500 no annual escalator as the sun does not raise it's prices.
Yearly average $220 for Solar P.V electricity
In the Prius and Chevy Volt and in most of the emerging electric and plug in electric cars, batteries are life ofvehicle, warranted for 10 years, 150,000 miles.
Solar fuel from the roof sure beats trying to put a well and a refinery in your backyard
cheers!
Peder #183
Last edited by Energy; Jul 15, 2009 at 05:08 PM.
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3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2008
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Thanks for taking the time to write your thoughts, all are welcome to join in on the fun. Here are some of my questions?
Is the car silent?
What does it feel like when you step on the gas?
I know the back seat is gone, but how much space does it afford?
What happens when you get near running out of battery life?
Is the car silent?
What does it feel like when you step on the gas?
I know the back seat is gone, but how much space does it afford?
What happens when you get near running out of battery life?
2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 81
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Great idea for a thread!
Now that my charger works, every day I wake up to a fully charged car and yesterday I think was the first day I didn't really pay attention to the miles remaining at all.
It really is a lot of fun to drive, and it is interesting and unpredictable to see who asks about the car and asks you to pop the hood so they can take a look, etc. Once or twice a week it seems like I run into someone who is pretty well versed about the program and already knows how many cars were made, etc.
I think some folks expect this to be an experiment where you have to give up a lot, but when they see the car and drive it or ride in it, they realize that while there are compromises, this is something that could really work for a lot of people right now. The nice job MINI has done integrating the special instrumentation and so on gives it a quality feel, where many people may have expected some of those things to look tacked on.
You can tell I am really enjoying motoring around town and overcoming some of my range anxiety!
Now that my charger works, every day I wake up to a fully charged car and yesterday I think was the first day I didn't really pay attention to the miles remaining at all.
It really is a lot of fun to drive, and it is interesting and unpredictable to see who asks about the car and asks you to pop the hood so they can take a look, etc. Once or twice a week it seems like I run into someone who is pretty well versed about the program and already knows how many cars were made, etc.
I think some folks expect this to be an experiment where you have to give up a lot, but when they see the car and drive it or ride in it, they realize that while there are compromises, this is something that could really work for a lot of people right now. The nice job MINI has done integrating the special instrumentation and so on gives it a quality feel, where many people may have expected some of those things to look tacked on.
You can tell I am really enjoying motoring around town and overcoming some of my range anxiety!
2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 81
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mini cooper mini, I can answer a few of your questions:
- When driving, inside the car you hear the fans that cool the battery and when you hit the 'gas' there is a soft whine. Outside the car you hear hardly anything unless you are really accelerating, then you can hear the engine whine a bit. Very similar to a hybrid tooling around a parking lot.
- There isn't much space in the back. I can fit maybe 3 small grocery bags there. Behind the front seats is a large intake vent to help keep the batteries cool so you can't store anything there either. Basically the storage is the hatch area and the passenger compartment when no one is there.
- When you punch the 'gas' pedal there is a very deceiving delay where it feels like a golf cart with hardly any power. But after about a second you get all the acceleration you want. There is no transmission shifting so it just keeps accelerating as much as you like. You better keep your hands on the wheel if you accelerate aggressively because there is a little torque steer too. When you are at speed, you can punch the gas pedal and you will speed up instantly, there is none of the delay you would be used to with a gas car.
When you get to maybe 30 miles remaining you get an airplane-style chime to let you know things are running down. Eventually you will get reduced performance but other drivers can spaek to that better than me, I have not had mine below 15 miles remaining.
Hope that helps! I had not driven a MINI before I starting looking at the MINI E and I am impressed with the design and roominess of the car in general, I have to think that the gas-powered models are pretty fun to own as well.
- When driving, inside the car you hear the fans that cool the battery and when you hit the 'gas' there is a soft whine. Outside the car you hear hardly anything unless you are really accelerating, then you can hear the engine whine a bit. Very similar to a hybrid tooling around a parking lot.
