Range Anxiety is completely GONE!

100 mile range is completely adequate 

for what I do in my regular daily routine!

I have driven 7000 miles now and have reached

every place I need to go in the Los Angeles basin from Orange County,

with a little help from a few chargers.

With a well developed infrastructure of available chargers,

it will be such a pleasure for more people to be 

quietly, cleanly and affordably whisking from place to place in this city.

I had to drive an internal combustion engined (ICE) car this weekend and the drone of the engine, though relatively quiet, really irritated me!

I am really spoiled by the amazing performance, silent power and ease of operation of this great little car.

140 mile round trip.

My Malibu friends now see me (probably too) often!

The 140mile round trip used to be a rare visit in the old gas (diesel) guzzler because it cost too much and I would stress about the use of a finite resource to go for a joyride, but now that my friend has also gotten a Mini E (with 60 amp charger), my trip is guilt free, stress free, easy, fun and cheap!

He was able to snag one of the returned Mini E's from someone whose lifestyle it didn't fit and 2 chargers, one for work (Hollywood) the other at home (Malibu). I am in Newport Beach, 70 miles from Malibu and 55 miles from Hollywood, both just outside my 100 mile RT so it makes it perfect for me as those are the only places I go (in my daily routine) that are in need of at least a touch up charge.

Almost 7000 miles, be there in a couple days,
(we watched as we turned over 6666.6 last night).

if you want to drive one, ask me, you'll be hooked too!
Still Love this Car!

Drive an Electric Car Once and You Won't Go Back!

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-neil20-2009nov20,0,5609464.column

I love the fact that people are discovering Electric Cars!

Find someone to let you drive one and you will be as hooked as I am!

BACK HOME with a new Brain!

Diagnosis of this weeks problem: Internal Fault in the PEU (Power Electronics Unit) or the 'Brain'.
After diagnosis the 'Flying Doctors' replaced the unit, reprogrammed the DMI and returned the car to my dealer.


After four days (with the 328i loaner) I am back in the drivers seat. Thanks BMW for creating this valuable program so many people are watching and learning from. 


My son and I picked up COOPER E 230 and drove straight into Santa Monica to see the Nissan 'Leaf' launching at Pier 59 Studios.


An Exciting Event, the Leaf is definitely a serious attempt by a Major manufacturer to jump in to the BEV market.
Watch for an event near you, they launched last night a 20 city tour exhibiting the car and a cutaway chassis that looks to be very well engineered.  


The run from home to Santa Monica is 51 miles one way, the computer was figuring 87 mi of range when we started out, hmmmm, this'll be fun. We jumped on the freeway, kept it at 60 mph, drove 55 miles to Hollywood using 50%, we spent 20 minutes on the charger at a friends business, where there is a charger in the parking lot, had some dinner while waiting. 


Now With 60 % and 11 miles to Santa Monica we went to the Launch Party.


The computer seemed to indicate we were using power at an alarming rate on the 11 mile trip to Santa Monica and I spent most of the time at the party wondering where we would be calling the flatbed from to get home.


I did, however, enjoy looking at Nissans entry. 


Retrieving the car from the Valet (hoping he hadn't joy rode with our meager remaining power) we headed out for the trip home, 52 miles with 48% battery! Jamie drove, keeping constant speed is his theory, so we pegged the speedo on 60 mph and meticulously stuck to it varying as little as possible. We watched the battery % meter at first deplete alarmingly fast then it began to recalculate and actually add percentage. Jamies theory is to keep speed constant and avoid using regen.


We were about 8 miles from home when we hit 0% and flat line on the battery!


Hmmmm we were still doing 60 MPH! I have run the car 9 miles in the same condition so I now new we could make it home, so we continued, conservatively, (Not Jamie's nature or even a word he likes) and pulled into the garage and the computer popped back up to 3% after having read 0% and flatlined for about 8 miles.


It was another great day with the Mini E and we are so happy to have it back ...and to be in the drivers seat again!

Interesting article in The Sun - UK

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/motors/ken_gibson/2642561/Its-the-sun-wot-run-it.html

Sad Day!

Little COOPER E 230 is in the hospital, the flying Dr's are assessing what to do.

Last week he started kicking into N from D, sometimes at speed upon acceleration, others when starting and into R to back out of the garage. Each time it would kick to N eutral and give me a car on the rack symbol. I would press Stop, pull the key, reinsert, press Start and everything was fine. Several days I drove my normal 80 to 100 miles, starting and stopping without another incident. Then, morning, full charge, same thing, R kick out N, restart routine, go on my way.

I just grew tired of it and decided someone should look at it before it happened in a more dangerous situation.

Thats it for now, meanwhile I'm driving a nice little silver 09 328i ICE loaner, not bad,
but it's definitely not my Electric Mini E!

I'm gonna hate that GAS stop to return it full!

Can't wait to get My E back!

West Coast Meetup 2

What a great group of people!

To those who missed it, there'll be more, watch for info either here or on Facebook at Mini E.

Mini E Meetup 2 devouring good food at "My Fathers Office"

located in the old Helms Bakery.

AC PROPULSION showed up with the E-Box and test rides all around.

http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2009/11/2009-mini-e-141-miles-rusty-rotors-happy-drivers.html

Our group of ten Mini E drivers being interviewed by John O'Dell, Senior Editor at Edmunds.com.

under the Solar Charger Port at the old Helms Bakery bldgs. in Santa Monica.

Thanks BMW/MINI for making such a great little car!