Waiting for the right wave-2

Waiting for the right wave on a stormy afternoon, Avoca Beach.

 

Waiting for the right wave

Waiting for the right wave, Avoca Beach.

 

Driving the Electric Mini.

 Just had the use of an Electric Mini for a few days. Thank you Worthington BMW. I was impressed. As a local runabout/short run commuter vehicle it is great but the limited range would be a deal stopper for me today. 

The engineers have done a great job in packaging the batteries which do not intrude on the internal space. It drives well-it is almost silent and smooth- and feels fast with the taut handling of a Mini. It is slower than my ICE Cooper S and the ride is a litle harsher probably due to the weight of the batteries. A new model due later this year is apparently going to have a greater range-let's hope that the weight penalty is not too great.

The regenerative braking/energy capture where feathering the accelerator brakes the car whilst generating battery charge felt it strange and I found it difficult to avoid a jerky ride although greater familiarity would most likely resolve that concern. I switched it off so that the accelerator pedal felt normal.

Opening the bonnet to inspect the motor reveals a big grey plastic cover. There was no obvious way to remove it easily.

An interesting experience.