evse recommendations?
- Thread starter KeninFL
- Start date
- Replies 583
- Views 114K
Puppethead
Well-Known Member
On the flip side, going back to the durability of the electric motor, if you can occasionally swap out your batteries for a technology upgrade, would you really need to replace the whole vehicle assuming everything's in great condition? Imagine if, in a few years, we could replace the SE batteries for under $10K and get an extra hundred miles of range.
GvilleGuy
Well-Known Member
This is what I hope for.
Right on, @Newkirk!
I seem to remember a recent comment by someone on this forum: "Based on my personal experience I think MINI hit the "urban" mark just about perfectly, so I'm not sure longer range is that important."
As I've reiterated ad-nauseum, I'd love it if those next-gen batteries would pare 300 lbs from my SE and let me keep the 110-mile range.
It depends.
What is the car worth at the time of battery replacement vs battery cost?
What will insurance pay you the next day if it is totaled in an accident?
Will the old battery format (18650 vs 21700 for example) accommodate the new battery format 10 years later?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Carsten Haase
Well-Known Member
There's definitely a lot more complexity than just swapping the battery (CAN communication with the car's computer for SoC info and BMS would be one potential issue) but with all the EV conversions happening now I can definitely see a market for upgraded "performance" batteries.
Smashed up Teslas are in huge demand for custom EV projects and compatible aftermarket controllers for the motors/batteries are already available. It's only a matter of time before there's an electric equivalent of an "LS swap"
Puppethead
Well-Known Member
MINIs, including ICE models, already go through a calibration when the 12V battery is changed, so I'd suspect something similar would definitely be required to change the high voltage battery pack. There are companies (one in China and one in California) working on battery-swapping "recharge" stations, so the potential exists.
MINI may not have an incentive to support upgrades for existing cars, though, if it means they'll sell fewer new ones.
Carsten Haase
Well-Known Member
I am 99.9% sure MINI will never offer an upgraded battery for this car.
The aftermarket for EVs is growing rapidly though and in couple of years I can see that expanding to include batteries and motors. Chevy has said they're planning to expand their crate motor program to include electric options and companies like EV West have been doing a great job supporting ICE conversions.
I'm hoping by the time my warranty is expired there will be enough aftermarket support for an AWD conversion with individual motors for each wheel for incredible control and torque vectoring... or stupid stuff like this! (Can't force a start time, go to 12:00)
Carsten Haase
Well-Known Member
Semi-back on topic...
Got my Grizzl-e charger installed and ready for my SE delivery in early June! Haven't gotten a chance to test it on a car but at least the LED turns on. All the quotes I got from electricians were too expensive and/or too far in the future so I just did it myself. Running the thick 6/3 cable was a huge pain and it was super hard to actually find a 50A breaker in stock but the rest of the install wasn't bad at all.
I ended up printing myself a custom holster/cable hanger because the one that came with the Grizzl-e felt a bit sloppy to me. The custom one also conveniently mounts to the T-slot I used to mount my bikes on the wall!
I don't really like how far the Grizzl-e sits away from the wall but don't care enough to make a custom "flush" mount.
Got my Grizzl-e charger installed and ready for my SE delivery in early June! Haven't gotten a chance to test it on a car but at least the LED turns on. All the quotes I got from electricians were too expensive and/or too far in the future so I just did it myself. Running the thick 6/3 cable was a huge pain and it was super hard to actually find a 50A breaker in stock but the rest of the install wasn't bad at all.
I ended up printing myself a custom holster/cable hanger because the one that came with the Grizzl-e felt a bit sloppy to me. The custom one also conveniently mounts to the T-slot I used to mount my bikes on the wall!
I don't really like how far the Grizzl-e sits away from the wall but don't care enough to make a custom "flush" mount.
Puppethead
Well-Known Member
That looks so similar to my setup, it's very nice. And I think almost all EVSEs are boxes mounted on walls, I think I only saw one flush-mount and it was super-expensive. I guess you could do it yourself by cutting into the drywall, but then it becomes difficult to service the EVSE or replace it.
I haven't put in the holster yet, and the one Grizzl-E provides is widely criticized. I love the 3D-print one you made.
