We Sold A Tesla Model Y & Bought The Cheapest New EV (MINI Cooper SE): Will It Road Trip?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ก.ค. 2021
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( tflcar.com/ ) Our long-term Tesla Model Y has moved on from the TFL fleet, but don't think we're giving up on EVs. In fact, we just bought this brand new 2022 Mini Cooper SE, with its 110-mile EPA-rated driving range. How easy is it to go on a road trip in this car? Find out as Roman and Tommy drive from Albuquerque, New Mexico back to our home base in Colorado.
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#Mini #Electric #RoadTrip - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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Great video again and I can understand the move, but that car is so cheap compared to Germany.
Would you pay for naked essential line 38.500$ incl. sales tax and with less accessories and the lot shorte german warranty ?
And you also have to consider that the full export shipping fees from UK and import taxes would come on top, so roughly 1200$ shipping to american harbor and 10% customs or roughly 4000$, which would equal roughly 43.700 $ plus shipping to Colorado so you must have gotten a very special price or this is a used car or test drive car from 2020.
Same for the ID.4 in the US 30% cheaper than here with far higher or longer warranty and other extras in the car and free services like free charging at electrify america. The manufacturers are simply taking away all the grants from government, roughly 10.000$ and that does not help the EV sales in the long run cause at the moment the subsidies will vanish the manufacturer have to lower the prices and the value of the cars sold before will then suffer from a massive depreciation within months. And if VW and BMW can sell so cheap in the US they are making a lot of profits here for sure.
Just to make it clear : this car price is a naked deer as we call a car with no extras.
i'm so used to see a handle/grip on the DC-cable (in Sweden), why doesn't EA use it? I find it easier to handle and plug in specially during winter when i wear gloves.
edit: i would also love to see a 50 kWh battery on the new i3 and Mini, BMW is trying all sorts of leasing deals to prevent VW from selling to many id.3 (which tbh is just a better option at this point).
You were calling all over looking for a Mini SE and found one in New Mexico. I told you you'll never find one in California for MSRP. Glad you finally found one.
Hopefully the more negative reviews and constructive criticism EA and other EV charging station companies receive, the more they will be compelled to do business like professionals and provide a reliable product. I'm looking forward to getting an EV (Cybertruck) but am not looking forward to road tripping in it as long as the charging infrastructure keeps getting these kinds of reviews. Nobody talks about gas stations like this.
@@_TrueDesire_ because designers are short sighted and don't think of everyone. If only 10-15% (or less) of users live in a cold climate, why design something 90% of the users won't necessarily benefit from. It's like heated steering wheels, standard fair in Canada (and sometimes a deal breaker) and the 200 miles to the south (in the US), a heated steering wheel is only reserved for the highest trims or a completely foreign concept. Same is going to happen with all of the touch screens in cars....cold wx performance is an afterthought....
This really has to be the most underrated ev. Interior can be polarizing for some with that center display but what a gem.
I'd argue that Tesla's interior is more polarizing. It's just an ipad slapped to the blandest dashboard I've ever seen.
weirdly enough - i like it more then just sticking an iPod in the centre of console
@@MihaiRUdeRO so true absolutely hate the offset screen. like the early nissan xtrails !!
Roman: "I've been too harsh on Electrify America"
Next stop: "Nvm lol"
Your son is a great addition to the channel. He’s so positive and it’s awesome!!
Much better car than I initially imagined when you said “cheapest EV in America.” Looks like a quality, fun short distance car
Short distance indeed and for 37k, not worth it at all
IMO the base model might be fun - $22k for a cute little car for commuting around (after $7,500 tax rebate, lower if you also get a state tax rebate) is appealing. For $37k I'd spend a little more and get a Tesla Model 3, which has much more range, much more room, better acceleration, etc.
If you want, I can sell you my Tesla at a good price!
@@afarangi4839 if you go home every night the range isn't bad
@@lairdpopkin7003 and is a squeaky piece of trash. My model Y was as a nightmare to own
In "Green Plus" mode, you can dig through the on-screen menus and find the hidden "Flintstones Mode," wherein panels will open up in the floor, so you can proceed like Fred and Barney.
Ok boomer
@@mattbrew11 It's called a joke. Just like your ironic username.
@@mattbrew11 wow that was original !!
@@rhett7716 fred and barney is less original
Thats hilarious 🤣🤣
The stop & pray 🙏 that the charging stations actually work...is priceless.
Maybe fast food restaurants and churches should have chargers
Pretty scary to see issues like that so often. I can work around range, but when you show up at a charger and it doesn't work that's not cool. These guys having their issues, notes left behind at chargers... Very unsettling.
@@volvo09 Took my Tesla to Key West. Smooth sailing
@@volvo09 I remember watching Out of Spec reviews and they had someone who was the designated person who called and verified the charger was working before they even stopped at the Electrify America station, so if you're concerned just always have them on speed-dial lol
That's why you buy a tesla instead. No praying needed.
For Romans anxiety of being trapped at the charger, there is an Emergency release for the Charge port. Similar to the one Tesla uses for the doors
My brother bought a used model S and the truck dropped it of in the garage but the battery ran down... When the 12v battery dies, you can't get in the car, can't open the Frunk, and can't open the charger door... All cars before 2016 require a tesla tech to get the car open enough to start charging it up. He plugged it into a 110vAC port and it charged the battery enough to go 4 miles in an hour... In 24 hours, he got enough juice to get to a supercharger station.
@@Stubones999 I guess some ppl like the hard and inconvenient way. For each their own
So that means it's counterintuitive, hidden, difficult to use, and never mentioned.
@@MultiPurposeReviewer Exactly, because its a Emergency Release. It’s not meant to be used regularly. It’s hidden so Ding dongs don’t pull the latch accidentally. RTFM
@@michaelpaoli7309 If it's an emergency (granted, being stuck to the charger isn't necessarily urgent unless there's a tornado bearing down or something), don't you think the emergency release should be something easily recognizable, rather than something you have to try and find? There's a reason emergency exits are always clearly marked and visible, not hidden.
A great review! I drive 70 to 75 mph with my Mini SE. The range is between 140 to 150 miles.
