Regen is so natural

It had been a few months since I drove a MINI E and I thought I might have some issues with the regen but I didn't. It really was like riding a bicycle, it all came back to me and I was hitting...*cough*..comfortable speeds in no time with stylish stops.

When charging I've been using the 'top off'' technique and happy to see it still works (after charging to full wait a bit then begin to charge again). Something I confirmed with BMW way back and thrilled to see it got some play.

Range has been great and I am driving the car hard. If I'm careful I'll get close to 120 but when I get aggressive I drop to 100, 100 is still great.

In a few days I'll be back in my diesel SUV, which gets up to 28mpg, diesel is great for SUVs....but electric really is perfect for the commuter car. Drive one and you will be hooked, you will find a way to make it fit into your daily routine.

Got a warning light - but it's a good thing

I got the little yellow light on the speedo that says reduced power....why...because I was touching on 90 plus MPH. The car has no trouble getting there. I was coming off the onramp to 287 south from Morristown and floored it, it just went and went....way too much fun.

I think #250 is sticking with me - one day you may find it on a milk carton

Another day in #250 - it was a good one as today I drove hard, but I was still able to squeeze around 100 miles if I tried. #250 hit 32,000 - was glad to be a part of that



On a fun note; I was eating out for lunch today and while #250 was sitting in the lot #304 stopped by and left a note on the windshield saying hello - small world

Fantastic!!!

Wow that was fun! 63 miles today, not easy ones, and I still had 49 left. Not bad for a rusty E driver....guess it is like riding a bicycle.

#250 is getting a charge on my stale 32amp wall box, good to kick the dust off of it. I look forward to tomorrow, which calls for big thunderstorms. Hey, I'm green again, Mother Nature should shine upon me.

I'm baaaack.....well, for 1 week anyway.

Yes, I'm back for the week. So where did I go? The company I was with that had 4 MINI Es cancelled the program in November of last year and cancelled a number of us, I had #402. No biggie, I quickly ended up back in the technology and software industry I know which is going well, I'm the marketing dude for WebCollage. However, I sure missed the MINI E.

Good news, Tom of #250, is loaning me his for the week while he is away. Most of you I'm sure have heard of Tom, whether in the press or at his East Coast gatherings one of the most impressive points is he has over 30,000 miles on his #250 in just a year. He is almost at 32,000 and I plan on getting him over that mark in short order.

I drive #250 this morning and...WOW...have I missed these cars. Being a Mini Cooper this car is fun but being 100% electric puts it a whole other level us awesomeness.

I look forward to driving #250 this week, in fact I'm heading out for another spin right now. Thanks Tom!!!

#250 getting ready for another spin then will get its first charge at my place

The Coolest Thing About The MINI E Is.......

The coolest thing about the MINI E is the fact it does not look like an EV. Think about it, there are very few EVs or alternative fuel vehicles coming in the future that look like your every day car, they look like concepts or prototypes - like the EV-1 did. The MINI E is a MINI Cooper and drives like one too, sure people don't even know it is an EV, some get close by calling it a hybrid but that is part of the charm.

I for one love the idea that it looks like a regular car...it just needs some subtle EV badging and we have a winner.

Those MINI/BMW Engineers Are Drivers

Let me thank the engineers behind the MINI E for keeping it a drivers car. The MINI Cooper is a slot car and the MINI E is not that far off. Yes, it is heavier and if you really flog it you can feel that battery mass get a tad top heavy and want to come up front to see what all the excitement is about, but you really have to push it to get there. It still has that quick steering and razor sharp handling, but, one other item that might not be noticed when the brake lights pop on when regeneration kicks in. The brake lights only come on when you are really getting into a hard regen, not just when regen starts or during a coast regen as I call it (not really slowing down). Therefore, you can regen down a hill casually and not look like a clod who rides his brakes all the way down a hill or worse, up a hill. Yes, I do believe the engineers thought about that one.

Of course the brake light comes one under hard regenning but only then.

Thank you MINI/BMW engineers for not making me look like a clod while regen braking.

Easing Into Winter

The other day I decided to drive with the heat on for my entire commute to work. It was in the 50s so I set the fan to 1 and turned on the heat to 2 clicks. I also had the head lights on as it was foggy. Yes my range dropped, about 10%, after the 20 miles I had 90 left, I'm usually around 100 left. My % was at 83% while I'm normally at 88% to 90%.