Carsten Haase
Well-Known Member
I guess by flush I meant the box would be against the wall rather than floating an inch or so away due to the aluminum mounting bracket.
If it was mounted somewhere else in the garage where you'd typically walk or get in/out of the car, that extra inch or so sticking out would be more of an issue but with mine mounted in a corner it doesn't make much of a difference to me.
(For anyone who has a 3d printer or wants an excuse to get one I'll post a link to the 3D model of the holster this evening)
I purchased a 3-D printed holster for my charging handle. Yours is much nicer.
Carsten Haase
Well-Known Member
Thanks! It definitely started out less nice than the picture...
The end product is the result of about 10hrs of printing, 3hrs of hand sanding, and multiple layers of satin clear... If I included labor it would be one expensive holster!
Edit: link for 3D model: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4869579
Last edited:
HappyKafka
Member
I’ve got pretty much the same setup. I think the holster does okay as a holster, but for bundling the cable, not so much. I ended up buying a wall-mounted hook at Home Depot, and I’m pretty happy with the result.
I originally bought the Splitvolt charger recommended by another user here, but then realized that it doesn’t qualify for the $250 California rebate because it’s not UL listed. This one seems pretty solid, and I like how it’s made to be mounted on a wall. Being portable isn’t really a factor for me.
MiniSER
Member
Great job @Carsten Haase! I’m having my NEMA 14-50 outlet on a dedicated 50A circuit installed tomorrow! I’ve got my ChargePoint Home mounted already, though. Couldn’t wait for the outlet to be installed. [emoji28] It sticks out a little from the wall too. I assumed it was for heat sinking reasons though.
I’m expecting I should be able to pick my SE up from the dealership by end of next week. It’s so exciting!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
I’m expecting I should be able to pick my SE up from the dealership by end of next week. It’s so exciting!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
Puppethead
Well-Known Member
I experienced a series of brownouts last night due to extremely high wind. As I left to go to work this morning I found my Grizzl-E EVSE in fault. Unplugged from the SE, toggled the breaker and the Grizzl-E seems back in normal functioning order. But alas, no charge on my SE!
The public fast DC charger I stopped at during my commute was out of service, but I made it to the public Level 2 charger closest to my office (2 miles away) with 15% SoC left. Quite the commute this morning. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly this morning, I should have checked the status of the public charger before going to it. Or even taken my ICE vehicle instead since the SE was "out of fuel". But I love driving it so much I was willing to risk it.
As a bonus experience, I'm riding my bicycle from the office to my car, because I have my SeaSucker Talon stowed in the SE and will just mount the bike to get back to the office. I've read some EV owners stow a foldable electric scooter in their vehicle, maybe I now know why...
The public fast DC charger I stopped at during my commute was out of service, but I made it to the public Level 2 charger closest to my office (2 miles away) with 15% SoC left. Quite the commute this morning. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly this morning, I should have checked the status of the public charger before going to it. Or even taken my ICE vehicle instead since the SE was "out of fuel". But I love driving it so much I was willing to risk it.
As a bonus experience, I'm riding my bicycle from the office to my car, because I have my SeaSucker Talon stowed in the SE and will just mount the bike to get back to the office. I've read some EV owners stow a foldable electric scooter in their vehicle, maybe I now know why...
F14Scott
Well-Known Member
I've had one of those sorts of failures: I woke up and, while brewing coffee in my kitchen, looked at my MINI app, only to find that the scheduled charging never happened. I went to the garage and discovered I had simply forgotten to plug in upon arrival at home, the night before.
Fortunately, between the 50 miles in my tank and an hour on the charger, I had enough juice to make my 64 mile commute, even using Green mode for AC.
Now, since the new app pushes status a) when I plug in, b) when charging starts just after midnight, and c) when charging is complete, I would have to be deliberately unobservant to miss a charging session.
Puppethead
Well-Known Member
Retrieval was smooth! Other than a semi trying to run me off the road while on my bike, I was able to mount the bike on the car in under ten minutes and drive back to work with 75% SoC. And since I was planning to bring my bicycle home for the long weekend, I'm all set to go.