How much of the 140 miles would you say you’re going 70-75? Cause I’m also mostly highway for my commute.
spend $30, 000 to get a car only for school , super market and post office or bank ? no kidding ! i got get a E bike !
I'm considering one for 75mph 72 miles round trip commute, is this viable?
Give this a touch more range, maybe 150-175 miles, and I'd seriously consider one. Love the Mini's handling and quirky interior design.
Well, that's the reason why Mini only has a small battery. They said a bigger battery would have made the car heavier and make the car not handle as other MINis. At the end of the day, this is a city car. It is not meant to have long trips in it. Also if you look at Carwow range test MINI had more range than estimated. It's actually closer to 150 miles at highway speeds
it's very odd cuz the UK versions seem to be averaging about 140 miles even going up to 180 miles occasionally
The 2024 model due out in 2023 will sport the next rev in body style for the Mini and is supposed to have a 200 mile range. I can’t wait!
Buy a 120ah BMW i3 and lower it and install spacers. Handles as good if not better than the SE, has more range, and is RWD so you can do mad skids on the skinny tires. Love mine - opted against the Mini due to the slightly bigger range.
@@adriaanduminy2910 but it's ugly as hell
I'm loving mine! It's not a long range EV (though I easily get more than the EPA range in all conditions), but it's more fun to drive than the others. And I love the interior. The Harmon Kardon sound system is excellent. Everything about it is nicely designed and put together. It was cheaper than a gas Mini after the tax credit.
So when you do your taxes you get 7500 back?
@@Darylrb1983 if you have a tax liability of 7500 or more, you will get that back.
NICE car, but when "recharge strategizing" becomes that much of a priority, you know it's not the RIGHT car. This was exactly the video I needed to see! Thanks, guys!
well its obvious its not the car for long trips !!!
It depends where you live. In a lot of the west there are huge stretches of no people and no spots to charge. In the east there are lots of places and in California there are lots.
I nearly ran out of diesel in North Dakota in my VW with a 600-700 mile range because every place I stopped had the big nozzles for semi trucks until I was down to 25 miles remaining. I never had that problem in my Tesla, but I do spend more time filling it up
Yeah, i think were still "getting there" in terms of practically. I'll buy eletric when we get 1000 miles or better. In 5-10 years we'll be in the golden age of electrics i think
@@azmiraclegirl441 so realistically no car would be good for you no car gas nor electric gets nearly that. even the most Efficient gas cars go 600-700 miles. so personally I think you're expecting too much from the architecture.
Im planning to get this car. Im a field tech and some days i drive from atleast 50miles to 80 miles to at most 160miles rarely. Would it be best not to get this car or will i be ok?
It appears that electric cars are going to encourage over eating in American even further. Forget Tesla. Buy the stocks of Frito-Lay and any fast food restaurant. They appear to be the ones who will benefit the most from electrifying cars. Why are Love's, Flying J and Pilot not installing charging stations like crazy?
That's what I've been thinking for a decade. In the early part of last decade it was motels with a charger.
These are super hype, super ALWAYS BE consuming and discussing consuming and thinking of buying stuff gadgets like phones.
@@Seenoevilspeaknoevilhearnoevil Not recently. All of these truck stops have been marketing themselves as "travel centers" in an effort to attract vacation travelers. Truckers may still be their primary target, but they really want to appeal to John Q. Public. Every one of these EV travel videos show the driver munching or drinking some snack. What else do you do when waiting as much as 2 hours for a recharge? You snack.
@@Seenoevilspeaknoevilhearnoevil convert or die happened to livery stables and blacksmiths after WWI.
At first cars were a stupid novelty for the rich, then avid experiment kids. They were to be confined and constricted so they could coexist with street pedestrians, stretcars, trains and horse vehicles.
Year by year, decade by decade, pedestrians were driven off the streets or shamed as "Jays", then horseback disappeared, then tunnels, bridges and parkways were built that ONLY allowed automobiles, then the milk and ice wagon were forced off, then the auto industry pressured streetcars out of their way.
TaDa the 1960s
@@Seenoevilspeaknoevilhearnoevil probably sit down fast food diners like Denny's, IHOP, Cracker Barrel, Moe's will take over the station spots and have supercharger banks.
A captive audience. That $5 EV charge gets expensive when you add a $50 needless third lunch of the day. Heck they may give away the charge with three meals.
@@Seenoevilspeaknoevilhearnoevil Sounds like the Borg! Resistance is Futile!
It’s fine doing this when the weather is nice. Imagine heavy rain or cold ass winter days. Ugh
@@EmmyJune212008 your EV will be the shelter for charging time, at least most EVs allow hvac during charging.
Have Americans really become this spoiled and lazy? Where is the sense of adventure? Of journeying into the unknown? Road Trips are memorable and exciting because of all the crazy things that can happen and various weather; regardless of the type of vehicle.
@Hey Man I'm with you. I like EVs but I'll be waiting a few years until things get sorted out.
For those who just can't wait though, judging by all the road trip videos I've seen, it seems that half the fun for these people is the challenges of finding chargers.
I rarely see road trip videos of ICE cars that incorporate the challenges of finding a gas station.
@@kratosdisciple4637 A sense of adventure is roadtripping and overlanding in a real vehicle, not sipping a Starbucks drink at a charging station
My 4WD would have done this entire trip on one tank of premium petrol.
I think Roman actually means "the wildcatting years of charging." the golden age would be the absolute best possible charging infrastructure, which clearly isn't here yet. lol
I'm confused, no air conditioner and don't go over 55-60mph, who and why would someone want to do a trip like this?
If that was not enough, now pray that the charges will work?
Is this a Tesla advert?
"We have been hard on electrify America but we don't want to be unfairly hard. They are doing good." Very next scene and EA's tation tried to kidnap their car lmao.
I'm impressed you were able to make the trip with no major issues. As you kept saying, that's exactly the kind of driving the SE is not made for. We just picked up our new SE from Scottsdale Mini on Saturday. We're already seeing slightly better range than it's rated, even on the "Mid" setting with the Air Conditioning working hard. That seems to be most owners experience - if you can resist mashing the throttle at every opportunity. It's easily the funnest to drive car we've ever owned.
this is what really turns me off to EVs. i can go over 400 miles in my almost 20 year old truck with stuff in the bed. averaging about 80mph. and the standard mini s gets over double the miles of this EV.
