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!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
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!
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!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
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!
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!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
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.
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!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
EV Focus Group
Got Invited to an EV Focus Group session.
Love any chance to talk about my E, so I went.
9 people in our group, all Mini E experienced drivers with 8 driving their cars.
It means something to me that the Information is being gathered by one of Our Major American car manufacturers and is being evaluated toward the production of EV's and Hybrids to be designed and built in the USA!
Thanks to BMW for putting these on the road so we can show people how Fun and Practical they are to drive and demonstrate how well they fit into our daily lives!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
