2020 MINI Electric real-world review; flawed but fun..
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2020
- The new MINI Electric first arrived a few weeks ago and I was keen to spend a decent amount of time living with it before giving it a full review. Find out how it went here..
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Slightly old, but I thought I'd give a perspective from someone who has owned one of these for about 4 months. The WLTP range is actually spot on when you drive as a commuter. If you barrel down back roads or take on all comers at the traffic lights, your range will suffer. You can still have fun by using the handling to maintain speed round corners without needing to stamp on it on the exit. An occasional full throttle blast won't decrease range noticeably, so fun can still be had. My average since new (I've never reset the trip computer) is 12.4kWh/100km, which translates to about 233km range, or 144miles. You can easily get 250km (155miles) with a bit less enthusiasm and I've seen 270 (170 miles) once, with boring follow the car in front driving. If range is not a problem for the day, then don't spare the horses and you can have an absolute ball. Such a fun car to drive.
So you have to compromise your drive to maintain a range. What a waste of time and money owning one of these cars
@@wokeybrokey8006isn't that true of any car......
Can add that ive driven it in -15 degree in 80km/h, and get around 150-160km of range.
@@wokeybrokey8006Yes, I got a lift in one once and I got Warts 🥴
Sounds like the front tires will have less range than the battery!
TC is off you can see @ 17:02
Only if you have the traction control turned off as Harry did most of the time
It´s on Bridgestone tyres from the 70´s! They were sounding like that under Toyotas.
I was thinking thesame
What I do is sometimes get a tin of soup, heat it up, poach an egg in it, serve that with a pork pie sausage roll.
Would be great to get your thoughts on the Honda E when they start appearing.
The price: it’s at par with a Cooper S. Same performance, same equipment, same price. HUD: you can adjust it. I have it in mine and I LOVE it ! Driving experience: I was driving it around with a HUGE SMILE on my face... all the time. It’s a car you really fall for. Now, the whole range discussion: it’s meant as a city to Megacity vehicle. The range is more than enough !
Spot on.
As an owner of a BMW i3S for almost 2 years, who doesn’t live in the city, I can tell you after the novelty wares off, you will soon understand the chore of charging, particularly as more electric cars are on the road and your looking for a place to charge. A range of 100 miles may well be fine if your in the city, but its a bare minimum, now add the cold weather of the winter where you need heater, lights etc and its reduced even more.
I just ordered one. I am hoping that we don’t need to install a level 2 charger. I am thinking of full charge in public charger then hope my mom won’t drive too much so that it can be topped up daily just on 100V plug
@ATS599 even if you do, go cross country and the regeneration will probably pile the miles back on.
Thanks Harry, nice to hear an honest review that confirms thoughts on price and range.
Another fantastic review, very interesting and informative. Harrys face when he turns off traction control and pulls away - priceless :) its what these reviews are all about :)
When harry uploads a vid i can push like before i even watch. Confidence
Nice review - honest and authentic, hence why you got the Influencer award this week - Congratulations!
You made a nice fresh feeling video with unique filming. Thank you.
Another great video Harry, no theatrics like many other youtube presenters , clear and factual information .1st class
Just now getting to see Harry's latest video. My Sunday is complete.
The most likeable man in the world! His enthusiasm is contagious.
I have owned the CooperSE for two years, and I find the range is not an issue in any way - as long as you only want it as a second car / runaround. I think Mini got it exactly right, because most people don’t do 100 miles a week, and certainly not per day. It will do most journeys for most people most of the time, with half the weight penalty and half the charging time. Perfect. I also think you unfairly dismiss the HUD: it is perfect for sat nav, as you don’t need to study the central screen to work out how it is telling you to navigate a complicated junction. Keep up the good work. Best wishes.
Best comment on here, exactly correct about range, people are obsessed with range and the makers are having to produce stupid big heavy batteries in EVs to offer customers what they THINK they need.
What you actually want in an EV is the smallest battery that covers what you do in a day most days.