Great video guys. You guys time you pessimism and optimism perfectly. Usually one of you stays positive when the other gets negative. The perfect team.
Protip, raise your tire pressures. You'll want to be at 41-44 psi for most EVs. Battery cars are substantially heavier and will suffer greater rolling resistance on "normal" tire pressures, they really do need higher pressures to have good highway fuel economy. You can get a good 20-ish mile range boost if you raise those pressures.
Standard hyper-miler tip!
More like 75 psi for peak efficiency
@@jonathangarmuth8975 That is a dangerous pressure. I would not exceed the Mfrs Max pressure recommendation. Where I live (Texas) high pressures are an invitation to a blowout on a hot day running highway speeds.
Mini is only 1400kg though. Hardly heavy for an ev thanks to the small battery
Really enjoy these road trip videos. I currently have a 21’ BMW X5 45e and plan for my next vehicle to be a 100% EV. The charging network has been my biggest concern, so it is good to see it improving. Hope to see you guys do this in a EV6 or Ionic5 - curious how well the Hyundai platform works.
Tesla is the only option if you don't want stress when traveling.
@@cooperandpaola Do you own one? Its still very stressful as a Model 3 owner with crowded or broken superchargers. Also range is way too low
@@alh06 I have seen a few crowded ones but I took my 2+ yr old SR+ (240mi rated not 263) cross country and didn't experience a single broken charger even in remote areas. Even on the SR+ I was skipping chargers and never had any issues with range (never had to charge beyond 85-90% to reach next charger) so not sure what worries you. My wife actually doesn't like the LR because the charging stops are too far apart for her bathroom breaks :) Road tripping in a Tesla (with at least basic Autopilot or more) is the most awesome experience, you should absolutely do it if you own a Tesla and it'll change your perception, I'm sure of it.
How is the bmw x5 45e?
@@alh06 I heard in Cali the superchargers have wait times, but here in MA, there is always one available. I imagine it'll be a race between more tesla's and more chargers over the next few years.
That was fun to watch. I’m really hoping mini comes out with a (250+ mile range) Countryman ALL4 that doesn’t break the bank.
You'll be looking at $45k at least for 250 miles of range in a Mini Countryman.
Chevy bolt all day
It's the battery that breaks the bank. Someday it'll get better.
@@TKevinBlanc
Batteries will get heavier too.
The Mini as its built currently can not handle a heavier battery because it will harm the performance of the car
Nope Tesla anything is a far far better engineered and way cooler car.
Quick update: As of today (August 3), the Mini Cooper SE is no longer *technically* the cheapest EV you can buy. Nissan cut the Leaf's price down by at least $4,245 (2022 models start at $28,375). That said, it's still not that much cheaper than the Mini, but we wanted to clarify that point now that there's new info. Thanks for watching!
Great video. I love my 1st gen Mini Cooper SE but I'll admit that range anxiety was an issue at first. Now, after more than a year and successfully completing a couple of road trips, I'm very confident with this car.
What was the longest road trip you did? I’m waiting on mine to finish production!
@@happyle9119 420km, with two 15 minute charge stops in green mode. The range reading from the car's computer is actually quite conservative imo.
@@stvnbln1964 The range is a lot better than the GOM says. My wife's 2023 Cooper SE always shows 160-165km range. At the weekend she 'drove it like she stole it' and got 185km from it with 11% left - I reckon that's around 208km on a full charge, more if she didn't have such a lead foot.
It's amazing how sensitive range is to driving speed. I got up to 4.5 miles/kwh in a SR+ full of luggage with 4 passengers going 64 mph. Drops dramatically for every increase in mph.
When comparing EV charging to Gas refueling you didn't mention that the issues you ran into only happen when you are traveling beyond the range of your EV. We travel from PA to FL and back again once a year. So out of 365 days there are only 4 or so days per year that we may have to deal with charging issues.
Most people will only do a road trip once or twice a year so I agree with you once it’s put in perspective the (potential) charging issues aren’t that big a deal.
4 is too many for me - when it hits zero I'm all in.
I think while we're transitioning and EVs are still improving, it would be a huge advantage for legacy automakers to include say, a once a year loan of an ICE car for road trips for EV customers. Or maybe a discount rate for a car rental company. Just something to seal the deal for folks that want EVs but don't want to be put out for those couple times a year they do road trips.
@@bcb76 How many times a year do you have to stop or queue at gas stations? Zero for me in the last 3 years.
@@adamlytle2615
Are u serious? They all offer that service. LOL
Adding 2.5 hours to a 500 mile (7.5 hr) trip is exactly the reason I'm reluctant to try it with an EV. I can do 500 miles on one tank, no stopping when I need to - and this simply isn't an option with an EV. Still, I may look to rent a Tesla to give it a try - so many reviewers claim stopping every 1.5 hours is relaxing - can't see it, but I'll try it.
There are much better EVs for road trips and they'll only get better. This is a fun car for short trips around your house and in the city. If you are a two car family, this could be a good car for every day driving and use the other car for long distance driving.
But the Mini isn't the best EV for long freeway road trips.. A Chevy Bolt would have easily did this road trip with only 2 stops to charge..
Also, the Mini only has a max charging speed of 50kw, while newer modern EVs have up to 250kw max charging speeds.
The Mini takes a bit longer to charge from 0 to 80%..
The Chevy Bolt has a 55kw max charging speed but the Bolt has a range of up to 235+ miles on a single charge..
Tesla have a higher kw charging speed and the cheapest Tesla gets 230 miles of range on a single charge in idea conditions..
So if you did this trip in a Tesla, you would only add an hour or so to your driving time...
I did a similar road trip in a BMW i3 and only stop for gas 3 times because the i3 has only a 2 gallon gas tank, the 3 stops took a total of 15 minutes..
When you drive a Tesla on road trip, you stop to use the bathroom and get coffee/food, tesla is charged by the time you get back to the car, it does not add time to a normal trip.
Now if you the type of person that needs to do 500miles and never stop, current EV's might not be for you.
Mine and my wife's bladder range is shorter than the Tesla battery - add some food and coffee and the chargers beat us every time.
