Upcoming Chinese-built Electric MINI Cooper SUVs

[Tommy Electric]

We have a lot more Charge Point stations nearby. Whole Foods and a bank have stations for free which made network not as important. Though I plan to install my EVSE this week (30% tax credit ends this year). Since I do 99.9% only city driving range was unimportant. I had been looking at the glorified golf cart types too but they are so expensive. The new to US Kandi was same price as the Mini base for the one that could actually do highway speeds. I kept going back to the Mini and saw it winning since the technology is tried and true.

My Mini obsession started with the Italian Job. When I saw the remake it started up so much more (they actually made a few electric Minis for the movie). When I decided to downsize I told myself that I would try a Mini to get it out of my system. That failed and no other car (including the WRX) was as fun. So I bought one. I was almost sad at giving up my Mini. Now I just see it as an upgrade.

This sounds very similar to my decision making process. I'm doing about the same proportion of city driving and don't need much space but what I did want was a fun drive. Every other EV I looked at didn't appeal to me or seem nearly as enjoyable. The only other EV I was interested in was the Honda E but, since that isn't coming to Australia, the choice was simple.

 

[Tommy Electric]

I figured they were AUD and not USD dollars. I work in a business where we get Aussie clients and am rather used to the exchange rate. We get many clients from Australia because what we sell also is massively marked up comparatively there vs the United States. Even with import taxes buying from us is cheaper.

There are a bunch of US-based reshipping companies, many of them set up by Australians, that will ship US-purchased goods to Australia as a way of getting around the ridiculous mark ups. The most annoying mark up of all is on digital products (eg. Itunes music, movies, software, etc.) This is where you have Australian consumers paying 15-20% more for goods that are intangible (so don't need to be physically shipped anywhere) but still cost more. It's infuriating.

 

[Lainey]

There are a bunch of US-based reshipping companies, many of them set up by Australians, that will ship US-purchased goods to Australia as a way of getting around the ridiculous mark ups. The most annoying mark up of all is on digital products (eg. Itunes music, movies, software, etc.) This is where you have Australian consumers paying 15-20% more for goods that are intangible (so don't need to be physically shipped anywhere) but still cost more. It's infuriating.

I had no idea it was that bad. That really sucks - sincerely sucks. I'm just shocked that the Tesla is so high compared to the Mini. I could see more uniform mark ups but not one similar item over another. Unless it has to do with UK based vs US?

 

[Lainey]

This sounds very similar to my decision making process. I'm doing about the same proportion of city driving and don't need much space but what I did want was a fun drive. Every other EV I looked at didn't appeal to me or seem nearly as enjoyable. The only other EV I was interested in was the Honda E but, since that isn't coming to Australia, the choice was simple.

I missed this one earlier. Yes the Honda E is another funky car. Have had great luck with Hondas. Not quite as much fun to drive, but better than many. No Honda E here either. I half expected them to announce for here but no go. I wish we'd get more EVs. We will eventually replace our Civic with an EV but a longer range one for campouts and such.

 

[insightman]

I missed this one earlier. Yes the Honda E is another funky car. Have had great luck with Hondas. Not quite as much fun to drive, but better than many. No Honda E here either. I half expected them to announce for here but no go. I wish we'd get more EVs. We will eventually replace our Civic with an EV but a longer range one for campouts and such.

Driving nothing but Hondas since 1986, I really wanted the Honda e. I wrote many letters to Honda execs, begging them to sell it here. Of course, like MINI when I begged for a scoopless SE, Honda ignored my letters.

Honda has given up on small cars for the US market. The Honda Fit is an excellent car, but it wasn't selling very well--especially in contrast to the healthy sales of the large and very profitable Pilot. So the Fit is no longer sold in the US. Gone are the days when Honda would be happy to sell just a few thousand gen-1 Insights every year. I'm surprised that they keep selling the slow-selling, always discounted (in CA) Clarity PHEV.

As much as I wanted the Honda e, I realize from the reviews and performance stats I've read it is nowhere near as much fun to drive as my MINI Cooper SE. In a way, Honda did me a favor by not bringing the Honda e to the US. I'm happy not to have a video aquarium on my dashboard.

 

[Tommy Electric]

Driving nothing but Hondas since 1986, I really wanted the Honda e. I wrote many letters to Honda execs, begging them to sell it here. Of course, like MINI when I begged for a scoopless SE, Honda ignored my letters.

Honda has given up on small cars for the US market. The Honda Fit is an excellent car, but it wasn't selling very well--especially in contrast to the healthy sales of the large and very profitable Pilot. So the Fit is no longer sold in the US. Gone are the days when Honda would be happy to sell just a few thousand gen-1 Insights every year. I'm surprised that they keep selling the slow-selling, always discounted (in CA) Clarity PHEV.

As much as I wanted the Honda e, I realize from the reviews and performance stats I've read it is nowhere near as much fun to drive as my MINI Cooper SE. In a way, Honda did me a favor by not bringing the Honda e to the US. I'm happy not to have a video aquarium on my dashboard.

I like your style! You seem to write lots of letters.

Despite not having driven the Honda E, the impression I formed after watching many video reviews was pretty much the same as yours. It seems to be a very endearing, tech-loaded toy rather than a vehicle that's enjoyable to drive like the Mini. As far as gimmicks go, however, the aquarium and rear view cameras did look like a lot of fun.

 

[Lainey]

Driving nothing but Hondas since 1986, I really wanted the Honda e. I wrote many letters to Honda execs, begging them to sell it here. Of course, like MINI when I begged for a scoopless SE, Honda ignored my letters.

Honda has given up on small cars for the US market. The Honda Fit is an excellent car, but it wasn't selling very well--especially in contrast to the healthy sales of the large and very profitable Pilot. So the Fit is no longer sold in the US. Gone are the days when Honda would be happy to sell just a few thousand gen-1 Insights every year. I'm surprised that they keep selling the slow-selling, always discounted (in CA) Clarity PHEV.

As much as I wanted the Honda e, I realize from the reviews and performance stats I've read it is nowhere near as much fun to drive as my MINI Cooper SE. In a way, Honda did me a favor by not bringing the Honda e to the US. I'm happy not to have a video aquarium on my dashboard.

I was a Honda person until I bought my Mini. Honestly at that point (2016) I felt like Honda had lost their edge. Their reliability isn't as high as it used to be. The fun driving I had on my cars was diminished. I drove the Fit and just felt like it went flat on me. The newer Si just weren't as fun as the old. The size of the Civics kept inching up. The type R is just over the top. They sadly lost me. So while I loved seeing the Honda E and what it could be here, I was already too emotionally removed from Hondas.

I wanted to look at a Clarity but I'm totally the wrong coast. Honda just hasn't kept up the way I would want them to for what I look for. Our other car is a 2018 Civic that replaced a 2003 Civic Si. So we'll still have a Civic manual in our house, but I'm already looking forward to the day when we can replace that car with an EV. I know it won't be Honda sadly. We're not old enough to have been driving as long as you, but we were loyal from 1999 on. Still sorta are, but we no longer are a 2 Honda household.

 

[Puppethead]

Honda has given up on small cars for the US market.

Not only Honda, just about everyone. The US market is a wasteland of generic-looking crossovers and pickup trucks. The VW Beetle is gone and even Fiats and MINIs are getting bigger. As much as I need a MINI Clubman in my life, I can't see jumping to an F54 (current) unless my R55 (2014) dies.

Thankfully the SE is a true MINI Hardtop.