Mini SE is an absolute gem of a car.
I love the giggling after each screech of the tyres followed by an "apology"
I'm not even really in to Mini's but I would watch anything Harry decides to review. Love his dialogue and expertise on cars along with his British accent. I'm from the states and we love that over here. Great channel wonderful "ole chap".
Nice video Harry. Great to see Burford there. I recall going to Insurer classic car meetings at The Bull in Burford back in the day. Don't know if said pub is still there. Some great biking roads around there too. Keep up the great content.
I've got an early, non range extended i3, and it has a 22kW battery of which just 18.5 are actually useable. It does, at best 80 miles, and in the depths of winter, just 60 miles.. And, well, it's BRILLIANT! I litterally couldn't care that it only does 60 miles, i work 12 miles away from home, i shop 4 miles away, the gym is 2 miles away, the post off just 800 yards. It cost pennies to run, is brilliant fun to drive, clocks 60 in under 7 sec (weighs just 1150 kg thanks to the carbon construction and small battery) and of course, it's always charged, because i just plug it in when i get home, so ask you self this, do you ACTUALLY need a car with more than 100 miles range? Do you drive a transit van all year round becaus eonce last year you needed to pick up a sofa? of course not, you hire one when you need it, which is what we do for longer trips. With the money we save frankly we could hire a helicopter for our long trips and still be better off!!! So yes, some people do need longer range, but i bet the vast majority could easily live with a car with a 100 mile daily range...........
Excellent, I'm pleased to hear it. Which is why I made the point at the end of the video that if a 100mile range isn't a problem for you, then you'll love this car. It's just where I live, a 100mile range would be too limiting for the type of trips we regularly do. Hence why this isn't the car for me.
@@harrysgarage I'm not calling you a liar harryy, but is that actually the case? you regularily need to drive more than 90 miles a day in what is clearly a second car? From your house it's 20 miles to oxford, 20 miles to swindon, 30 miles to gloucester. So you could so all those journeys there and back about twice in the 'lecy mini? My biggest "learning" after 4 years of short range ev ownership is that cars are like watches. Sure we want a watch waterproof to 1000meters, but actually we swim in the local swimming pool a few times a year and snorkled greece back in 2004... ie, despite owning a car that can do just 60 miles, that's actually MORE than enough ! ;-)
Also worth saying that as workplace and destination charging facilities improve (and they have markedly in the 4 years i've had my i3) if you drive to oxford to go shopping, while you shop, your car will charge, so that journey is significantly negated For local trips even a boggo 7kW charger is more than good enough for this (45 min scooting around sainsburys adds 20 miles)
Brilliant review Harry. Your a natural. A joy to watch.
Good review, as always. I came here because I've been thinking of purchasing an electric MINI when my beloved 2005 R50 is ready for retirement (which may never happen). But I've never understood why reviewers insist on doing a rear seat fit tests on Minis, but rarely bother with cars like the 911, Evora or Camaro (which also have very small rear seats). Like those cars, the Mini should be thought of as a two-person car with extra storage space behind the front seats. Many people don't realize it, but MINIs (the petrol versions, at least) are fantastic touring cars for two.
Watch EV Puzzle he has driven one for a year and had 170 miles on it.
Nice review Harry as always, Theyre surprisingly good fun to drive (petroleum or Electric)
Smiling at wheel spins 😁 excellent Harry
Thanks, Harry! And thanks for help getting Ian Tyrrell's channel running, too!
Perfect timing for my lunch break.. Cheers Harry
What you've still got a job .......
The dash lay out is very early 00's I had a 51 plate and it's very similar. Needs updating in my opinion... never the less v cool little car and very well reviewed Harry! Good work and looking forward to the next one.
Thanks Harry. I drove 77 miles in one today using 58% of the charge. It was in Green+ mode. 25 miles of that on the M4 at 65mph. That looks to me like a total range of 132 miles. But finding places to charge it when out and about looks pretty tough, so it feels like it would be confined to a 50 mile tether from home at best. Going to be a great car when I move to the Isle of Wight.