On my return I had the wipers and lights on as it was raining, no heat, plus drove a little harder. The MINI E is fun in the rain. When all was said and done I did around 41 miles that day and had 63 miles left on the range indicator and 62% on the capacity, about 1% for 1 mile. Since I'm on the 110 I will fall behind during the week, with the wall box installed it won't be an issue for my commute, now if I want to take a 100 mile biz trip again that might be a real challenge.

Stay tuned.

110 Shuffle With No Highways

Yesterday I had to take a longer trip than I was used to in the MINI E. 100 miles round trip and near the end I knew I would need lights and heater. I was heading to a business meeting in Englewood Cliffs NJ, start point was Mendham NJ.

The day before my trip I could feel the anxiety setting in, I need a plan. I'd stay off the main highways, stick to 46 and stay off of 80 to extend range and while at my series of meetings I'd plug in the car where I could, to get a little extra boost.

On my first leg of the trip, about 48 miles I was doing pretty well, the computer said I had 70 left to go. I was feeling pretty confident at that point and one of the buildings where my meetings where held was kind enough to let me plug in for about an hr and I got a 4% boost. This was 4% after the 3 to 4 times I plugged in as the buildings I was meeting in were separated so I had to drive back and forth between them interrupting my charging - I left the cable at the one building and plugged in there when I could.

So now I am reading to head back home, the distance meter on the MINI E said 77 miles....of course I had to give one "thank you" ride to the building maintenance guy who let me plug in...that ride took the 4% he gave me ;)

On my way back I figured I'd jump on the highway to see how it goes, after 3 miles I could see I was going to eat up a lot of juice and I wanted have plenty left for heat and lights and anything else that comes my way...being in NJ a lot of things can come your way unpredictably on the roads.

I jumped off 80 and got onto 46, range ticked up a bit and I was moving along. Thanks to phantom NJ road signs I ended up on some other branch of 46, that cost me 10 miles and 15 mins before I got back on track. Now it was getting dark, I switched on the lights, range said 34 miles and I had about 25 to go...hmmmmmm. I will say it is interesting how adjusting speed and resting the battery at lights can play with the range indicator, in your favor I might add, but having a 10 mile buffer in Joisey is not the most appealing.

So I decided to pull off 46 and hit smaller roads, that did increase my range. Now I'm getting close to home, about 12 miles to go, range says 21 and I'm starting to crave heat as it was 58 degrees outside plus I was heading to a section of road that eats EV battery capacity for lunch. No EV soldier hold off until you are close enough to coast home, I thought to myself. Well, when I got to with in 10 miles I put the heat on, settings were 1 for fan and heat...by the way, very toasting. I think the heat index of setting 1 is pretty good, seems stronger than a gas car. Of course in the blink of an eye my range went from 19 to 16 but it then held for the next 8 miles and I actually pulled into my driveway with around 17 mile left and 17% at 99.3 miles total, there is long slow section followed by a good downhill before my house that usually gets me 3 to 4 miles back.

In conclusion, I probably would have made it without the boost on the 110, but it would have been close, I have not gone past 0% as others have so I do not know if I could have gone farther. Granted I really don't want to be down to crumbs becasue if I run out of juice on the roads where I live I could be there a very very long time before I'm found. ;) In the heart of winter I expect range to really drop as I will be forced to keep the heat going all the time and I will be taking this business trip again.....stay tuned.

PS - I'm still on the 110, so over half a day later I'm just at 70%, 110 does take awhile to get back to 100% when near 0%. Added, just got my electric bill with an actual read, wow, as in high. I think the 110 is not efficient as it is a long continuous 12 amps. I'll have details on this later after I speak with the utility.

You Want My EV To Sound Like WHAT??

Ok people, this may come off as a rant or the beginning of a flame war, so be it....flame on!! But I will not accept this garbage about putting audio systems on EVs so they sound like gas cars. I'm sure you have all read the articles about how EVs are too quiet and a danger to the public....baloney. I'm sure more pedestrians will be taken out by bicyclists or rad skateboarders then EV hits. Didn't parents tell these pedestrians to look both ways before crossing the street? People still cross the street even if they hear a car....maybe pedestrians would be more cautious if they weren't sure if they heard a car or not...hmmm, there's a thought.