@@RemoteSpeed007 at 27:00 it looks like over half of the EA chargers are not working or are problematic. They look all of two years old. In a decade these chargers are going tp work as well as a coin op air compressor or a payphone in the Bronx. One hose bandits.
The free chinese charger wasn't working. I can attest the one at thr Georgia welcome center doesn't work for many that try it. The state workers are tired of hearing complaining, since they have nothing to do with it.
We don't know if Tesla chargers will stay better serviced long haul, but i hear fewer complaining. However does Ford and Toyota have to run their own gas stations to keep their cars running.
Either EVs mature out of the hobbyist, enthusiast, foamer Brass Era soon or this is just not going to work.
@@RemoteSpeed007 these video are good to show how the systems work. It good and and bad. But with Tesla saying they will let othe company use there charger is a genius move. They know how the other system work. It not a guessing game to know if the charger are working or not.
Excellent video! You're both tremendous. I was looking forward to this video. I live in Albuquerque and I was intrigued about driving the e-Mini to Denver. The charging network will get better, it's still very iffy but slowly improving.
Well done on making it back! Appreciate being along for the ride. As far as charging networks go: are all manufacturers looking to build out their own grids, and is that listed out anywhere? Would love to see what Kia/Hyundai are thinking after seeing one of your other videos.
I got an e Tron this year. I was having issues with Electrify America chargers initializing at a couple locations and I called the company. The customer service person told me they're having problems because their handles are so heavy. She advised me to manually hold the charger and push it into the car's plug while initializing, to ensure good contact with the car. It worked that time and at other locations thereafter. There's clearly a glitch with their setup, but knowing to do this will hopefully help someone avoid being stranded.
From a fellow e-tron owner, thanks for the tip.
No the 2017 Chevy bolt you need to hold until it starts. It is not ea fault . The cables are heavy because of the 150 kw or 350 kw power and they are cooled cables. Unlike a 50 kw unit. The car maker didn’t make the port. Tough enough .
@@markfitzpatrick6692 either way I’ve never had that problem with a gas pump 🤷♂️🤷♂️ still a long way to go with electric vehicles. imagine lining up waiting for electric when everyone has an electric car, just like a busy gas station. That will be the real issue, heck we cannot stand waiting in line for 2 minutes, imagine a family car full of kids waiting 30 minutes 🙁🙁🙁
@@colingoldthorpe5918 I have a friend with a bolt ev he drives everywhere with his wife and 2 kids. He drives from Boston to Cleveland and this summer went to Chicago and the upper peninsula of Michigan and back to Boston. His kids are used to charging . He has a 2017 bolt now has a 2020. I know everyone won’t do it unless we completely get rid of gas cars. Charging is getting faster. See out is spec motors he only stops for 15 to 20 minutes then goes to next charger so it doesn’t take as long.
@@markfitzpatrick6692 he was talking about qews lining up at charging stations when cars outstrip supply !
I really appreciate the clearer explanation of the cost and possible incentives for SE in this video compared to the last.
I bought an original Mini Cooper S when they first came here in 2003, because my son was playing travel hockey. We drove all over the northeast and Canada. I couldn’t imagine doing that in an electric vehicle!
Well, the Mini Cooper EV is extremely limited. A Tesla has a 300+ mile range and can charge in 15 minutes at thousands of charge locations, so it's fine for long-distance driving. The reason they made this video with the Cooper Mini EV was specifically that it's so bad at it because it's intended purely for short-range city driving - that's not typical of all EVs at all.
NM and Charging Stations: I'm in Gallup (on I-40) and in this town of 20,000 we have a Tesla Station (8 spots) and an Electrify America station at the local Walmart. Not all of NM is barren of charging.
$21.69 for charging but... How much was spent on snacks whilst waiting?
When I drove a 2013 Ford Focus Electric that had 80 mile range, I turned off the AC, rode the slipstream behind trucks, gradually decreased throttle up hill, gradually increased throttle on downhill and taper off at the bottom. I think I was able to stretch it to 90-95 miles when I really needed to cover ground between San Diego and LA. Being a pre DCFC car, it sucked to have to wait 4-hours to charge and pre-planning a variety of charging stops was a must.
I really like that you guys show the viewers all the nuts and bolts of what owning an EV looks like. I would have really liked to have bought one when I purchased a car last year, but I didn't think the charging infrastructure was built out thoroughly enough yet. Watching you guys has confirmed for me that I was right. I think when its time to buy my next car in 7-10 years the charging network should no longer be an issue.
"Does not exactly have a dearth of charging stations"...when that is in fact exactly what it has!
Yeah, he mis-spoke, since he said that they didn't have a dearth, it was the opposite, a dearth". Clearly what he meant was that clearly there wasn't a surplus of charging stations. With 110 mile range that's pretty unforgiving of the charge network - either you don't ever go further than 50 miles from home or you make very sure that there's a charger where you need it, and it works.
That little car looks nice inside. Looks like a normal car and I agree with you that a little bit more range would be better.
Give it 2 years and repeat the same trip. I'm willing to bet things will look very different. And I'm going to flip a coin between 'waaaay better, more chargers' and 'slightly more chargers, big queues'.
Be patient Roman. It is a new company that is trying to get service everywhere to help the ev grow. There will be growing pains for a couple of years as it is still relatively new for any company.
I think what Tommy and Roman saved on gas they spent on ice cream, donuts, and coffee.
They didn’t save anything on gas. A Prius would have probably been cheaper than that mini to fuel
Time is money and precious - how long did they have to "WAIT" between charges? EV is not prime time yet (maybe 5 more years). Get Hybrid, it is a better choice for now.
@@samt1039 go lick a battery
You can call E.A. customer service to check the availability of plugs at a site. There are nice CS agents ready to answer your questions.
Great video! As a former diesel-gate owner who never had to worry about range anxiety, I approach the EV being both impressed with a dose of skepticism. These road trips videos do show that the ability to road trip a full EV is possible, and at least we know this “golden age” will eventually result in longer range and faster charge times. That said, I really like the packaging in this Mini and would city drive the heck out of this car....especially with the tax credits and other incentives!
Great review, thanks! Loved hearing your decision making for your range and charging. I currently have a Bolt EV and road trips can be nerve racking.