Thoroughly enjoyable as ever, really looking forward to a real world Harry review of the Honda E !
I believe the reason the battery pack is so small is that when they were developing the floorpan/chassis for the 3rd Gen MINI Hatch, they had planned all along to offer a BEV variant but then decided against it quite late in the design stage, so they settled to build the 3rd Gen MINI as an ICE only. As the small electric car market has changed so quickly, they decided they'd offer a BEV, but they've had to do their best to fit all the battery pack into a car that was built for ICE only. Every other small BEV on sale, to my knowledge, has been designed with BEV in mind from Day One, hence their larger packs and therefore range.
Sounds nice. Tempted. Not at all worried about the range, since we have another car for longer trips. My commute is 20 miles each way, so no worries. People obsess about range with electric cars far too much.
The HUD is brilliant, driving in London with the speed limit constantly changing, having the actual speed and limit indicated in the HUD is a points saver, also directions(GPS) duplicated on the HUD is also excellent. This is my 3rd Mini S and this one though I agree re price, same as GP, that was a hard one at the time, but now there is no going back, lazy in London, sport mode on country lanes superb. Love it!.
Love the honesty and balanced view. I was considering one but had reservations about range and price. I used to own a Clio 182 and thought this was the closest EV to that which I wanted. I’ll hold off for now.
Get a second hand BMW i3 s much better package
this is the refreshing difference with harry! unlike the clarksons of this world, a man who realises that for normal people, on normal roads, a little torque steer isn't a bad thing, in the right way. and the same with predictable controllable understeer in certain types of car. not every car needs 500bhp and 4wd to be playful and fun!
Great review Harry. Thank you.
Only Harry could make a car I have zero interest in interesting, a rare skill 👍
try test driving one. they're pretty fun to drive
Excellent review, thanks Harry
Sounds sooo cool! Love that electric sound...
Nice to see Harry having fun screaming tires.
Harry, Harry, Harry..... Why have you only got 357K subscribers? Absolutely unbelievable. Excellent content every time - Congrats!
Really enjoyed this! I think they should offer you a trial slot on Top Gear to bring back a sensible useful review with a bit of fun!
This review has restored my confidence that electric cars can be fun to drive and put a smile on your face as it did on Harry's. So this is a very important car in that regard. Crazy price at the moment although this car is for well heeled fachionable city slickers and driving enthusiasts. Very low range but remember practicality is boring!
This car would have been a great alternative to a Nissan LEAF 5 years ago but I think that it already looks out of date in terms of tech, capability and styling.
Totally agree - neither fish nor fowl, but it did drive in good manner on back roads, but it's not got range to use as log hauler and it's too big to nip in and out of small spaces in town - We had one for a week and yes we also got 78 mile worst day range. So we decided instead on a smart 4/2 electric 70 mile range £17000 incl grant, and a secondhand £22000 year old GTE golf hybrid 28 miles plus long range on petrol if you need it to go 100 miles + as the daily workhorses as we don't need a big 4x4 or Estate. Both are ace at the job they are expected to do.
CCD’s
Well looks like a Mini. I don't think it good or bad thing.
The range however on paper is bad. Really bad. However Minis aren't really more than commuters/city cars so there the range doesn't really matter that much. If you can charge it home.
Still it's really a stylish second car for someone who can afford one. As only car it doesn't make any sense. Just like any 3 door mini.
It feels like they are just testing the market. The current gen Mini has been out quite a while, and will be up for replacement soon. I expect the next one will be like the Pug 208 & Corsa designed from the outset to accommodate both ICE & EV giving more room for the battery.
@@philallen7626 But this isn't some radical new concept. Which market are they testing by converting a 20 year old design into a low spec electric vehicle and then burdening it with a high price tag? They've produced a car that no sane person would buy.
Thanks Harry, a great review -Thanks
Harry is an absolute legend.
