Hawaii 2022 Mini SE delivery

Many EVs seem to be upping the range too. For us oddly Teslas network kind of sucks in my state. But I do think by the time we buy a replacement for my husband things will be different. I still plan to enjoy my SE as my main car for a long time.

 

I really hate when companies push that argument because the "average distance" does not accurately reflect regular weekend activities. I'm not saying a 400mi EV is necessary especially as charging infrastructure improves but according to my google location history, I regularly drive 50+ miles one way to a destination in the middle of a forest for a hike or bike ride on the weekends. Without my wife's ICE as a backup I wouldn't have been comfortable ordering the MINI or really any EV under 200mi of range.

 

You'd be the exception then. I cannot think of the last time that I drove 100 miles in a day. Something like 99% of all drivers do not do it regularly enough. That 1% is totally valid and you totally fall into it. Nothing wrong with saying most don't though. For me it's rare I do even 50 in a day, which is a norm it seems. Those outside of the average like you, do need something else.

 

That amount of driving is pretty typical here in Central Oregon just because of the amount of space and speed limits (I'm 2mi away from 55+ mph roads basically all the way to my destinations). I do accept that I'm also in a bubble with a lot of outdoorsy people which involves a lot more driving than other hobbies.

But my problem with that quoted statistic is I haven't seen any study that looks at frequent maximum trip length, only averages. By presenting an average it skews the results to hide longer trips. The most frequently referenced data source I've seen is the 2009 NHTS survey (https://nhts.ornl.gov/2009/pub/stt.pdf) but that again only looks at averages. It says 10.3mi average weekend trip length (one way). That could mean someone drives 2mi one way 7 of the 8 weekend days per month then drives 70mi one way on the 8th weekend day for an average of 10.5mi. If this theoretical person bought a Mini, it wouldn't meet their needs once a month which is a problem.

This use case will probably still be a pretty low percentage but higher than typically quoted...

 

I get what you are saying, I just do not view this statistic as anything other than enticing most people to consider an EV. There will always be exceptions, but a large portion of the population drives less than rural areas or those who travel further distances frequently. I don't see it as set in gold or being a bit deceitful. It's meant to make you think before just buying an ICE.

 

I've mentioned this before, but I drive over 80 miles per day and the SE is my primary car. I never have range issues, often getting home with 50% SoC left in the summer. As for going on longer weekend trips for activities, if you can charge while doing your activity it's still quite a capable car.

The SE is not going to suit everyone. But I don't think the 300+ mile range EVs are the answer either, due to cost and weight. I'm convinced as the charging infrastructure is built up the issue of range will become less important.

 

I really like my xj8. Just found a xjs that I love, if it has no rust I'm gonna pick it up.

 

I'll never buy another ICE (or hybrid) vehicle. My next vehicle is likely an F-150 Lightning to replace my aged F-350. When all my vehicles are EVs it will be hard to decide which should be the primary, but I suspect it'll still be the SE because it's so fun to drive.

 

OK, I'll rephrase my question: "Which vehicle in your garage would you choose first for most of your excursions, the MINI Cooper SE, the Ford F-150, or one of the Jags?"

 

SE for the summer, 150 winter (wrangler for me) jag for wknds. I was looking into swapping the xj8 to ev but no one would touch it. But the xjs I found two places that would have a go at it. I follow them on the gram.

 

I drive 0 miles most days, since the town I live and work in is very bikeable. I do go to the big city two or three times a month, which is 70–90 miles r/t, which should be easy enough to do without having to recharge. The farthest place I can go on this island is about 55 miles one way.

Does anyone with an SE let their car sit for a few days without driving it? I'm curious how much charge is lost over time. I often go a week or more without driving my ICS car now. I'm sure once I get the SE I will want to drive it every five minutes, but that feeling may not last forever…

 

I don't always drive daily, but usually never more than 4 or so days between. I haven’t noticed any measurable charge loss.

 

I have let my car sit for a few days, thanks to the pandemic. I've never noticed a measurable loss in charge.

Even when I was commuting, my daily driving was only 20-25 miles total from Monday-Friday. But about every other weekend, I head out of town. I'm either visiting someone or travelling to a destination. Either way, it is typically 250-300 miles one-way. The Bolt allows me to do that with one (summer) or two (winter) charging stops along the way.

So bottom line, I drive as little as ~100 miles and as much as ~1000 miles in a week. The average doesn't tell that story though. I probably average 50 miles a day, but an SE certainly couldn't handle all of my driving.

It is still my primary car, though. I will always choose it unless I simply cannot for some reason. It is just too much fun!

 

This is something that mini has yet to get back to me on. I asked about a battery tender for the 12 volt of if the car will keep that charged when stored. I don't really see myself driving it in the winter.

 

Look for "high-voltage battery, discharge" in The Motorer's Guide. The takeaway:

• Fully charge battery before leaving parked for several weeks
• For up to three months, keep on charger when not in use

I guess that means every three months there should be some amount of battery discharge, so take it out for a spin around the neighborhood. If you can bear to not drive it for three months!

Also, the 12 V battery is "maintenance free" and is charged from the high-voltage batteries. The only time it should ever go flat is if the battery itself fails.

 

I know that one of the electrified cars at my house doesn't use the high-voltage battery to keep its 12-Volt battery from going flat while the car is in storage. Our neglected Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid's 12-Volt battery died while my wife and I fought over the SE whenever we were going anywhere. I haven't read anything about how the SE charges its 12-Volt battery, so I don't know if it's smarter than the Clarity (or its electrical-system designers were smarter than the Clarity's).

 

If you recall, last winter I would get warnings that the scheduled climatization was disabled after not driving for a couple of days "to protect the battery". I'm not sure when the 12 V battery is charged, maybe only when the SE is driving around? There's nothing in the Motorer's Guide about the 12 V battery other than it's maintenance-free.

 

I guess climatization uses 12-Volt power to operate the HVAC fan. If the warning was in reference to the 12-Volt battery, it would imply the high-voltage battery isn't able to prevent the 12-Volt battery from becoming discharged. Of course, if your high-voltage battery had a low charge, you would want the SE to avoid charging the 12-Volt battery unnecessarily.

Imagine getting into your SE, flipping the power switch, only to get a message that the few ions you were counting on to get you to the charging station on the next block were used up charging the 12-Volt battery!