https://www.wired.co.uk/article/mini-electric-first-drive Mini Electric first drive: a great electric car for the masses 29 January 2020 Jeremy White
[images https://wi-images.condecdn.net/image/oY8NgN6B4oW/crop/810/f/5.jpg / Mini https://wi-images.condecdn.net/image/ZAZkpkAxrbp/crop/810/f/2.jpg / WIRED https://wi-images.condecdn.net/image/zkqyzykkBP1/crop/810/f/img_3594.jpg / WIRED https://wi-images.condecdn.net/image/MpvNWNA9Jkm/crop/810/f/3.jpg / Mini https://wi-images.condecdn.net/image/8awE2Ez553d/crop/810/f/4.jpg / Mini ] The new flagship EV from BMW has arrived. It looks set to be one of the most sought-after cars for 2020, and it's a mighty fine electric addition to the Mini family There are a few reasons why the new Mini Electric is one of the most hotly anticipated electric cars of 2020. One would be that this is the first vehicle from the iconic brand to be battery powered that you can buy. Those with good memories will recall that there was, back in 2009, a trial to lease a Mini E for six months. Another reason is that this new EV will replace the BMW i3 as the group's flagship all-electric car. A third is that unlike Lotus's Evija, Aston Martin's Rapide E or Porsche's Taycan, which firmly aim the eco (and performance) benefits of EVs at the wealthy minority, this will be an electric car for the masses. From £24,400, the Mini Electric will not only be the BMW Group's newest full EV, it will also be its cheapest. The top-spec model will cost less than the i3, which launched back in 2013. You could therefore argue the Mini Electric, is far more important than any of the offerings from the high-end manufacturers. This is where the meaningful battle will be waged to convert the hearts and minds of those on school runs, shopping trips, average commutes and weekend jaunts to the coast. But is it any good? Well, it looks like a Mini. Because it is one. One of biggest pluses and minuses for the Mini Electric is that it has been built on the existing Mini architecture. This means that BMW Group knew exactly it was working with when modifying the ICE version, but it also means you get none of the advantages the i3 has in terms of being conceived and designed as an electric car. Don't look for an abundance of lightweight composites or a streamlined cabin taking advantage of the space savings the lack of a conventional powertrain brings. There are no obvious concessions to the new electric motors. Contrast this with the Honda e, incidentally, and you can see the difference. What it does mean, however, is there is a welcoming familiarity to the Mini Electric. You instantly feel at home, and that's no bad thing. What does strike you is the lack of noise as the Mini Electric pulls up or away. Yes, it does have a specially designed noise that it pumps out to let the unsuspecting pedestrian know of its presence, but it is so quiet you have to almost strain to hear it. Inside you get the sort of digital instrument cluster and central display that befits a full-EV. In these emerging days of mass-production electric cars, to entice traditionalists away from their familiarity with internal combustion engines, manufacturers, Mini included, are loading up the specs so you get flashy displays and optional extras as standard. This won't always be the case, so enjoy it while it lasts. The 5.5-inch colour digital dash displays various info, including current flow of energy and range, while navigation is handled on the bright and clear central 6.5-inch touchscreen, which is responsive and bright. A nice touch is that traffic updates link to the navigation automatically, updating the car's range – this is another reason why the satnav, usually an optional extra on Minis, is standard on the Electric. If the car thinks you're not going to make it to your destination, it will re-route you to public charging stations within range to top up. The first-drive model, as seen in the pictures here, has additional upgrades including a Harmon Kardon sound system, head-up display, matrix LEDs, wireless phone charging in the central arm rest and a noticeably larger 8.8in version of that infotainment touchscreen, which could well be laying out extra for. Room for four adults inside? Yes. But you are left wondering what could be have been done had Mini created a special chassis for the Electric. That said, if it had would you still be able to pick up one for £600 less than the equivalent Cooper S model? Mini Speaking of the hot-hatch Cooper S, the Mini Electric is good for a nippy zero to 62mph in 7.3 seconds with a maximum output of 184hp and torque of 270Nm – comparable to the Cooper S. Top speed is limited to 93mph, though. The Mini marketing bumf mentions that the Electric feels "like a go-kart" on the road. And this is one of the occasions where the car delivers on such a promise. It manages to pull off the neat combo of feeling planted on the road while also being superb fun to whip round tight corners or accelerate away from side roads. The throttle mechanics on the Mini Electric deserve particular praise. It is responsive, but also nuanced – there is no guesswork involved applying pressure to get just the delivery of power you are looking for. Of the four driving modes ("Sport" with more direct steering and a more rapid power delivery; "Mid" with less aggressive steering; and "Green" and "Green+" for the obligatory eco modes featuring gentler accelerator response), Mid is the best. You get predictable regenerative braking if slightly on the heavy side and, handily, you can lighten this regen braking with a flick of a switch. Within a few miles you become completely used to driving with the one pedal and can easily forgo the use of the brake pedal entirely. Another advantage of this is that the range is extended. The Mini Electric can handle a range of between 124 and 144 miles, according to the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure. Our test route was about 70 miles with a good amount of gunning away from lights and unmapped diversions down side streets, yet we got nowhere near reducing the Electric to half charge. The Sport mode is punchy but not unwieldy, and the eco settings – though undoubtedly worthy – do remove a great deal of fun from the car. That said, after driving the Electric for 20 miles or so we completely forgot we were driving an EV – an illusion only dashed when we put our foot down and the car's inner go-kart was revealed again. With that 145-mile range, it's clear this Mini's heart is sensibly in urban driving as opposed to long distance. This was highlighted at one stage when we pulled alongside a Tesla Model X. In comparison it was a hulking great thing. You couldn't help but think the Mini Electric was far better suited for the city. Mini The Electric comes with both home and public charging cables as standard, for AC and DC charging. At a 50kW DC fast-charging station, the Mini can supposedly achieve an 80 per cent charge from zero in just 36 minutes. For 11kW AC charging this rises to 150 minutes. At home with a three-pin plug? You're looking at 12 hours. One of the main hurdles the Mini engineers had to overcome was to bring the powertrain from the rear to the front, another was to squeeze in batteries into the space where the old ICE powertrain and exhaust system used to be housed. So while some may have wished the Mini Electric to have a longer range with a bigger battery, the result is a 32.6kWh 12-module lithium-ion pack arranged in a T-shape in the floor between the front seats and below the rear seats. Shoehorning the battery setup into this space has one advantage, however, the Mini's boot volume has not been compromised, retaining the usual 211 litres. Incidentally, the battery itself has a warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles. Also, based on £0.163 per kWh on average, it costs £5.31 to top the Mini Electric up to full charge. So one mile should cost you 4p. BMW Group has taken a gamble with the Mini Electric. There's no getting away from the fact that corners have been cut compared to the BMW's development and therefore compromises have been made regarding weight and battery capacity. Having said this, the Mini Electric has a winning personality. It's fun to drive and excitingly responsive. Those looking forward to trying out this full EV should not be disappointed. And despite the use of the existing architecture rather than redesigning the car from the ground up for electric power, this is a worthy replacement to the i3. But above all, perhaps the best compliment for the Electric is that you very quickly stop thinking of the change in powertrain altogether. You're just driving a Mini. A fast one that costs just a fiver to fill up. [© wired.co.uk] + https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mercedes-halves-ev-production-target-125133485.html Daimler to build 50,000 Mercedes EQC models this year January 23, 2020 FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Daimler on Thursday said it plans to build 50,000 Mercedes EQC electric cars this year, denying a report in Manager Magazin which ... For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://www.evdl.org/archive/ {brucedp.neocities.org} -- Sent from: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/ _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
