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.
fun drive, no doubt, John. but that is all these electrics are good for - town use and the occasional run to Sydney / Newie IMHO. I stick with petrol for now. why buy a car that has a smaller petrol tank every time you fill it up LOL! all batteries age faster than our own bodies. proper charging etc is so crucial. long distance electric cars / trucks is just for science experiments. great to do and improve technology, but actually very dangerous in the outback and anywhere that they might get too moist / dusty / salty. Even simple stuff like mobile phones deteriorate very rapidly in the Top End, etc. Try making a warranty claim on your iphone that has never been near the water, and they open it up and declare it was dropped in water so out of warranty, becasue their little humidity test strip inside the phone has turned pink due to the high humidity, and failed prematurely :( Electric is great for the clean cities in the less humid parts of Australia
ReplyDeleteI like it! I don’t think it is available currently in USA.
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