My 2023 MINI Cooper S Level 3 Electric leased from Motability and it will be with me for 3 years & used as a 2 seater.

[Ootohere]

So far so good and collection went well with a very good sales lady. 

Corsa electric handed back at 3 years old and it really behaved this morning and went as well as it ever has.  18*oC and humid this morning.

Actually did 4.5 miles a kWh for the 25 miles this morning into Dundee, then when i got there the keys fobs were not locking it but that was because put back to factory setting and just needed cycled a few times.

Good condition payment coming my way from Motability for the Corsa.

.

 

The Sales exec set up on the  MyMini app & phone etc & was really very knowledgeable. 

* The My MINI App & phone setup is great. lots of charging, pre heating & relevant stuff, clear and easy to use and read and fast.  Vahxhall / Stellantis really need to sort out theirs.**

So car home, rear floor and parcel self out and & stored away & the car is ready for a bit of a road trip this weekend.

I did 40 miles with it and got 4.1 miles a kWh with it in Sport and low regen and AC on as it was about 22*oC.

 

There is no room to sit behind my seat as i have it all the way back and down, so it could only be a 3 seater.

 

In the boot was the

3 pin charger in bag. Heavy. (I have one that i will carry and is lighter.)

(11kW AC type 2-type 2 missing and being posted out, but i have one so no problem.)

Puncture repair pump.

First aid kit. 

 

Load comprises,

2 folding directors chairs.

Cooler box.

Tackle Box with tools and stuff, torches, wind up radio, cb radio, deicer, gloves, hi-viz etc. (the stuff that normally goes in glovebox, arms rest, under seats and in door pockets.

A storage box under 2 suitcases.

Elbow Crutches

3 pin charger and space for type 2 to type 2 cable and soft bags.

Front of the car pretty uncluttered. 

 

Instead of removing the Yellow E badge the Saltire sticker was a perfect fit on it.

First Aid kit, Tyre kit and wheel tools under the 2nd false floor.

 

 

Edited 21 August, 2023 by toot

[Ootohere]

Charged to 100% for setting off early.

Tyres scrubbed in and then increased a bit to 36 psi front and back.

 

Happy with the car and getting used to it. It took hours getting settings right for me and quite a while during the hours of darkness with the interior lighting setting stuff that is just about stylee to off and keeping important settings on screens.

 

Even the least regen setting was too much and the full regen ridiculous compared to anything i have drive including other electric MINI,s.

I am used to nipping on and coasting and not coming to a halt so quickly.

 

Now i have had it for a proper blast it actually works great without touching the brake pedal, but it does have the brake lights on lots, well at every deceleartion.

 

I have charged 90% to 99/100% 5 times since getting it just to see how long it takes if needing to really have it full.

Well it is 60 minutes pretty much on a 7 or 11 kW AC or a 43AC / 50 DC charger.

Something only for doing if not hanging about waiting to get to.

 

Edited 12 August, 2023 by toot

[Breezy_Pete]

Rather irrelevant,  but the front styling is something I'd not spend ages gazing at with love. 

[wyx087]

6 minutes ago, toot said:

Even the least regen setting was too much and the full regen ridiculous compared to anything i have drive including other electric MINI,s.

I am used to nipping on and coasting and not coming to a halt so quickly.

Embrace one-pedal driving

[lol-lol]

George, do you ever coast by knocking in to neutral and then slotting back to D or B when some braking required.  Great for miles per kilowatt hour, some might say illegal.

[lol-lol]

4 minutes ago, wyx087 said:

Embrace one-pedal driving

 

Is it always the most efficient ?

 

Mini has lowish range and efficiency techniques even more important therefore ?

[Ootohere]

@lol-lolI will try it in the Cairngorms on long downhills and see if there is regen with coasting because really having to keep the accelerator pushed is just something i really dislike.

Mid and green mod are ok if following traffic, but green + is horrible and like when you were on a dodgem and they were shutting them off or at an indoor kart track as they dropped you power.   Traction Control off and a dry road and it really shifts.

I have had a few starts using draggy but now the tyres are sticky i will do some standing starts on the flat.