A typical 6-hour trip turned into a 9 and 1/2-hour trip?! Why are people rushing to get electric cars?? If you only do city driving I understand but you can't go any further, still not there...
This EV is a city car, not a highway vehicle. If they had done this trip in their Model Y, this wouldn't have been newsworthy enough to even do a video.
Q: Why are people rushing to get electric cars?? A: people are freaked out by the possibility that they may be REACTING too late to the issue of Climate Change, as we may have already reached a TIPPING POINT. as such, buying the BEV makes us "feel better" and "less guilty" about the coming disasters, even if the feeling is only PSYCHOLOGICAL and just an "emotional pacifier".
Because the vast majority of us drive less then 50 miles a day????
@@mowcowbell I just believe the electric car thing is so overhyped, I have a Land Rover Range Rover, it drives wonderful, The ride in those Teslas are horrible! Who would consider turning off your air conditioning, or your heat because you needed to save battery?? Or your visiting a family member only to ask them if you can plug your car in? I believe they are definitely the future they still have some work to do, much much shorter charging times, much more available chargers, make the cars to where they go for much further range...
@@itismeal The ride comfort between a Tesla vs Range Rover is debatable, but the other issues you mentioned simply don't exist for electric cars with more range -- they are specific for this mini cooper because it has a tiny battery, and has to rely on 3rd-party chargers. The reality is that in a Tesla, I can drive on a 600 mile road trip at 80+ mph with AC and music blasting, and only need to charge once or twice, (depending on how much battery I want to arrive at my destination with) for 15 minutes each time. Don't need to think about it at all.
On the other hand, I rented a Range Rover Evoque and it was, in my opinion, wasn't an enjoyable car -- cramped interior, underpowered engine, and an absolutely terrible center console system. I never wish to drive one ever again.
To each their own, I guess.
Really enjoy these trip videos in various EV's for a real world experience! Hopefully EA can get better or at least add a feedback button on the screen to let them know the charge worked great or that the charger needs service so someone can fix it or such.
That seems like common sense. Strange they don't have that.
4:30 - Tommy goes to place a medium size backpack in the cargo area... HAS TO FOLD DOWN THE SEATS FOR IT TO FIT!!!
Excellent!! I enjoyed this video because you dared the trip in a car not designed for long trips and it highlights all the challenges an EV trip can expose you to. I base my needs on almost 50 years of trips on various motorcycles with a best milage of 150 miles on a tank and that along with weather (rain, snow, high winds), doesn't scare me on doing a trip in an EV not designed for long trips. Both can cause anxiety for sure but ya gotta love the adventure!
And this video is why Tesla is winning. The charging network just works. The good news is that the Mini seems great and is probably fantastic for around town. I would have shipped it to myself for the stress they went through.
But Tesla can't replace 200 million cars in even ten years. Currently not in over a century.
Nobody else is doing that total vertical trade model.
Most traditional car companies are just offering a compliance model like Chevy, VW, Mini, BMW, Nissan
Importing a rebadged China go cart like Renault
Or offering posh, snob performance status cars like Ford.
We'll see. 2015 was supposed to be the revolutionary breakout year for EV mainstream, then 2018, then 2020, now WHEN?
@Paul Freedom i thought we'd all be dead by then or is that the point of no climate return- how dare you.
Talk about a Steve Austin, McGiver 2 second to annihilation scene. Getting everyone to buy an EV in one short year and disposal of billion ICE cars at once sounds like an environmental disaster of its own.
@@STho205 nobody is expecting Tesla single-handedly replacing the entire fleet from all car companies. Still, beating BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti, Acura and Volvo isn't a bad start. cleantechnica.com/2019/08/10/tesla-model-3-outsold-bmw-mercedes-audi-lexus-competitors-in-2nd-quarter-in-usa-by-a-landslide/ . So we're long past the year that EVs proved that they were competitive in the mainstream and have extremely strong demand - now it's just a matter of ramping up production to catch up to demand.
@@lairdpopkin7003 but nobody else is really doing anything. They've all been talking since the 90s, and often say coming soon.
The graphics on the screens look amazing!! I personally would give up some range for build quality and this Mini looks very well built..
I would lease it and or not keep it longer than 4 years because the battery will degrade and further reduce your range.
My 2015 Mazda 3 skyactive would get 43 mpg on the same route at 70+ mph, and at current gas prices (thanks Faux Hiden), it would cost less than $35. Twice the drive time or $12................
And what Tommy said at the end there is really the trick to travelling with any battery electric vehicle, right? Enjoy the trip, don't worry about the destination. Until they get the hydrogen infrastructure to the point where fuel-cell vehicles can be a thing, we're pretty much stuck with batteries if we want to travel electrically.
Isn't toyota the only company that is pushing hydrogen? I don't think hydrogen will be a solution except maybe for long haul trucking. It takes a lot of energy to extract hydrogen and then you have to truck it to filling stations.
I use the % feature of ABRP as I’m driving with my Niro EV. I compare the actual SOC to the predicted to know if I need to slow down. Just like the route planner on a Tesla.
That's crazy cheap, if they could only figure out to make the range a bit over 200 miles or so for this price, they'd have a hit. However anything under 200 is kind of a tough sell
I agree. 200+ would be a hit.
you can pick up a new leaf with 225 range for around $23k with cash back and fed tax rebate
You can still find new 2021 Bolts for about $28k. Can get well over 200 miles in the summer, or about 140 on the colder winter days. They only charge at 55kW though, that's pretty slow if you need to stop more than once to charge. The looks are polarizing though. I don't hate it, but definitely not very attractive.
I am so grateful to TFL for exposing how much farther EV cars need to develop before they will ever be in MY driveway. They seem to be ok if you have a 40 mile or less commute through moving traffic, but on a trip, 80-100 miles before you have to recharge? You've got to be kidding me. My current vehicle with 3 pedals, 300hp, 0-60 in less than 5 seconds, can go nearly 600 miles before refueling the 18.5 gallon tank. It's always fun to see whether my kidneys can hold out before I need fuel!
I have driven all over this and other countries and can't imagine that there will be only EVs by 2030.
It's time for drivers to revolt!
I Really enjoy these road trip videos that you pair do. tks
I agree with your thoughts about Tesla strategy. They want to be a power provider.