I for one enjoy the quietness of the MINI E. It is really soothing and there is something to be said for noise pollution, we have way too much of it. Wouldn't it be something if all cars were as quiet as EVs, don't you think that people would notice and hear a 3000lb EV coming down the road then?? It is amazing what you hear when it is quiet.

So where is the logic in making an EV sound like it has straight pipes or the engine is revving or what NISSAN says it will do with the LEAF, make it sound like the flying machine from Blade Runner.

Maybe I'll have my EV sound like the Good Humor Truck or Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55" or better yet "The Flight of the Valkyries".

Easy Bake

So today was another cold one, low 50s. I had to use the heater so I set the dial to blow on my feet as my tootsies felt cold plus heat rises, right, so it will be more effective. Boy did I feel smart.....that sort of worked. I set the fan to mid level and heat to high. Warmed up nicely and capacity also lowered nicely. At one point in my commute, where I would be around 106 miles left, I was at 100. I was feeling a bit anxious (yes all in the head) and switched off the heat. After all #402 is still suckling from the 110, if I went below 60% capacity when I got home I would not have a full charge in the morning.

About half way through my commute I switched it back on as it was getting cold again, keep in mind the battery fans are sucking out that nice warm air and that recirculation button only stays on a few minutes, pain in the booty that one. I set the fan to minimum and the heat to one click for an easy bake while keeping it blowing on my feet. I was happy to discover I was comfortable and the drain on the battery was about the same as the AC which was acceptable.

On the next cold day I'll keep it on longer at minimal levels and see if that works out.

By the way.....finally getting a wall box....look forward to driving beyond shouting range because I love this car.

Heating Things Up

Today is the first day I used the heater in #402. It was a nice 55 degrees outside, rainy and foggy, perfect EV weather...not. I've been reluctant to try the heater as I've heard it would suck the life juice out of the pack at record speed, after all it is an electric heater and we all know how much energy they can use.

After a few miles of driving I was getting cold enough to cave and turn that puppy on. I set the dial to max heat and put the fan on about half speed. First thing I noticed was cold air, different from a gas engine that has been running awhile which produces instant heat. Not in the MINI E, it was cold for about 30 secs and after the heating coils heated up it blew warm. Once going it works really well in fact, the cabin warmed up fast and all was nice and toasty, things were good...mostly. I looked down at my range indicator and right before my eyes I lost 3 miles and this was while I was regenning down a hill. Wow!! That heater takes some power...I dialed back the fan speed to 1 and reduced the heat temp by half, that helped but I was still using more power then I was accustomed to, I would say more then even the AC. Of course I had driving lights and wipers on but still.

I eventually turned off the heater all together, gained some distance back but overall my range dropped by nearly 20% just in my 20 mile drive and I only used the heater for 10 minutes of my 40 min run. This is a lot of drain and we have not even touched on the freezing days where I will need to keep the heater on.

Have any pioneers driven with the heater on for extended periods of time and what have you observed?

Cool Is Good - 120 Plus Miles

My MINI E loves the cool weather. When driving in the morning I am consistently at a range of over 120 miles according to the computer. My commute, one way, ranges from 17 to 21 miles depending on the route and the range computer usually lists 106 miles left. Today I did 17.4 and the range computer listed 108 left...pretty good considering I am driving it like a normal car, I actually accerlate.

I've also noticed my start range is increasing, this is what the computer displays after a full charge and the first drive of the day. This morning it said 117 miles and stayed at 117/116 for a good 5 miles.

Yes, cool is good, but what will freezing bring? I've noticed my battery has been as low as 59 degrees even when the MINI E was plugged in, though not charging, and it did not get above 63 after an 18 mile drive. Keep in mind our MINI Es are not supposed to recharge if the battery temp drops below 40 and we certainly won't be able to do any regen. Us Easterners get weather in the negatives so winter might not be the MINI Es best friend. It does not look like the battery pack tries to warm itself up, maybe it will in extreme cold but we will see.