[lol-lol]

9 minutes ago, toot said:

@lol-lolI will try it in the Cairngorms on long downhills and see if there is regen with coasting because really having to keep the accelerator pushed is just something i really dislike.

Mid and green mod are ok if following traffic, but green + is horrible and like when you were on a dodgem and they were shutting them off or at an indoor kart track as they dropped you power.   Traction Control off and a dry road and it really shifts.

I have had a few starts using draggy but now the tyres are sticky i will do some standing starts on the flat.

 

I get no regen in neutral but as I approach a corner pull back the gear stick to get mild or strong regen and I am sure this helps with getting the best distance.

When rounded the corner, if still downhill bit and I have headroom before going well over the speed limit I will knock it back in to neutral, i might do this several time on a long downhill stretch.

 

Wales and back for me on the weekend, now my son has his own machine, the Clio Etech, which seems to be operating about half its time in EV mode, sounds good when the ICE motor kicks in and its gearbox is similar to the Zoe so easy to flip between,  Arkana mild hybrid is the pain with no real regen but still knocking in 60  mpg figure if kept to its extra urban routes.  Fuel prices look like their are on the rise so an EV looks good to have in the stable.

[Ootohere]

60 miles of fast driving 60 & 70 mph limits used 50%.   Straight on a 50kw charger and in 40 minutes up to 99%.  Only showing 98  miles range though.  Pouring rain. Lights and AC on and in Sport.

[wyx087]

22 hours ago, lol-lol said:

Is it always the most efficient ?

 

Mini has lowish range and efficiency techniques even more important therefore ?

It is always most efficient to do as little energy conversion as possible. This means zero regen braking and coast as much as possible.

 

I'm just so used to regen braking and half-pressing the pedal. Always drive in B mode in Leaf, MY's stronger regen feels great. Then when I was driving a rental X1 diesel, the auto-box would open the clutch when not on the gas pedal, it felt so wrong to me. Felt like I had no control of car's speed. By the end of the holiday, my right foot, that was constantly shifting between pedals, were very tired.

 

But each to their own.

[lol-lol]

7 hours ago, wyx087 said:

It is always most efficient to do as little energy conversion as possible. This means zero regen braking and coast as much as possible.

 

I'm just so used to regen braking and half-pressing the pedal. Always drive in B mode in Leaf, MY's stronger regen feels great. Then when I was driving a rental X1 diesel, the auto-box would open the clutch when not on the gas pedal, it felt so wrong to me. Felt like I had no control of car's speed. By the end of the holiday, my right foot, that was constantly shifting between pedals, were very tired.

 

But each to their own.

 

Totally agree that free wheeling is best when one can do it.   Car market has a good choice of cars to obtain, EVs and hybrids, despite the UK being RHD and missing a few models.

 

In the Zoe EV this is easy peasy but not in the family's newly acquired hybrid Clio ETECH so I will no be doing in that car I am thinking but that saying, even when one is in B mode max regen, which is still not regen massively in to its tiny 1.2 kWh battery it was good to see that pressing the brake pedal adds a whole lot more regen go in to the little hybrid battery, no actually kW meter like in the Zoe but it must be at least a couple of handfuls of kWh but not enough to cook that little hybrid battery. The reward is enough electrical power for EV mode half the time or so but then quite a nice rorty warble with the ICE kicks in but also low 60s per gallon now but should be closer to 70 mpg after a bit more running in and adapting to the car, just a shame it always starts in the mid setting My Sense rather than being able to get it start automatically in ECO mode.

 

Weirdly actually enjoying the full EV Zoe more than anytime in the last two years but then it is summer, the range is well over 200 miles but I can also see the strengths of both full hybrids and mild hybrids, owning one of those each in addition to the Zoe,  combine cost price of all three was only about £75k or actually the PC payment for all three are only just over £600 with a bit of deposit on some and of course all quite cheap to run with low fuelling costs and servicing.    