I noticed how nice the weather is while you road trip in EVs. I also noticed that non of the charging locations have any cover to help you to stay dry if you need to charge in rain…
Sit at n your car. You seriously think you have to stand outside it ?
Still gotta plug and unplug potentially in a scorching sun or pouring rain (risk of electrocution?)! And if a charge station isn’t playing ball imagine being in the pouring rain for 10 min plugging and unplugging, moving to other charge stations just to get it to work.
Years ago two guys from Italy drove a 1970s Fiat 500 with minor modifications, from Bari to Beijing.
Now THAT'S a tiny car road trip! 😁
Wow
@@TFLcar
th-cam.com/video/avUN44aLTyU/w-d-xo.html
😎👍🇮🇹
I have to say that Mini have nice designs and interiors. That's a nice looking car! Great road trip review. It's good to know that it is possible to take it for a long drive if needed. More charging stations the better.
What a super cute car! Having said that, I would have gotten a Bolt, which is also an inexpensive city EV, but with enough range to be practical for road trips.
I have 2017 Bolt. It is rated at 238 miles per charge. I usually get in excess of 300 miles per charge, due to the fact I tend to stay off the highway. I love my Bolt, but when I take a long trip ( a couple times a year), I just rent a car.
Not gonna lie. After watching your ev road trips, I'm leaning more and more towards Tesla specifically for their charging stations
Till all the other drivers start hitting their stations ahead of your Tesla.
@@STho205
Yep. Tesla are making all their charging stations available to everyone in the next year. Won't matter what EV you buy after that.
@@philmarwood69 that'll likely change the Tesla owner's experience when the great unwashed hit the mat with their Bolts, Leafs, iCars, VWs.
Unless the other BEVs computer system can be taken over by Tesla MCP, then i assume it'll be a Paypal operation (Musk, Inc).
The adapters may be fun, or maybe the chargers will have several hose arms.
@@philmarwood69 a roof and lighting over the charging stations would be nice.
@@philmarwood69 You're simplifying it, I think. It's not at all clear what that arrangement is going to look like.
Sunday last week I drove almost 500 miles without ever passing a charge point. It was a nice Sunday afternoon loop, with about 2 hours at the far point where there is no electricity nor cell phone coverage. When leaving I filled up with gas about 1 mile from home, and then again about 200 miles from home on the way back.
It would be nice to have a longer range battery like 150-200 miles. Love the Mini EV. And thanks for the sharing.
Love the Mini EV!
Thanks Kirk!
Love the "cerulean blue" on this car!!!
Great to see Kirk is watching this. Hope Toyota is paying attention. The Mini has so much personality. Awesome EV.
@@kratosdisciple4637 Toyota are only interested in making hybrids when it comes to vehicle electrification. I suspect they will miss the EV bus and will regret their overly conservative transition to fully electric.
@@JeanPierreWhite Toyota is currently the largest auto manufacturer for a reason. They do not jump on every bandwagon that comes along. They wait and they watch. They let other manufacturers work out the kinks in new technologies and then they emulate the best one and produce it more efficiently and with higher quality.
They have been doing this for decades.
It's been working out quite well for them so far.
This would not be a problem if gas stations would invest in chargers.
First we need massive electrical grid improvements. You plug in several million electric vehicles and you go back to stone age.
Why should gasoline stations service your hobby interest that crows about putting them out of business.
Like getting the girl you called an ugly pig to marry you.
Most gas stations dont have the space either.
@@ConsoleCombat typical Tesla charge times are 10-20 minutes. Yes, non-Tesla chargers and cars tend to be much, much slower. But that's likely one of the reasons that travel plazas are building out Tesla chargers more than other chargers, and Tesla cars are outselling the other EVs. The limitation isn't magic - the other EVs and EV chargers could be faster, but they're not choosing to invest in that, unfortunately. Part of it is that the standards, like the ironically named "DC fast charge", lag behind Tesla by several years because it feels like nobody involved is committed to an excellent product, just checking a compliance box.
@@ConsoleCombat yes agree i like to have brief stops and get there quick not the opposite !
I'm addicted to TFL. Roman and Tommy are very entertaining.
I bought my Mini Cooper SE over a year ago and have over 9000 miles on it, but I must admit it was for the school runs of 45 miles per day. It's quite efficient as we regularly hit 5 miles/KW.
Carwow got the mini EV to go like 150 miles so it seems to have a HUGE safety buffer lol
Seems like many EVs seem to play it safe or are conservative on range. Except Tesla
Could you imagine if even 20% of people needed to charge their electric vehicles, what a total gong show!!!
99% of EV charging is plugging in at home. Charging stations are only needed for people driving long distance, or who can't plug in overnight.
@@lairdpopkin7003 There are a LOT of people who cannot charge overnight
it is arriving soon, but on the Chinese three wheel RV electric vehicles, many have a gas generator set on the back bumper (code named "range extender") and most also had lots of solar panels ready to deploy, problem top speed seems under 30 mph, so, that would take a while to go anywhere.
@@nfugitt89 Mostly apartment dwellers?
Be fun fun to add your own stickys to the stations :) Be more entertainment then sitting at a boat ramp in a lawn chair on a summer holiday.
I didn’t realize that the electric mini was at dealers. Just has an option to make a reservation.
I remember driving these when they were in prototype, we drove the same route but every time it was still nerve racking when your rage was low before reaching the shop 😂
Everytime i see you guys do an electric car review, it reminds me of why im not buying an electric car!
True, not for everyone. For so many drivers who don’t need their car for these kind of trips, an EV works great. I’m eager for mine.
Its ok, your grand kids won't have a choice.. The Mini EV isn't the car for long freeway road trips..
There are other EVs that can easily handle the trip.. But perhaps you missed that Tommy said the car is well built, comfortable and performed well on the freeway..
This car is not a good example of where the industry is. I just wish everyone who is soooo against an EV would actually stop and think of how many times in a year do you need to drive more than say 200 miles at a time. We road trip twice a year more than 1000 miles usually. Another couple times we might do a regional trip of 150-200 miles. So you're talking a total of maybe 28 days out of 365 that we might be inconvenienced with having to stop for an extra 30 min here or there. Meanwhile we never have to stop at a gas station again and mostly charge at home for 12¢ a kWH, so about $1 a day to drive to work and other errands.