Coco, I've never heard you be so vehement about a part of a car ( mini H.U.D) in all my years of watching your videos 😤😤😤 still it's nice to see "somebody" who reviews cars on CZcams say what they think and not be worried about upsetting a car manufacturer (BMW) , can we see some more of this from other car "reviewers" who are reading this, it's nice to see someone with a big pair of kerknackers in this pc world of ours, a bit of British spirit, a dying breed 😰😰😰😰
Great review. I just ordered one with the iconic trim. Yea, it's a splurge but it's FUN! I love that it looks like a normal mini and the ones I see coming for late next year are BORING! It's going to be a long 6 months while they make my new baby! For us city folks who put fewer than 3k miles a year on our car it's a great choice.
Great review, my heart has fancied one for a while, but my head says the range is no better than my wife’s 5 year old Renault Zoe.
You are lucky to have so many EV options. I love the new Zoe interior. Too bad no Zoe in NA. Ordered the Mini SE. Hope that it works out for my family.
I love the heads up display in my Mini but only once it’s been adjusted for hight and side to side. ( just like the mirrors) It looks like a number of reviews have not found this😀
yeah i've got a problem with the 90 miles bit.
I'd have a problem with the £30,000. bit.
I have a problem with the no vroom and tire noise bit.
I have a problem with the electric cars bit.
Such a shame, it's freaking 2020. No expensive BEV should be less than 180 miles. A proper one would be slight over 200 miles.
@@levelcrossing150 I have a problem with your comment.
That's the best thing about this Mini. The weight distribution and power makes the car more fun.
Harry give the mini back with the front tyres on the tread wear indicators💪
Great review and loving it
I’ve driven loads of mini’s & they’ve all been fun to drive. This looked a right laugh. Any chances you’re getting a Honda E any time soon Harry
90 Miles range is unacceptable for an EV nowadays. I own a Tesla MS and M3, both are the 200+ as base models.
Alan Kingsley-Dobson both are bigger cars. Plus it depends on your individual circumstances. If you have a 10 mile commute to work then the range is fine.
@@michaelturnbull3981 Agree with that, but the efficiency of the Mini is poor. To put it in context I have a 28kWh Hyundai Ioniq BEV (same battery capacity as the Mini) and I can comfortably do a 220 km (136 miles) round trip to work on a single charge, with 80% on motorway (i.e not ideal for range). It has a lot of space for carrying kids and gear. The Ioniq isn't nearly as much fun to drive but realistically I couldn't use the Mini.
@@alankingsley-dobson4676 yes but they are both gigantic by comparison as well as massively more expensive
@@mddah01 well i do 180km trip in this car just fine avg 110km/h
Have ordered one; it’s a second car so long range isn’t a must, got the bottom of the range which is actually well equipped and the price is very competitive.
Another great and informative review ...now please can we have a review of the Fiesta ST?
excellent video thanks Harry
I wonder how it compares to a Mk1 Leaf - Harry's describing this MIni in the exact same way I would describe my experience with the Leaf. Feels like a hot hatch, schreeching tyres away from a standstill, great fun to drive on a B road. Seems to be similar range as well!
Harry your a hooligan 😀making those tyres scream on your eau rouge.
Good review. Im been a mini owner had a R53 CS for 10 years and loved it. Let it go and bought a 2017 CS. Looking to trade in for a Mini E but was worried about how it would be compromised by the battery. Your review has helped me to decide to wait until BMW do the right thing and design a change. Can you do a review of the Honda E? Sorry if that's offensive suggestion.
Really liked this, Harry. I’m running one for Auto Express/DrivingElectric and agree with all your sentiments. I’m regularly seeing 110 miles in normal and 135-odd in Green+ but like you say, air-con essential at this time of year!
Have you tried the BMW i3S.... rear wheel drive + 150 mile range...great fun. Don’t forget that you were testing the mini in very warm weather that will enhance the range.
