Mini Electric vs. Diesel Mini in the US. It is cheaper to buy an electrician (!), It is cheap to operate, but such a range ...

Interestingly, though, a comparative American test of the internal combustion engine Mini Cooper S (2010) and Mini Cooper SE aka Mini Electric. Two drivers climbed the mountain (119 kilometers one way) to see how an electrician can handle long climbs with such a small battery. The effect? Riding is normal, there is a problem with charging.

However, let's start with a reminder of which car we are talking about. Here are some technical data for Mini Electric (2020):

• segment: B,
• power: 135 kW (184 HP)
• acceleration to 100 km / h: 7,3 s,
• torque: 270 Nm,
• battery capacity: 28,9 kWh,
• reception: 200-232 WLTP units, real range 177 km,
• loading capacity: 211 liters,
• price: from 139 PLN, in the presented configuration from about 200 PLN (in the film: ~ 164 900 dollars),
• competition: BMW i3, Hyundai Kona Electric (segment B-SUV), Peugeot e-208.

Electric vs Diesel Mini in Short Distance Test

The Mini Cooper SE, along with the BMW i3, is the smallest electric vehicle available in the United States. The car is based on the penultimate BMW i3s with a 28-29 kWh battery (total cost: 33 kWh, 94 Ah). And in the beginning there is a curiosity: in Colorado (USA) the entire car park is sold out, probably because, taking into account federal and state surcharges the car is cheaper than analogs of internal combustion.

The subsidized basic version costs about $ 20, while the cheapest Mini Cooper with an internal combustion engine costs over $ 23.

According to the owner of the Mini ICE (black car), the electric version is dynamic, but he rides like no mini... Rather, it gives the impression of a BMW 1 or 2 Series, the car is noticeably heavier, the steering works differently.

After passing the pass - 119 km - the range of the electrician was 22,5 km, but on the way back part of the energy was restored, and the car drove a total of almost 204 km to the charging station, and he still had enough energy left. So, the machine passed the recuperation test, however the charging stations were lost Electrify America.

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At first I didn't want to start the replenishment process, then the car was loaded with 31 kWalthough in theory it should accelerate to 40+ kW, like its big brother BMW i3 94 Ah (red diagram):

We add that on the day the movie was recorded, Electrify America stations were still using time (per minute) calculations. Thus, the lower the charging power, the longer the idle time and the higher the cost of the entire operation.

Average energy consumption in the car made 14,8 kWh / 100 km (148 Wh / km), and diesel Mini - 5,7 l / 100 km. When comparing an expensive charging station and an expensive gas station, it's all the same Mini Electric turned out to be cheaper: Energy cost $6,92 and gasoline $9,38.

Electricity costs also included costs from the wall charger to 100% battery charge. Of course, one can argue here that this is unfair, because the owner of an electric Mini has only charged himself in an expensive place to a level that allows him to get home.

New BMW i3 with 8 years / 160 kilometers battery warranty. Nothing was mentioned in the old

But that's the point:

With a gasoline car, we are doomed to the fuel prices we see at the stations. Sometimes it's cheap, sometimes it's more expensive. However, when charging an electric vehicle, we can always look for cheaper or even free charging points or recharge our energy reserves at home.

Electricity prices are regulated in Poland by the Energy Regulatory Authority, which does not allow for a significant increase - energy companies should think about tariffs for enterprises.

In summary: Mini Electric turned out to be cheaper than the petrol version, although the presented version would have been more expensive - but all this is only due to surcharges. The car was fun to drive and relatively inexpensive to run, but loading it outside the home was a pain.

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The experience was worse because the car has a relatively short range, so it should be viewed mainly as a city car loaded in a garage or at work.

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