 

 

[Ootohere]

This morning starting charging at 43% and it is 14.5*c and just driven 200 yards to charger it took 35 minutes to 99% and showing 120 mile range.   Charging with heating and heated seat and radio on.   18 kWh & FREE.  380 miles since new and so far paid £4.20 at home and 71 pence on a AC public and yesterday £5.97 on one of the DC chargers  to charge 17 kWh.  Happy with the car and comfort.  Today I will try green mode as going up to some wind farms and onto some good driving roads.   'Dynamic traction control' is very good.   The warning ⚠️ or just info comes up. "Dynamic traction control activated.  Maximum traction on loose surfaces.  Restricted driving stabilisation and driver assistance.".  It is just on a toggle switch beside the 4 drive modes & the regen mode.   No searching on a screen.  The screen menu,s and selection is good though with I-drive or touch screen and no lag.   Ps.  Does not want to go to 100% which is fine as regen would be unavailable.

 

 

Edited 13 August, 2023 by toot

[lol-lol]

17 hours ago, toot said:

This morning starting charging at 43% and it is 14.5*c and just driven 200 yards to charger it took 35 minutes to 99% and showing 120 mile range.   Charging with heating and heated seat and radio on.   18 kWh & FREE.  380 miles since new and so far paid £4.20 at home and 71 pence on a AC public and yesterday £5.97 on one of the DC chargers  to charge 17 kWh.  Happy with the car and comfort.  Today I will try green mode as going up to some wind farms and onto some good driving roads.   'Dynamic traction control' is very good.   The warning ⚠️ or just info comes up. "Dynamic traction control activated.  Maximum traction on loose surfaces.  Restricted driving stabilisation and driver assistance.".  It is just on a toggle switch beside the 4 drive modes & the regen mode.   No searching on a screen.  The screen menu,s and selection is good though with I-drive or touch screen and no lag.   Ps.  Does not want to go to 100% which is fine as regen would be unavailable.

 

Good to hear the product from Cowley Oxford, I presume, is ticking boxes.

 

Changing driving modes sounds as it should be unlike the clio which a faff as mode change means going in to a screen which has a shortcut button but is a pain compared to a switch though it is nice that it changes the ambient lighting to green if you go eco and dark red if one chooses sport mode and using the petrol engine.

Be interesting to see how the range changes as temperature falls from 15 down through 10, 5, 0 and then minus 5 etc.

Bet the acceleration is fun.

 

 

Edited 14 August, 2023 by lol-lol

[Ootohere]

I am getting over 5.5 miles a kWh today.  Average speed camera roads, coast and inland routes South West Scotland.  18-19*c weather and in Sport with low gen and AC on and 2 of us.  150 miles plus possible as is and maybe no more even less if I was to be driving slower than I can now legally.  So all good in this weather and these roads. 

 

I very much doubt i will ever get 170 miles out of the MINI unless maybe on 16" wheels with 195 tyres pumped up really too high.

Not going to be trying to but i do know a circular route from home to home that i have driven and ridden for over 30 years that can in the right conditions give as good a range / efficiency as is possible with an ICE or an EV. It is exactly 120 miles and i will give that a go next week probably.

(There is an extra 20 miles route that i sometimes do and that will be after seeing if the 120 route can be done and not needing to head to a charger which there would be 3 places after 80 miles but none are reliable to rapid charge but a 7 kW AC would do.)

It is not a slow drive or boring and it is very hilly and it is done in an anticlockwise direction if to see economy, going clockwise is nothing like as economic /  efficient.

I will use AC or heating as needed, or open the windows or sunroof and no way drive any slower than i drive in anything i do drive.

I might put the tyres up a couple more psi while the weather is good but at 36 PSI they feel fine even in the wet.

I do want to know how the range is with the car on the tyres it has and in temps in the teens & when the roads and weather is a bit colder but they are getting changed as soon as any frosts, ice or snow.

 

............

 

 

Edited 15 August, 2023 by toot

[Ootohere]

820 miles done.  Sussed the car now.   90 miles motorway from a 99% battery and arrived with it showing 28 miles range but 32% battery.   It was showing 3.8- 4.2 miles a kWh.  In sport and low regen and AC on and set at 16*oC.  Outside is 18-21 degrees.      Used now to no lane keep assist which I usually like and had for the past 3 years.  Car runs straight and smooth and then darts about.   As to tailgaters.  They are to slow on the accelerator really. The MINI has very strong windscreen washing schoshers. Great for putting their wipers on.