This is the first electric car id want.Of course id keep an S class for road trips but for city its perfect.The price is fine too.Its a premium car.I love the weight compared to other electric cars not bothered about the range as toy for the city its perfect.Drive it in sport keep it on the charger..
Love small cars. This looks fun, range not so good but i could live with it. Waiting for the Honda e review. Well done Harry.
It ain't small though!
When Harry says it’s a bit of a shocker 😯
Another insightful review H, thanks. Did I miss the part where you put the E Mini on your scales, the weight & distribution is of interest compared to a regular Mini.
Yes it was early on and 1345kg from memory!
Thank you for another video Harry....you made my day. I remember the active Series 1 BMW from a decade ago that had a 100 mile range and it was a real BMW. Has BMW not made any progress in 10 years?
BMW trials in USA and older smaller Mini E did similar tests before i3 launch but neither had much range. Especially in winter.
Great video, very professional.
Increased energy density of the small battery will be key to the future viability of the Mini SE in my opinion. I wanted to buy one last week but it's relatively short range stopped me in my tracks and I opted for a petrol S version instead.
Nice review and very helpful - hoping that they bring out a 5 door with a bit more range and that will be of interest when we look to replace current 5 Door Cooper S ICE!
It'll be heavier and use more energy. Unlikely to get more than new i3 42kWh
The new electric mini, the price is a shocker. Nice one Harry
I like it! Its growing on me!
Great vid as usual, Harry. I wonder how it would go with the range extender from the old i3?
Where would you put that, in place of the back seat?
@@insightman Next to the motor - like its placed in an I3. If it can fit under an i3 boot floor its got a lot more room under a Mini bonnet.
Sadly the rex went away as it didn't meet emissions regs...
I've seen other reviewers who have had the car for a few months get 130 miles out of a full charge and get 0-60 in 6.3 seconds. I'm getting one for my wife as she loved it and does a 20 mile commute and rarely drives anywhere over 25 miles away and if she did she will stop and charge it back up in 30 minutes the services whilst she has a coffee and a big stinky shit
Good review, thanks. Suggestion: please flash up on screen kw and nm figures when you mention bhp ft lb for us metric markets.
kWh/100km is normal for EU market as they use litres per 100km instead of mpg also useful energy comparison as 10kWh is 1litre of diesel approx for cost of public charging v fuel prices
That`s a great review, Harry. Not only do we have a Africa Twin in common but also EV`s. My wife and I bought ourselves a Hyundai Kona which is a great car to ride but also has a neat range of 300-320 mls. No range anxiety here...
the kona is great and the price is also reasonable
It's as though Mini ignored the number 1 barrier to electric car ownership i.e. low range, while the Koreans took notes.
@@bloccoaspirale1867 The Koreans understandably ignored the number 1 reason to buy a MINI: Fun.
@@insightman There's no fun in range anxiety.
Great honest review as always and with such a low range not for me. Harry, you need to ask Mrs M to give you a haircut!
I’m a huge mini fan and have had an f56 Cooper and am now on a f56 Cooper S. I’d have loved to of considered an electric one but with 90 miles range there’s just no way it would work for me! Really good to see that it’s still a fun car though. I’m sure they will crack it with better range in time!
F54 JCW 309hp is way more fun for the same price, no range anxiety. Each to their own I suppose
I am definitely going to get one if they do a Clubman version with a bigger battery.
The boot is normal Mini... my JCW is the same.
Also surprised you didn’t get on with the heads up display. Was it not adjusted correctly? I love it in my JCW, particularly when pressing on a bit.
One of the very few good electric car reviews
This car would have been great 5-10 years ago
I cant explain why, but that intro was some funny shit 😂
If you can get one at the right price, these are perfect for leasing. Terrible ownership proposition, but the same is true of all electric vehicles. They have a finite life and tech is improving constantly.
Looks really good fun but will be hanging on to the JCW for a little longer.
