EV / Hybrid test drives.

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Col Lamb
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Post by Col Lamb »

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Went to the BMW and Mini dealership this morning for a test drive of the New Mini Countryman Cooper S E.

The name of the new Mini Countryman belays its size, I am 5’10” and could only just reach the centre of the roof such is the height of the car and its physical size.

Appearance is subjective as to if you are or are not a Mini fan. Personally I like the looks of it, outside and inside. It has certainly developed since we bought one of the first generation of the new BMW Minis in 2003. Inside is to me rather funky with the switchgear and centre layout of their equivalent to our PCM display paying homage to the large centre speedo which I had in my sixties Mini.

The display is as you would expect, a variation on the iDrive, it seems intuitive and does all you expect it to do.

Seating is comfortable with 2 way lumber support and adjustable squab on the version I test drove. Nowhere near the range of adjustments that I was hoping for but in the 3/4 hour test drive I found the seating comfortable, the lumber support for me was precisely where I need it.

Switching the car on and pressing the go pedal resulted in movement and zero noise. We exited the dealership and made our way about three miles on a 50mph dual carriageway. We stopped at a set of traffic lights and when they turned green I gunned it up to 50mph, pickup was good but not earth shattering (0-60 in a supposedly 7s says the blurb). Whilst the pickup was pretty good I assume that the engine started, it was difficult to tell.

Out into the country and I checked the on the move acceleration 40-60mph felt brisk but not as brisk as a Macan SD. Into the twisties and time to throw the Countryman about, first problem surfaced an initial bit of hesitation in the delivery of power so I backed off and put it into Sport mode. That resulted in a much better pickup and drive through the corners, it was typically Mini, it just goes around the corners as though it is on rails.

Back onto the A road after about 5 miles on B country road and it is docile and a pleasure to drive, the ride was firm but not overly so to be uncomfortable.

Sadly the SE could not answer questions as to if it incorporated regenerative braking, it did not feel that it did, and if adjustable suspension was available.

The engine is a 1500cc 3 cylinder unit that was smooth and refined for what it is, shame that the 2 litre petrol JCW engine is not available.

So would I buy one given its limited EV range, well I am not sure, the Countryman size, looks, dynamics and ride are what I am considering but the EV side of it, well that is questionable in its current guise.
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Then we went over to the BMW showroom and ended up talking to a specialist SE about an i3 and test driving one.

The i3 is available in two modes pure EV and an EV with range extender which includes an engine that maintains the charge within the battery pack. Or at least that is what the SE said to me, Arif will hopefully clarify any questions anyone has on actual ownership.

I quite like the external appearance of the car and with a wheel at each corner with little overhang the ride looked as though it would be quite good. Internally there is the MFD in front of the driver and a large PCM in the centre, all very minimalist but perfectly in keeping with the ethos of the car.

Press the Start/Stop button initiate the electrics and activates the displays, pushing the go pedal and off it goes anding in perfect silence.

With the SE initially driving he explained the systems as we drove out into a nearby housing estate where I took over. The SE had wanted to explain and show me the capabilities of the one foot operation of the car. I pressed the go pedal and off we went up to 20mph and then lifted my foot completely off the throttle and the regenerative braking took over and it slowed the car to a stop. Pushing the go pedal and off we went through the estate where I kept feeling the regen operating where I had to slow down for the Give Way chicanes. Out onto the open road and the pickup from the electric motors is addictive, no drama, push the go pedal and it just goes.

In to the country lanes and this car handles pretty well, not on a par with the Mini but pretty good for such a high car, no doubt the low c of g due to the underfloor battery pack helped.

Onto a dual carriageway where I maintained 40mph and then floored it to get up to 60mph in what seemed very little time such is the good on the move acceleration.

Back to the dealership and a more detailed look at the car, and one question that I asked given my concerns of charging these EVs the SE advised that there is an App that shows the locations of charging stations and the inbuilt SatNav also is supposed to show them.

One concern that I have is the seating, there is not the range of adjustments available that I would have liked but the seats were comfortable. Certainly the SEs offer of a day long loan would be required to confirm either way if I could live with the seating. Certainly the ride quality was right up there with my expectations.

Configuring a car to keep below the £40k where the blood sucking road tax uplifts come into play gives a reasonable car with SatNav, ACC, LEDs and the range extender engine.

I did ask about PCP and the quoted rate was 1% which with a 48m term, had £300 per month and it gave an initial £8.3k deposit. Trying 36m and the same monthly premium had an £9.2k deposit and a zero deposit gave a monthly payment of near on £600. Whatever the SE keyed into the system assuming 10k miles per annum gave an equivalent annual depreciation of between £5.5k (48m) and £6.5k (36m) depending upon term as shown, PCP under these terms does seems like a no brainer.

One thing that I have never experienced before is that with the regenerative braking the range that was showing on the MFD after the test drive was actually 6 miles more than it was when we started.

At no time during the test drive did I have to use the brake such is the power of the regenerative braking, it actually reminds me of BMW motorcycles with the boxster engine that have really good engine braking, certainly the RT that I used to own could be slowed dramatically using engine braking alone.