- There isn't much space in the back. I can fit maybe 3 small grocery bags there. Behind the front seats is a large intake vent to help keep the batteries cool so you can't store anything there either. Basically the storage is the hatch area and the passenger compartment when no one is there.
- When you punch the 'gas' pedal there is a very deceiving delay where it feels like a golf cart with hardly any power. But after about a second you get all the acceleration you want. There is no transmission shifting so it just keeps accelerating as much as you like. You better keep your hands on the wheel if you accelerate aggressively because there is a little torque steer too. When you are at speed, you can punch the gas pedal and you will speed up instantly, there is none of the delay you would be used to with a gas car.
When you get to maybe 30 miles remaining you get an airplane-style chime to let you know things are running down. Eventually you will get reduced performance but other drivers can spaek to that better than me, I have not had mine below 15 miles remaining.
Hope that helps! I had not driven a MINI before I starting looking at the MINI E and I am impressed with the design and roominess of the car in general, I have to think that the gas-powered models are pretty fun to own as well.
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2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2009
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Hey I thought this thread was only for happy posts! Maybe I could buy a grey Cooper S, switch all the trim pieces and decals around so it looked like a MINI E, give them back the S and keep the E. They wouldn't notice would they? 
2nd Gear
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 141
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From: Victorville, CA
Good question! I'm sure that will be a big topic of conversation in about 6 months or so. I've heard some rumors that we might be able to extend the lease a bit. Many people leasing the 'E' lament the lack of an affordable electric car that you can actually buy, but that will change in the next couple of years. Looks like Nissan will be the first to offer one for sale (excluding Tesla and Fiskar which most people wouldn't consider affordable right now).
Personally I would consider a gas Mini, or the diesel if they end up bringing it to the states. I really enjoyed the loaner I got when my 'E' was in the shop. I understand there will be a mild refresh of the current Mini about the time our leases are up.
Personally I would consider a gas Mini, or the diesel if they end up bringing it to the states. I really enjoyed the loaner I got when my 'E' was in the shop. I understand there will be a mild refresh of the current Mini about the time our leases are up.
Last edited by soareyes; Jul 16, 2009 at 07:33 AM.
1st Gear
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 25
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I really hope to extend the lease, but I will run to Canada.......Just kidding.
I'll turn it in when required and thank them for the opportunity.
I hope I have purchased my last gallon of gas, ever. Perhaps this time next year it will be a volt, or a nissan, or.....a used Tesla?
In my dream world I would turn in the Mini-E and be handed the keys to the next itteration of feild trials for BMW, Mini-E 2.0, as they work towards the rollout of the BMW city in 2011-2012.
Absent that, A diesel Mini for sure!
Cheers
#183
peder
I'll turn it in when required and thank them for the opportunity.
I hope I have purchased my last gallon of gas, ever. Perhaps this time next year it will be a volt, or a nissan, or.....a used Tesla?
In my dream world I would turn in the Mini-E and be handed the keys to the next itteration of feild trials for BMW, Mini-E 2.0, as they work towards the rollout of the BMW city in 2011-2012.
Absent that, A diesel Mini for sure!
Cheers
#183
peder
2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 90
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From: San Clemente, CA
Yup - GoDucks' answers pretty much sum it up.
Of course the car isn't completely silent. It's still a small car, and you get the usual tire and wind noise of course. But when at freeway speeds you can hear the air-conditioning fan on its lowest setting - that's pretty quiet in my book!
Stepping on the gas is as GoDucks' describes - once it starts rolling, it's just a constant pull of torque. Same thing when you slow down (a little) for a corner - when you get back on the gas, no downshifting-hesitation (with an automatic), or manual dowshift needed - basically it's always in the powerband "sweet spot" - because the sweet "spot" is actually the entire RPM range of the engine.
I've had it down to where the miles-to-go reads "------". I'm told you still have about 10 miles reserve at that point - I only tested it to 3 miles with no problems and no loss of performance. I think in the last few miles it will limit the performance to "limp" mode - like 10mph or so.
