MINI E Already Sold-out?
It looks like MINI has another hit on their hands with the MINI E. Here’s an except from Bloomberg:
> Applicants, who will pay $850 a month for the zero-emissions car for one year, are outnumbering the models available by 4-to-1, according to the Munich-based carmaker.
>BMW’s electric experiment beats Nissan Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. in delivering a fully alternative-fuel vehicle to drivers concerned about gas prices and global warming. Sporting a luxury-automobile brand name and being first to take corners in an environmentally friendly car trump functionality, said Mario Soto, a Southern Californian who signed up for one of the two-seaters.
>“I’ve got to take my kids to school, so the car makes no sense for me from a practical point of view,†Soto, a 45-year- old graphic designer and father of three, said in an interview. “But I kinda want to be part of this.â€
>BMW said it wants to learn how drivers will react to a limited-range vehicle, and how well its lithium-ion battery holds up under daily use. Those chosen for the Mini E trial must document their experience in online surveys and keep a driver’s log. The automaker, which began selling Mini Coopers in 2002 in the U.S., won’t say if it’s ready to mass-produce an electric car.
>“Think of this almost as an adoption process,†Mini’s McDowell said. “We want to get to know a lot about the individuals and their driving patterns.â€
+ BMW’s Electric Mini Cooper Beats GM to Test Drivers’ Green Zeal / Bloomberg
Awesome news, hopefully a few will end up in the hands of the Mini community.
$850 a month to be a guinea pig??? And in the end you don’t even get the opportunity to purchase the car you’ve been driving for the past year? That’s a bit steep to “try” the E-MINI. As much as I love MINI, there is no way I would pay over $10K to be a guinea pig.
badburro,
That’s understood, but keep in mind that you don’t have to pay for <strong>any</strong> gas during that period, and if I’m not mistaken, MINI reimburses for the cost of electricity to recharge. Sure, it still ends up being a lot of money, but it isn’t <strong>quite</strong> as bad as it first seems.
Yeah badburro. When you consider the $60 you save every month this is actually a steal. A steal for Mini. Don’t forget $85 a month sales tax on top of the lease you are also throwing away in the name of “caring”. Somewhere PT Barnum is laughing his ass off.
At the current cost of gas, and the gas mileage I am currently getting with my 2008 MCS (approx. 33 mpg). the cost of electricity and the cost of gas are about the same. Admittingly the cost of gas will rise again in the future swinging the fuel cost balance in favor of electricity. I would be curious to know what the “green comparison” is when you consider the emmissions put out by the power plant that generated the electricity.
Jon E, like you, I wonder what the actual offset is in greenhouse emissions when comparing the production and use of petroleum vs. the production of electricity.
What MINI should consider, is putting a large solar panel on the roof to help generate some of the electricity that the car will use. I know Audi use to have a solar panel sunroof that powered a fan to keep the inside of the Audi Allroad cool in hot weather.
Actually, if you crunch the numbers, $10K to lease a MINI E might not be that bad considering that you probably lose more than that in depreciation on, say, and Audi or virtually any American car in the first year anyways.
Those who sign up for this experiment are probably fairly well heeled anyways. So I’m not surprised there are so many takers.
Perhaps Mini should consider a new model since this is sold out. It could have a triple reinforced roof and be called the “Chicken Little edition. Check on the “brown” comparison as well (measures BS levels of paticular hoax being catered to).
A cool “retro” model could be introduced with snow tires and a bigger heater. Call it the “70’s global cooling scare” model.
As much as I love the car, $10k is a little too much for a year-long rent.
Looks like the market has spoken and there are 500 that think it’s right for them.
Matt
And Jon E. If you get your power from a coal plant, it’s about break even or a bit worse. If you get it from a natural gas powered plant, it’s about 50% of a gas engine. If you get it on the west coast where there’s a lot of hydro, a bit of wind and ever dwindling nuclear, it’s about 25%. This is from memory. I’ll check the numbers and post a correction if I remember wrong…
Cost aside at least someone is thinking in the right direction.
Yes good intentions are all that matter, not results. However, Doc Ob makes a legitimate point. The market has spoken and if Mini can move 500 substandard coupes at that cost who’s to blame them? I’m all for staying out of the free market as it is never wrong.
I meant “in” the free market.