No doubt longer journeys will need more planning to introduce a rapid boost charge stop, certainly for me I have a limit of about 200 miles before I have to have a leg stretch and a break so for me owning an i3 would not be a problem.

So with the caveat of seating comfort on a full day in the car being acceptable the i3 wins this back to back test. Forgetting about EV and getting a Countryman with a proper 2 litre engine is another matter.

Time will tell?
Col
Macan Turbo
Air, 20” wheels, ACC, Pano, SurCam, 14w, LEDs, PS+, Int Light Pack, Heated seats and Steering, spare wheel, SC, Privacy glass, PDK gear, SD mirrors, Met Black, rear airbags

Retired
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Post by Retired »

Col Lamb wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2017 2:40 pm

One thing that I have never experienced before is that with the regenerative braking the range that was showing on the MFD after the test drive was actually 6 miles more than it was when we started.


Was this a RE model? Does the car compute the range based on characteristics of recent usage or have BMW just figured out how to overcome basic physics?
Col Lamb
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Post by Col Lamb »

I think that this was the PM version.

I have no idea about how the system works.

Ps
PM = perpetual motion or at least that is what it seems like.
Col
Macan Turbo
Air, 20” wheels, ACC, Pano, SurCam, 14w, LEDs, PS+, Int Light Pack, Heated seats and Steering, spare wheel, SC, Privacy glass, PDK gear, SD mirrors, Met Black, rear airbags
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ScotMac
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Location: Scotland

Post by ScotMac »

Are you going to buy one?
Col Lamb
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Post by Col Lamb »

ScotMac wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2017 3:20 pm Are you going to buy one?
???????
Col
Macan Turbo
Air, 20” wheels, ACC, Pano, SurCam, 14w, LEDs, PS+, Int Light Pack, Heated seats and Steering, spare wheel, SC, Privacy glass, PDK gear, SD mirrors, Met Black, rear airbags
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ScotMac
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Post by ScotMac »

At present I could run a totally electric car and it would be great for 90% of the time.

It's the 10% bit that puts me off. (Plus ........ they are not as great as my Macan :D )
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Pete
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Post by Pete »

Nice couple of reviews, although I would have been interested in an i8 review too....

Did you find out how much it costs in terms of leccy bills to charge an EV (i.e. what the monthly cost might be)?
happy days
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Post by happy days »

Pete wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2017 3:48 pm Nice couple of reviews, although I would have been interested in an i8 review too....

Did you find out how much it costs in terms of leccy bills to charge an EV (i.e. what the monthly cost might be)?
On that point - are those charging points in public car parks free to use?
Macan S D
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Pete
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Post by Pete »

Hmmm..

http://www.nextgreencar.com/news/8116/p ... -solution/
In preparation for the launch of the Mission E in 2019, Porsche have developed an ultra-rapid charger rated at 350 kW (800 V), the highest power rating permitted by the CCS (Type 2 Combo) connector.

Two of the new ultra-rapid units have been installed at one of the company's centres at Berlin-Adlershof which is in the south of the German capital, with two more conventional 50-150 kW rapid chargers which can be used by current Porsche and Volkswagen models.

Porsche Germany’s CEO Jens Puttfarcken’s vision is clear: “Once the E hits the market in 2019, buyers shall have peace of mind to travel around Germany in the first series electric car with 800-volt technology.”

The new charging units deal with the high temperatures generated by large DC currents by liquid cooling the charging cables and device using a glycol/water mixture. The same solution can also be used to provide heating should the devices be located in sub-zero temperatures.

The 350 kW chargers will go online in the autumn and will be available during the store's opening hours. “This facility marks the start of serial production of electric mobility at Porsche,” says Michael Kiefer, who heads the High-Voltage Systems at Porsche. He also reports that a second public facility is being installed at the company's U.S. headquarters in Atlanta.

With such high power units now being planned, connecting to the grid will require the availability of a high power supply, often a problem at key locations. The Berlin station, for example, is supplied by its own substation, unlike current rapid locations which usually share a sub-stations across 2-3 devices. “This ensures that each charging point always delivers the full power of up to 350 kW,” explains Kiefer.

Kiefer continues: “There won’t be any power-sharing like at Tesla Superchargers” stating that should high power not be available at a particular site, stationery storage will be used to guarantee the full 350 kW. As with its quality cars, Porsche is certainly aiming high in its vision to provide ultra-rapids for its customers as standard.
Kasfranks99
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Post by Kasfranks99 »

Great write up Col 👍

I was very tempted for the Hybrid mini as my wife wanted a Mini Countryman anyway as a second car but after looking into it we opted for the S all 4 model due September.
It drives better than the Hybrid (not that the hybrid is bad) and has more boot space as you lose 50ltr or so because of batteries taking space up.
It actually would of been cheaper based on our spec to go for the Hybrid as there is a £2.5k government incentive. That still couldn't convince me but was pretty close.
I think 2-3 years time will see a mini hybrid which will be hugely improved with a longer battery life to cover more than the 25 miles.
I would of still been happy with the Hybrid but had no real benefits for me and again too many unanswered questions which I would think in 2-3 years time will be ironed out.
Super fast charging will be coming soon ish (you will see it in mobiles very soon) and then it's makes it much more interesting charging fully in 15 minutes or less....
GTS 😀
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