Of course the car isn't completely silent. It's still a small car, and you get the usual tire and wind noise of course. But when at freeway speeds you can hear the air-conditioning fan on its lowest setting - that's pretty quiet in my book!
Stepping on the gas is as GoDucks' describes - once it starts rolling, it's just a constant pull of torque. Same thing when you slow down (a little) for a corner - when you get back on the gas, no downshifting-hesitation (with an automatic), or manual dowshift needed - basically it's always in the powerband "sweet spot" - because the sweet "spot" is actually the entire RPM range of the engine.
I've had it down to where the miles-to-go reads "------". I'm told you still have about 10 miles reserve at that point - I only tested it to 3 miles with no problems and no loss of performance. I think in the last few miles it will limit the performance to "limp" mode - like 10mph or so.
1st Gear
Joined: Jul 2009
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It really is cool to see some positive posts in one location. The MINI E really is a blast. I'm happy with mine and so far I've been able to squeeze around 110 miles out of it without much effort.
It is a real joy to drive, the novelty of it being an EV is icing on the cake.
Chris
It is a real joy to drive, the novelty of it being an EV is icing on the cake.
Chris
2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 81
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Hmmm I didn't think about Canada- I figured if we tried to make it to Mexico the 'repo man' would be hiding out in Carlsbad, knowing that we would have to stop at Peder's place for a recharge (and possibly some wine and cheese) 
2nd Gear
Joined: May 2009
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And I would like to say thanks to the many pioneers of a decade ago that have fought hard for laws that force automakers to make cars like the MINI-E.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,493059.column
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,493059.column
1st Gear
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 45
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Charging at work....
I'm able to plug in 110v every day at work and get approximately 18 - 20 miles worth of juice based on a 6 to 7 hour charge. Love having the extra miles. Allows me to drive at higher speeds during my 80 to 90 mile round trip drive every day.
2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 81
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I actually drive more since I got the Mini- I had started to limit my driving due to the price of gas, but electricity is a lot more economical. I haven't cut any trips short due to range. Then again I rarely stray more than 40 miles or so from home. I'm guessing I drive the Mini well over 90% of the time, only driving my other car when I need cargo or passenger space, or know I am going out of range.
I can plug in at work. They are planning to designate a space for electric vehicles but even with out that I can usually find a space within range of an outlet. I don't do it every day now that I have the charger. Before that I was definitely charging at work every day.
I can plug in at work. They are planning to designate a space for electric vehicles but even with out that I can usually find a space within range of an outlet. I don't do it every day now that I have the charger. Before that I was definitely charging at work every day.
1st Gear
Joined: Jul 2009
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We are working with our building management to install a 220 near planned designated EV spaces since we have 4 MINI Es...it might just happen.
As for travel, I do have a back up car for longer trips and Costco runs but otherwise I try and drive the MINI E as often as I can. If it were my only car I think it would create a bit of a challenge as I do a lot of trips, however, the MINI E has actualy made traffic a little more tolerable...who woulda thunk it.
As for travel, I do have a back up car for longer trips and Costco runs but otherwise I try and drive the MINI E as often as I can. If it were my only car I think it would create a bit of a challenge as I do a lot of trips, however, the MINI E has actualy made traffic a little more tolerable...who woulda thunk it.
2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 81
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A post for the Plugged-In team. They are getting pretty good at collecting feedback from everywhere. In fact I was just going to post on the field trial blog about the whistle one hears when recirc is on, because I figured it was a defect with #058. After reading today's Plugged-In I see it's common and nothing to worry about. Also good info on how the car calculates miles remaining.
post for the Plugged-In team. They are getting pretty good at collecting feedback from everywhere. In fact I was just going to post on the field trial blog about the whistle one hears when recirc is on, because I figured it was a defect with #058. After reading today's Plugged-In I see it's common and nothing to worry about. Also good info on how the car calculates miles remaining.