Some tips I'd like to offer to MINI/BMW elite and other EV manufacturers out there.
> these batteries produce some decent heat when really used, such as highway driving, find a way to recycle that heat by pumping the warm air into the cabin. This will extend range during winter months as the driver will not have to use the electric heater as much.
> during winter months if the car is plugged in there should be a way to keep the battery pack at a good operating temperature (though this may be in there already I have not witnessed it yet)
> is there any air being pulled from outside the cabin to cool the batteries? I know the MINI E is not purpose built but it may help cool the batteries better if the cabin is still really hot which in the sun is common. Or add small solar panels to power a fan to vent the cabin.

Either way, EVs are the way to go. For commuting with smaller cars, perfect! As technology improves so will these cars.

Happy EVing

Getting Cooler

Well I was off about thinking the MINI E won't let the batteries drop below 70 degrees when plugged in, charging or not. This morning they were 63 and on my drive to work did not get above 67. It did not cause any problems, in fact, I got the best range ever on my way into work today - 19 miles with 106 left.

I've also notice the car is charging faster on the 110 in the cool weather, I'm sure because the battery fan is not going as strongly.

So far cool is good...freezing is still a ways off, I hope.

Getting Cold

So it seems summer is struggling to hang around. It is 55 degrees right now and I know when the battery temp gets to 40 the MINI E will not recharge. I took a look at the batteries and they are at a cool 70 and recharging fine, in fact, since the weather is cooler and less humid I'm back to easy 110 charging.

This AM the weather was low 60s and the batteries never went above 71 while driving nor did they go below 70. I'm guessing the MINI E will try not to let the battery pack get below 70. I see it maintaining that minimum temp when I'm plugged in, charging or not. I wonder if unplugged and dormant will the batteries maintain that temp?

Anyone else notice lower temps on their MINI E battery pack?

Charge Anxiety - The Return

So last night was a pretty good night for charging my MINI E, it was a cool and once the battery got down to 80 degrees I was good to go, no breakers popping. There is definitly a charge wall I have to break through while being on the 110 cable, here is what I've learned with #402.

> It does not like humidity, no doubt about it

> In the mornings when the battery temp is in the 70s I get my best range, did 18 miles and still had 108 showing on the dash this AM

> If the battery temp is above 80 when charging I am likely to get a breaker pop on the cable unless I open the windows all the way

> The cable pops the most when I'm just below 80%, once I get past that hump it is smoother sailing

> If the battery fan is going strong charging takes much longer

> Even with the 110 I can to the top off technique

> OBSERVATION: while sitting in the car, having charge anxiety, checking the %, LED blinking, I heard the breaker pop again, LED goes off and suddenly the battery fan goes into turbo mode for a split second and all is quiet, was that a surge, a cough or a gag...who knows

> OBSERVATION 2: sometimes the key will not roll down the windows when the car is having charging problems and the interior light will not go on when I open the door - related, maybe

So what is the return I refer to? Right, tonight, its popping again and it is a bit warmer, battery is at 82 degrees and I'm just below 80%. Charge anxiety is my companion.

The picture above was taken at Morristown MINI the other day, I was there to get a catch up charge. When I pulled up I saw Tom's #250 plugged in getting a charge after his service, well, all's fair in love and war and I needed some juice. Off to the side with ya #250!

MINI E awesomeness - still there

Charge Anxiety

The other 'Pioneers' all know what range anxiety is, but charge anxiety? Well I've got it. I'm still on the 110 and my routine is to get plugged in before 7pm and I'll be at 100% by the time I need to leave for work in the AM. A nightly ritual that has worked pretty well....until now.

Ever since the muggy weather set into NJ it has been effecting the charging of my MINI E. The 110 cables yellow breaker box often pops, that means it sits for 10 or so minutes then tries again. It then pops a bit later, cycles to try again until it just gives up. Meanwhile I am getting very little to no charging. Sometimes this happens in the middle of the night and I wake up to just a 5% increase.

So while the MINI E is charging I look for that blinking LED on the MINI E battery indicator to make sure its blinking, if not I then check the yellow box on the cable to see what it is doing. Then I do my little dance of re-plugging the cable in if it does not cycle, then I run out to the car to see how much I got or didn't get. Then my brain starts spinning, wondering what is the most efficient route to take tomorrow since I'm low on juice and once I get to work then what, where can I plug in to keep my MINI E on the road? You get the picture.

