Comments on: 3000 Miles of Driving the MINI E Pure Electric Car http://gm-volt.com/2009/09/01/3000-miles-of-driving-the-mini-e-pure-electric-car/ Real-time news, information, and discussion about the Chevrolet Volt. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:42:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Kevin http://gm-volt.com/2009/09/01/3000-miles-of-driving-the-mini-e-pure-electric-car/#comment-152763 Kevin Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:14:49 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1818#comment-152763 I have a mini-e as well. I agree with much of what you have said. I love to drive this car. I use it every day. Often 40+ miles each way... as an on the road sales engineer. In my mind the car would be perfect if it had a range of 200+ miles.. it would eliminate the anxiety of running out of battery. I have gotten down to 2 miles. Having said this . You get more out of the batteries when you stay at 55mph and drive with a light foot. In my experience you can squeeze more miles out of a low battery by simply letting the car cool off. The real interesting test will be the cold weather. It appears that the heater is slow to warm the cabin in 40 degree weather and the mileage appeared to really drop to about 80 miles .. ouch! I use the 110V charger a lot to gain a few additional miles here and there. The car would be better if it had a 220VAC 20A on board charger for a quick charge (while getting burger etc.) I have cajoled many people to let me plug in. I guess I'll be very careful with the limited miles now that it's colder. I have a mini-e as well. I agree with much of what you have said. I love to drive this car. I use it every day. Often 40+ miles each way… as an on the road sales engineer. In my mind the car would be perfect if it had a range of 200+ miles.. it would eliminate the anxiety of running out of battery. I have gotten down to 2 miles. Having said this . You get more out of the batteries when you stay at 55mph and drive with a light foot. In my experience you can squeeze more miles out of a low battery by simply letting the car cool off.

The real interesting test will be the cold weather. It appears that the heater is slow to warm the cabin in 40 degree weather and the mileage appeared to really drop to about 80 miles .. ouch!

I use the 110V charger a lot to gain a few additional miles here and there. The car would be better if it had a 220VAC 20A on board charger for a quick charge (while getting burger etc.) I have cajoled many people to let me plug in.

I guess I’ll be very careful with the limited miles now that it’s colder.

]]> By: Helmut http://gm-volt.com/2009/09/01/3000-miles-of-driving-the-mini-e-pure-electric-car/#comment-145206 Helmut Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:15:13 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1818#comment-145206 when was the last time you spent 15 minutes putting gas in your car? I'm not going to wait 15 minutes at a recharging center every 100 miles I drive, life is too short. when was the last time you spent 15 minutes putting gas in your car? I’m not going to wait 15 minutes at a recharging center every 100 miles I drive, life is too short.

]]> By: Ted http://gm-volt.com/2009/09/01/3000-miles-of-driving-the-mini-e-pure-electric-car/#comment-143343 Ted Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:26:41 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1818#comment-143343 Needs a gen-set trailer Needs a gen-set trailer

]]> By: whistleteeth http://gm-volt.com/2009/09/01/3000-miles-of-driving-the-mini-e-pure-electric-car/#comment-143136 whistleteeth Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:23:16 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1818#comment-143136 sure would be nice to buy one :( sure would be nice to buy one :(

]]> By: zim wolfe http://gm-volt.com/2009/09/01/3000-miles-of-driving-the-mini-e-pure-electric-car/#comment-142952 zim wolfe Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:53:39 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1818#comment-142952 Even sailboats have a small gas engine. That’s why an all electric car has never caught on and that is why Toyota has done so well and the Volt is the next game changer. Europe does not know what to do since the automotive model is changing towards technology. In this field of new technology it absolutely levels the playing field, it will make 100 year old auto manufactures sick. Nobody is going to want a high quality performance v6/v8 sedan in the future when performance will be far superior and use less energy to propel the car. If you look at the BMW Vision Plug-in Hybrid Concept Car all BMW did with their engineering team is try to guess what the best ideas will be and put it in a dream car of the future. Like my dad once told me when he was working on new technology years ago it’s easy to dream up these ideas but it’s much much harder to make it work reliably. So when you see European car companies bash the new technology you know why it’s because they won’t be able to compete unless they buy these companies out. Even sailboats have a small gas engine. That’s why an all electric car has never caught on and that is why Toyota has done so well and the Volt is the next game changer.

Europe does not know what to do since the automotive model is changing towards technology. In this field of new technology it absolutely levels the playing field, it will make 100 year old auto manufactures sick. Nobody is going to want a high quality performance v6/v8 sedan in the future when performance will be far superior and use less energy to propel the car.
If you look at the BMW Vision Plug-in Hybrid Concept Car all BMW did with their engineering team is try to guess what the best ideas will be and put it in a dream car of the future.

Like my dad once told me when he was working on new technology years ago it’s easy to dream up these ideas but it’s much much harder to make it work reliably.
So when you see European car companies bash the new technology you know why it’s because they won’t be able to compete unless they buy these companies out.

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