@@CuntstableFannyButterbum in my case I seen the battery die on my friends car and how expensive that was at a short 80k. Not to mention his resale value was horrible, and the having to park in his garage to charge it everynight instead of being able to park outside.. also it’s not about road trips. Maybe i get up and drive 20 miles to school, then 20 miles back, then end up at a friends 30 miles away along with some running around and using ac the whole time and all the sudden your battery is low and anxiety starts setting in. Not to mention (just like any other battery) the battery doesn’t have the same amount of run time when it hits 50-60k as it had at new. And then yes not being able to travel to grandmas on christmas sucks. Get a rental when you have a car at home is not good, or economical. Efficiancy doesn’t always mean saving money, it means to me getting to grandmas house on christmas without taking hour stops at power stations with two kids and making them wait while we charge! If you had young kids, you would understand how miserable that is.
You should perhaps watch their previous review, of a Tesla, which is a car much more suited to long distance drives, with a 300+ mile range and a fantastic network of high-speed chargers. As they point out, the reason they took a long range drive in the Cooper Mini EV was specifically because it was a terrible car for a long distance drive, with short range and dependent on a third-party, unreliable network of chargers, and they wanted to see if they could make it despite that.
Please remember this is a city car and this show's you can do a longer trip if you had to. This Mini would be a great second car for school run and local trips to the shops ect, costing very little to run. Great video guy's
Love these EV road trips! More please.. 😌
I would recommend 58 miles an hour. It seems to be The speed after which range starts to drop quickly in my Egolf
That's quite a precise figure. I suppose that it depends on your specific car's Cd?
New o n e the k sa c r rolls get 124 126 jokes 143 Mike's 145 Mike eabbfe
Have never loved a car like Evvy my ‘21 Mini EV. I ordered in Oct 16 and drove her home Mar 7. I wake up in the middle of the night and go for a spin it is so much FUN! *ROCK SOLID.*
The range projection often is much lower than real world, which can scare the bejabbers out of you until you get used to it. Glad to see others love the fun.
Great Video. Makes me feel better about my lower range EV. I just did a road trip in my Ioniq EV. It has similar stats to this car. DC Fast Charging is actually rather seamless. I used an Electrify Canada station and it was wonderful. I like that you can just use a Credit Card and it'll charge you what you used. Flo Stations require you to buy standard amounts.
The big issue I'd have with this Mini is the dearth of space in the trunk. Dude had to put the seats down just to fit a carry-on bag in the back.
Thank you for confirming what I knew form all the EV videos I’ve seen so far. And I’ve watched a lot!! The EV is still years off of becoming a reality in my life. Way too much all round mental and range anxiety,poor and lack of chargers and too much time to charge. Long live my Mini JCW Cabriolet powered by wonderful petrol!!
Is it a rebate or a tax incentive. Not paying tax on 7 k is not the same as deducting 7k off the car.
you pay whatever price you negotiated at the dealership, but when you do your taxes, you get the $7k as a write-off. So in-time, you do get the $7k off
It is structured as a tax credit. If you had to pay $10k in federal income tax, then your tax liability is reduced by $7500, so you only have to pay $2500. If that $10k was already deducted from your paychecks via withholding, then you get that $7500 back from the IRS (check or direct deposit) after you file your taxes. If your federal income tax liability was only $5k, then the maximum amount of the tax credit is only $5k.
Not all EVs are eligible anymore. For example, Tesla and GM have run out of their tax credits, so you get no federal income tax credit (but you might get something from your state). Ford and VW are still eligible. After a company reaches its limit of 200k vehicles, the credits are phased out over several quarters ($7500 to $3750 to $1875 to zero).
Its a tax credit. You reduce your Federal tax obligation by $7500. Did this in 2018 when I bought a Tesla M3.
The trip took 10 hours. Roman speculated that it would take 5 hours in an ICE car. In order to make that trip (481 miles) in 5 hours you would need to average over 96 miles per hour. Tommy's estimate of 6.5 hours would require an average of 74 miles per hour. Even that's a tall order with stops and traffic.
Best Father/son team on boobtube. And the fact that I get to view Yaw in the context of cars & trucks is a bonus.
Oh, and Yaw should have borrowed Andre's Powerboost to follow Yaw around and charge you back up anywhere anytime. :)
This is a great example of how far behind the infrastructure is. Seems that there should be a way to pay home owners to use their personal charging system.
I really like the mini ev but I would definitely not road trip with it. It's an excellent city car
2% of vehicles is a lot considering a car usually lasts 10-15 years and automakers have only really gotten serious about selling these things in the last 5-6.
Remember that many folks are only willing to buy used cars (even a used V8 is actually a greener choice than a new tesla if it keeps a car out of the landfill).
yes too many good used cars going to the crushers !! consumerism at its finest !!
I just pulled up plugshare for where I live in NS and was shocked to see so many charging stations! Hmm maybe this is doable. I mostly drive in the city so no problem there but on weekends I travel 110miles (177kms) to the cottage.
While I like watching you two travel around in these different EVs, it makes me glad I glad I got a Tesla!
Tesla has the range and the infrastructure, that's for sure. The cost is still too high for most people especially if you need a repair out of warranty.
I drove 2100 miles from NC to WI and back last week and it was effortless in a 2021 M3 LR AWD - 11,000 miles in 4 months.
Bingo! Should have my Trimotor Cybertruck 4th quarter '23 for when I start my National Parks tour across America.
@@lanceareadbhar BEV maintenance costs are much lower than ICE cars - NYC's fleet reported 75% lower costs for BEV vs ICE, for the identical car brands sold with BEV vs ICE power train. No transmission, no oil, no combustion engine, minimal wear on brakes, etc., meant that over several years they saved a lot on maintenance. Tesla has lower collision rates due to the built-in safety in all cars, but higher collision repair costs when there were collisions since shops charge more due to the aluminum vs steel skin. Tesla does some collision repairs, and their prices are not unreasonable - comparable to BMW, etc.
Tesla purchaseprices aren't terribly high compared to the over $40k average new car price in the US. They're not cheap, but they're not impossibly expensive unless you really want to buy an S/X, which are of course high-end cars. And if you look at total lifetime cost, including the savings on fuel and maintenance, the Tesla costs less than comparable ICE cars.