I'll wait for a long range version, doesn't quite get to my longest journey. Sounds like it'll get through front tyres quicker than my petrol Cooper S and that likes to have a scrabble from the line
Loving your videos as always, but the first thing I noticed was how low the views were compared to many of your other tests! What that suggests to me, considering the lovely weather at time of test, is that realistically people are somewhat inert to electric cars. Almost psychically, you mentioned torque steer just after I thought, chrikey, I bet that's a bit hairy pulling out of a junction if it's all available immediately....😂
I can't remember a time in my life where having a range of less than 100 miles was ever a thing. I'd have to plug the thing in every single day, which i imagine has a negative effect on the battery life. Some days i just wouldn't be able to use it because i need more than 100 miles to get to where i'm working that week. This seems to be aimed at the person who could realistically get by on a pushbike, and when you're throwing £30k at it, it's suddenly a very expensive option for such limited use.
Just 100 miles range puts me off too, but a 25 year old internet Kid living in the big city? Maybe they would jump at this sort of car. Specially if they get a cheap 3 year lease as few people actually buy new cars anymore, most are rented.
@@ouethojlkjn 3 year leases are cheap?
But living in the city means access to a charging point which has to be at a charging station or in a private garage facility. An apartment dweller may not have either
Most superminis of the 1970s and 1989s had a petrol range of 150miles when driven like this. I3 is similar but much quicker than old Fiat 127 Sport. But like fat MINI not as good on narrow roads.
@@Ijusthopeitsquick I guess any lease cost is subjective but it is a favoured option over buying a £30k+ vehicle outright in cash.
R53 owner here, a Mini as well but a very different beast
My 1st car was an Austin Mini 850cc 1978S. Unreliable Sold it for a Ford Escort 1.3L mk2 1980V. 33 year's later & 30+ car's later I don't think I would buy a BMW Mini EV or Diesel or Petrol. Nice review.
Are some of the Pirelli calendar censored in the background? ;)
'Fun' and 'electric' in the same sentence. TC off when entering ULEZ then. A green hooligan. Well done Mini. Just for the rich list though, to keep those working chargers free of a queue. Great review thank you H.
Never thought I would have any interest in an EV, but the distances I drive makes this ideal for me. Just curious to how this car will be serviced.
Mini have obviously done research into what a potential mini owner wants from an electric mini and that appears to be they want a shorter range but with the sportier handling retained. I wonder if they will do a heavier long range model?
Are you going to be reviewing the limited GP3?
I would buy one of these. But but but. Harry - are you gonna drive the Honda E soon ?
Like every modern car I look at the silly over-sized wheels and wonder if tyres are an option.
Yes but _can_ you get the 17-inch wheels on the lower spec?
The same 205/45R17 looked huge on my old red/black R50
Had mine just delivered. Range not an issue for me, more fun than I expected.
My only non-Italian car though. How can I rebadge to Innocenti? :-p
Fun !, i reckon my dishwasher is more fun, and better looking
@@LOTPOR0402 I'd trust Harry's opinion, or this guy who owns one... they seem to think its fun.
Sell and buy New Fiat 500 electric
@@LOTPOR0402 Must be one hell of a dishwasher.
@@TekAutomatica Thought about it. Maybe if they go Abarth with it.
Thanks for the review Harry, Electric or at least Electric Mini not for me but thanks for sharing!! The Price is a bloody joke, much better options out there!!
The smaller battery clearly hurts the range, but they've gone for it to keep the weight down and preserve (as much as possible) the Mini dynamics. 1365kg is a lot for mini, but pretty decent for an EV, even a small one.
It's BMW parts bin. MK2 i3 pack and drivetrain but FWD
A PHEV with 50 miles (90km) of pure EV range would be the sweet spot spec. Perfect for the 10 minute city run with zero emissions but also useful for a 2 hour jaunt.
I've seen a few studies saying PHEVs are more expensive than ICE Or BEV to own over the life of the car. 2 power plants to service and the weight of both to drive around with.