I find myself constantly checking that MINI E LED, just like we glance at the range or % indicator when we drive. My Wife has pointed out I'm obsessed, so now I strategically clear the dirty dishes on the table because I know the walk to the kitchen will offer me a view of the LED. I clear a few at a time so I get multiple opportunities to glance at the LED....I find myself rechecking about every 15 to 30 mins....I call this CHARGE ANXIETY.

Fortunately the MINI E community is charitable. The dealer, Morristown MINI, has always let me come in and get back up to 100% whenever I needed to and other 'Pioneers' like Tom (#250) and John have offered their wall chargers when I need them. I've got a good cushion there, but I still feel the pull of that LED.

So got to run, time to check the LED.......CHARGE ANXIETY. Anyone else got it?

A Busy MINI E Weekend And I'm Finally Noticed

(Private exotic car show in Far Hills, NJ)

This was one busy MINI E weekend. Saturday we had the Northeast gathering at Tom's restaurant and then today on Sunday I get an email from an old friend to join a rally beginning in Chatham NJ. Unfortunately I could not make the rally but I was able to meet everyone at the end point in Far Hills...one of the members homes, a gorgeous home.

(The car to the right is an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, only 500 made. Dork pic I know, did not know what the car was until I looked it up later)

(A valets dream)

(Nothing like the sound of the old classics starting up)

(Getting #402 ready for a showing - would anyone notice?)

(A Closer look at my friends classic MINI - right hand drive)

This was no ordinary rally, this was a collection of car enthusiasts who own some very expensive exotics. Lamborghini's, Ferrari's, Porsche's, Aston Martins, Lotus, Jaguars, Alfa Romeos and Bentley's all there. These were cars I've seen driving around town on occasion but not all of them in one place at one time.

(It did not take long for #402 to draw a crowd - real auto enthusiasts that knew what #402 was)

I pulled #402 up next to my friends 60s MINI with right hand drive - talk about a contrast of the past and future. I popped the bonnet, plugged the cable into the charge socket to help show what this puppy is and a crowd grew. Mind you I was in the company of some truly amazing cars and the MINI E was a magnet - very cool. The crowd knew it was a MINI E, I guess being around auto enthusiasts helps, and they were quite knowledgeable of the car and we had some great conversation.

(Do you think the DMV gave this guy a hard time for applying for that plate?)

A lot of these exotics had some customization done to them, you would never know it until they start up. The Lambo with the '207 MPH' plate shook the ground and had some massive headers tucked underneath. But all good things do come to an end as it was time to go, I paid my respects to the hosts and began to pack up. As I was driving away I looked back for a quick glance of the cars left and noticed a group of 20 or so gathering in the main courtyard to say goodbye to the hosts. They all paused their conversations and looked up to see me quietly drive away, listening to the sound of silence - fantastic feeling.

Next time I'll be sure to make the driving part of the rally.

Ice Cream Sundae With MINI E Topping

Today the property management company of the building my company is in organized an ice cream social. They requested we bring our MINI Es to display. We were happy to do so.

(We drove #402 onto the entrance walk and struck a pose)

(This was followed by #484 and putting the Comverge sign on the #402 door)

(We soon moved them to under the overhang as a storm was rolling in. Paul, #484, had already gone through one hail storm and did not want to chance it - you could see the fear in his eyes)

(The people began to funnel out once they had their Sundaes - about 100 came. A good MINI E sighting day)

About 100 people came and were very interested in the MINI Es. We had some very good questions like, what is the range, life of batteries, what happens if you need to go further then 120 miles, how much does it cost to run, are they reliable, etc.

Everyone knew they were EVs, the announcement that they would be on sight did not hurt, it was nice to have good questions. Only one person asked "How many gallons does the tank hold?" We let that one slide ;) What was really surprising is people did not seem to know what kind of car this was - first time for me that they did not know it was a MINI Cooper right off the bat. One guy asked me if it was from China.

After the event I gave one demo ride to one of the organizers, and while we were heading down the other side of the parking lot I gave it a little juice. My passengers casual chat turned into a worried voice "OK, OK, that is fast!" Good way to end the day.