It seems that way because the MINI E is a city car. It’s a perfect car otherwise for daily commuting in congested city streets and stop/go highways.
Love your videos guys but the fact that we have to ask the question will a car do normal car things like a road trip means electric cars are a waste of money until they make them BETTER than gas powered vehicles
This video makes me glad I bought a new gas engine car two months ago. I plan on taking a cross country trip in October and the charging situation - even with a fairly long range car - would be a deal breaker. Daily use around town sounds fine for something like that Mini, but my one and only car has to do it all.
If you do the math and wanna get a feeling for the energy needed to get up the hill here is how to calculate it for an e-GOLF as example.
each meter altitude gained will cost your battery 2.72 Wh per ton of weight, so e-GOLF is 1.615 ton
So 1 m will cost you 2.72 Wh per m x 1.615 to x 1 m = 4.6 Wh
And this case shows you an easy rule of thumb: 250m altitude will cost 1 kWh up to 250 m - for an e-GOLF 1615 kg
Finally: Once arrived on top of the 250 m hill or ridge and then going down you will not get that 1 kWh fully back, more or less 50% - 70% and therefore sailing down a hill is always better then recuperating. That is only just to slow down faster.
Hope it helps to talk about such figures and methods on the board like you had it done back then for the Model 3 repair and all the topics from cost to time and delays or alternatives.
Might be time for a 101 of driving an EV and getting behind real figures and solid expectations based on 101 and past consumption you had measured like first 10 miles.
Of cause limited audience but that audience will be interested quite strong and that 101 rule is car model manufacturer independent except the weight you have to adjust and look for the 1 kWh barrier altitude gain.
Love what you guys do I find electronic cars are cool but I just can’t justify the range on this one.
*Electric Cars
This one would be best suited for city driving.
@@AircraftMechanic-AP Even for city driving it is low. You normally don't want to charge above 90% or fall below 20%. So, the range becomes 77 miles. My commute is 45 miles round trip. So, 32 miles for anything else. If you have any other plans besides work, you will need to include charging time.
@@ymcpa73 they figured 130mile range in green mode !
@@ymcpa73 you can charge the mini cooper se daily to 100% without any issues. The buffer is already built in to protect the battery.
110 miles is a lot of driving inside a city and also you will beat that estimate easily in those conditions.
This looks like a good little car.
Would be awesome for my commuter car.
I wonder if there will ever be standard charging ports/stations rather than each car being different.
Huh? CCS and Level 2 are the industry standards and this Mini has both.
@@mamadouaziza2536 I know next to nothing about EV charging. TFL is the only info I have on EVs. Other than the Leaf I test drove a couple of months ago. I was under the impression Tesla has their own, and the others....have a generic hook up?
@@stout_tossme7541 Yep most companies have adopted a standard. Tesla is different, but you can use an adapter to charge a Tesla at a non-Tesla charging station. As far as Tesla charging stations, they are going to open those up to non-Teslas at some point soon. There will probably be some kind of adapter available at the charging station for non-Teslas to use.
There are 3 standards for DC fast charging in North America: Tesla Supercharger, CCS/SAE combo and CHAdeMO. Right now, only Teslas can use the superchargers. Musk says that will change in the next year. We'll see. Nissan Leaf (and Mitsubishi) use the Japanese standard CHAdeMO. Nissan is abandoning that standard in North America with all future models. Charging stations are going to abandon it as well, leaving Leaf drivers with fewer options. Teslas cannot use CCS/Combo but have an adaptor to use CHAdeMO. All the rest of the EV market uses the CCS combo.
Tom, Stan thank you. I teat drove a used leaf and driven a Tesla twice. All of my info has come from TFL as far as EVs go.
Thank you for the response and info. "The more you know" (did I just date myself?) Lol.
No, you don't need to drive 55mph! Been there, here's an excellent tip for gaining significant range, while road tripping in an EV, and you can drive 70mph! Follow behind the semi-trucks. I did this on my return trip from Colorado to Minnesota, my BMW i3 gained range before my eyes! The battery was holding range longer, and also gaining range. The semi's are taking all the wind from your EV, so you're riding in smoother air. THIS 100% WORKS! I saved hours on the return trip!
Thanks for the video. This is a 2022, the range should be at least 250! I love EV's and MIni's, but honestly, I don't see this selling in high numbers.
I agree with your comment about range expectation. I have a Tesla MY and feel I must recharge when I have 120 miles of range and with my Mini ES I don’t get concerned until I am around 40 miles. BTW. The Mini is set up to charge to 100% all of the time and doesn’t even have a method of stopping the charge at a set limit. I find the Mini range is fine in my little state of RI. My Tesla MY is great for my annual trip from RI to FL.
Manscape's battery last better
It's amazing how two grown men get so excited when a charging station works as intended.
I'll stick with my Subaru Crosstrek. With my last tank I did 645 miles.
Which is why I'm staying far away from them lol
If the electrification of automotive transportation is to succeed, not only do the number of fast chargers need to increase, but the chargers also need to be reliable.
It's funny I come from Slovenia, driving EVs for some time for fun, now I bought the 1st gen Leaf and I honestly haven't had any problems with charging station anywhere. Some still think that we are a 3rd world country, but Slovenia really isn't EV friendly, since there is a lot of hills and not many fast chargers around, luckly there isn't to many EV drivers either so never had a problem. I charge my car for daily needs once a week (30kWh battery) on a subscribed network of AC chargers, and for trips out of the town I either use free destination chargers to get back or use a gas station EV charger, which is not so cheap (8-10 euros for a full charge), but it fills the gap on a trip... and never have I had any problems with either of them, usually got full car capability of 48kW max charging, my Leaf is capable of max 50Kw DC and 6kW AC. Destination chargers are plentyful and usually free at the restaurants or shops. So seeing these kind of problems you have really looks funny.... what's up with America? You can't figure out chargers?
Whether you love or despise Tesla, you have to admit they are way ahead of everybody else when it comes to charging.
What ? Even the Mini had better built quality than the Tesla?. I’ll deal with the rattles and wind noise in my model 3, just give me air conditioning and 80 mph 😊
@@irfanhusein1445 thats why he said "when it comes to charging"