Outlandish phib SUV claimed 148mpg real world excluding energy guzzled from grid. Reality was 28mpg real world plus electric power. Phevs neither fish nor fowel either engine burns fuel dragging unused heavy dead pack or pack hauls heavy ICE set up. Now dealerships not taking phevs in part exchange due pack failure (no proper charging regime or temperature control during charging degrades pack) #greenwash #addlightness #improveaero #fightvehicleobesity
Luke W A pure EV is dragging around battery dead weight 100% of the time, weather battery is full or empty. The weight of the motor pales compared to the weight of battery. A PHEV will always weigh less than a similar pure EV. The big reason that PHEV is the best spec is the availability of batteries. The world can build 10 PHEV for every 1 pure EV given today’s battery manufacturing capacity. So the world could, in theory, replace 10 ICE cars with PHEVs, dramatically decreasing global pollution compared to replacing 1 ICE car with 1 pure EV.
Life does work in interesting ways. I first watched this video a year ago for something to do and, well, I watch most anything Harry…..
I noted that it seemed like an interesting car and similarly scoffed as Harry did at the rather pathetic range and high price.
Well here I am a year later and I’ve got one sitting in my driveway - same colour, not quite the same spec as I don’t have the head up display and it seems like my car has different seat facings. Mine seem to be a black perforated leatherette - super comfortable I would add.
We’ve had the car exactly a week and are really enjoying it as a second car used for the cut and thrust of daily commuting. Out of town voyages with the family and piles of crap is not what this car is going to be successful at. Although I do note that the rapidly growing network of fast chargers means that trips of two and three times this car’s range are possible with some planning. By the time I’ve travelled 200 km I’m ready to stretch my legs and have a coffee anyway while we let the juice flow for 30 minutes.
Everything Harry says about driving this thing is true. It is a huge amount of fun, feels quite quick, and relies on one of the only things that BMW seem to do well anymore - driving dynamics. Oh, and the seats. The seats are quite simply the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of stuffing my backside into, although I’m definitely not snacking in the same bracket as Harry…
And God knows the reliably and cost to fix of BMW ICE motors can be a horror show, so these blessings are huge.
We actually started out to get something much different and it was only because in our part of the world you can’t seem to get a new EV for love or money these days that we have this. Our local Toyota dealer told me a RAV4 hybrid wouldn’t arrive with my name on it till 2025 so I resorted to just trolling auto trader to see what other EVs might pop up. I would have seriously considered a Nissan Leaf or whatever Hyundai and Kia are offering these days. Basic transportation appliance-level expectations but there was nothing new that we could have in under a year it seemed.
There were however 3 electric Minis listed within 500 km of me. One new, two used. Two were sold before I could get anyone on the phone and the one I’ve got now I needed to essentially buy sight unseen if I had any hope of securing it. So we took the risk knowing it had no real back seat and short range, and even though it was a year old with 10,000 km on it we paid practically new base SE MSRP for this almost top line model. That’s how crazy the market is right now. But… After a week both my wife and I are smitten with the thing. Our 65 km round-trip commute for work is well within its range and the first time I charged it up after full work day plus evening errands my charger app told me it cost a whopping $1.83 in off-peak late night rates. A charge from almost dead flat costs under $4... THAT’S what I’m after.
I think BMW said 80% of these cars are bought as second vehicles which is probably why that particularly sad range is not as much of an issue as the spec sheet seems to imply. I also agree as Harry says we’re not making a massive statement by driving it. Sure, not pouring pollutants into the air feels good, (although the environmental damage mining the lithium for these batteries can’t be discounted). But really, my mission was to save money bypassing gas pumps without looking like I’m driving a space ship. This car fits the bill perfectly with the unexpected bonus of being hugely fun to drive and really very attractive.
Only time will tell if it can stand up to the harsh Canadian landscape and climate but as I make dinner and glance out at it in the street, admiring the blunt, buff lines and solid stance it strikes me it’s rather like a bulldog pup - scrappy - all attitude and ready to take on the world…even if it’s not quite up to all that.