MINI Cooper SE is the Cheapest EV on Sale in the U.S.

[Lainey]

A lot of it is mentality too for some. People I know who are gearheads scoff at EVs. The aforementioned people buying bigger cars. People thinking they need massive range. Even just some traditionalists who don't get it. Then some who do not have carports or the like to charge easily. My best friend has street parking only and as much as she loves my car, it just won't work since she'd had to rely on finding fast chargers. Lots of things.

For Mini specific, they cannot get the Minis fast enough. One canceled order sold in a week. Two others are coming in but could be sold already. Still 2021s though.

 

[autopro20]

While everyone would prefer to see/use faster chargers, the conundrum is that faster charging = shorter battery life. Heat destroys everything, and batteries don't like hard and fast, they like easy and slow. I have been driving BEVs since 2014, and I mostly use my level one chargers that came with our cars. You can count the times on one hand that I use my level two charger in a year. I have seen zero battery degradation in any of the BEVs that I have had so far.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Part of the problem is they went with a conservative EPA rating, while other companies will milk it for everything they can. The GOM is even more pessimistic. Where I live in warm weather, I haven’t been able to get less than EPA. If I tried to be any less efficient my tires would last 5k miles.

You hit on one reason they go conservative - climate variation. In my cold climate, I rarely see the GOM report over 100 miles. Of course, I have only driven once or twice without some kind of heat.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

The problem is our subsidized gasoline is so cheap that people can afford to fill up their SUVs and pick-up trucks. The sales of small cars like the Bolt, MINI Cooper, and Honda Fit are in the tank. When the cost, cost-to-operate, and range of electric SUVs and pick-up trucks approach that of gas-powered versions, I believe the shift to EVs will begin in earnest. If the oil subsidies go away, the shift will happen sooner than later.

If Biden has his way, he would like to see the end of oil subsidies. I doubt it will pass through Congress, but it's good that he is talking about it.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/03/biden-plan-eliminates-billions-in-fossil-fuel-subsidies/

 

[Puppethead]

While everyone would prefer to see/use faster chargers, the conundrum is that faster charging = shorter battery life. Heat destroys everything, and batteries don't like hard and fast, they like easy and slow.

I don't believe this is true for the SE. "Fast" charging is maximum of 50 kW, which is a far cry from Tesla's super charging at 250 kW. I asked my dealer about charging when I picked up my SE and was told in no uncertain terms that DC fast charging does no harm. Since they're the ones warrantying the batteries I'm going with MINI's advice.

 

[polyphonic]

You hit on one reason they go conservative - climate variation. In my cold climate, I rarely see the GOM report over 100 miles. Of course, I have only driven once or twice without some kind of heat.

Have you tried driving the car from 100% SoC to low (10% or so)?
The GOM is really conservative too. A recent trip showed something like 90 miles on the GOM. I did around 120 and still had some juice left.
At one point I was 20 miles from my house and the GOM read 2 miles more than when I left. I think it needs some fine tuning because it is very pessimistic.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Have you tried driving the car from 100% SoC to low (10% or so)?
The GOM is really conservative too. A recent trip showed something like 90 miles on the GOM. I did around 120 and still had some juice left.
At one point I was 20 miles from my house and the GOM read 2 miles more than when I left. I think it needs some fine tuning because it is very pessimistic.

No, I haven't been doing that much driving. I will be sure to do that when I get a chance.

GOM aside, the car reports an average efficiency of 3.3 miles/kWh. Mini claims the car has 28.9kWh available, making the total range about 95 miles. Could the efficiency also be conservative/wrong? Or maybe the car actually has more than 28.9kWh available?

 

[insightman]

the GOM read 2 miles more than when I left. I think it needs some fine tuning because it is very pessimistic.

MINI knew they would catch less grief with a pessimistic GOM than with an optimistic GOM. A perfect GOM would require the car to predict the future--then it wouldn't be a guess.

 

[polyphonic]

My e-tron GOM is pretty much on point. Everything else software-wise is better and more reliable in the MINI.

 

[insightman]

My e-tron GOM is pretty much on point. Everything else software-wise is better and more reliable in the MINI.

I wonder how accurate the GOM will be in BMW's upcoming iX electric crossover with 300-mile range? The MINI Cooper SE's GOM may be pessimistic on purpose--planned range anxiety.

 

[electriceddy]

I also think an improved charging infrastructure will help a lot.

Provided we don't run into this situation:
Note: this picture was taken in Munich, not Hamburg as one might suspect