 

As for EV,s. Well they are pretty much  trucking about below the speed limits.  The accelerator is stiff, very stiff! needs pushed quite a lot so my seat is further forward and I am getting used to it.   In Mid or Green the pedal needs pushed that hard and far down that I only tried then and will use them with Cruise Control on but that seems to not improve efficiency or range.   Tyres are great, ride is great.    Car is like an oven in the sun with so much glass and the AC is needed.  Opening the windows is noisy and frameless there are no wind deflectors to fit.   That is going to be a pity when sitting charging in rain or snow so it will be a case of the heater, demister being on when in the car.   Chargers damn quick anyway and if every 100 miles or say 75 miles in winter then that is the penalty to pay.   About paying.  Now I am charging at Stirling park and ride.  24 minutes on the rapid and started with 48kW and now it is doing 33kW and I am at 84%.   The 40 minute limit will be fine in this weather for the 80 miles until home.  In winter it will need to be 40 mins on the rapid then on the 11kW AC untill maybe 98%.    Long story long, loving it and a less than 30 kWh usable car can do as well as a 45kW usable car.  Maybe even better when nipping on.  The Corsa was 3.1 - 3.5 miles a kWh on the same roads, same speed, same weather.   On all season tyres though . And as comfy. 

Edited 16 August, 2023 by toot

[Ootohere]

So left with 96% on car and charger.  78 miles later I had 48%.  Average speed of 46 mph.    It showed 55 mile range.   Stopped at Tesco for grubb and plugged in for 15 minutes free charging. Last week the charger was cutting out after 10 minutes and I did not know if it was the Corsa or the chargers fault.    Well 30 minutes later the car is still charging.  I never 'claimed the charger' so not paying, never used the App to keep charging.    Now need to find out if charger faulty, or is this the BMW / MINI partner chargers and it is charged and go. FREE.     The other day a lady with a Motability car told me she never pays with Charge Place Scotland chargers and I said because they are free in her region but she said she charges where there is a tariff and it is still free, Motability pay.     When I called Motability the other day to say BP Pulse had not been in touch to register my free subscription and £9 a month credit that call handler said just use CPS chargers.  I explained they were not free everywhere.    Looks like it is me not getting all the story but it is not from a lack of looking.   Tempted to stay on this FREE charger longer but din dins calls.  I will try here again later and see if I have found the Golden Ticket for Willy Wonka charging. 

 

A Karoq sandwich.

 

Edited 16 August, 2023 by toot

[Ootohere]

Dealership manager called to apologise.

Since my car was in the showroom on display the Type 2 to Type 2 Cable was used to plug into the display charger & overlooked when the car went to be prepped and overlooked as missing by whoever should have checked the kit.  It is being couriered to me.

 

 

Edited 16 August, 2023 by toot

[Ootohere]

The Grey Cable that comes with the MINI 11/22 kW AC is much heavier than the one i had which is much longer. (Stick wrapped.)

 

I like this Black MINI Cooper John Works and it is the only roof fade one i have seen that looked good.

Having just had to wash of dirt from back roads covered in dry and wet dirt i am glad i never went Black.

 

Edited 17 August, 2023 by toot

[Ootohere]

Loving the car.

The biggest issue was the Arm Rest which needed putting up to fasten the seat belt because on right hand driver there is a pattern on the side like a cheese grater.

That has tape covering it not as a 'hack' while my knuckles heal.

 

The All Season tyres are going on Friday next week.

The OEM Goodyear Eagle F1 are total ditch finders in the damp, in the wet or even on tight corners in the dry.

The chassis and TC on or off is as it should be and the tyres can grip and go, but when they let go they really do. 

 

I was early out on flooded roads then across a couple of very steep roads, up and down and it was wheel spin going up or power cut.

Really they are not fast roads as narrow and you can meet anything on them, vehicles, people, (on bikes coming down) or wild life, lots of them big or small. 

Edited 19 August, 2023 by toot

[skomaz]

Interesting comment re the F1s...   I've had them before and didn't rate them either but others seem to swear by them. 

[wyx087]

The roads in 1st and 3rd set of photos look very poor. Especially in the wet, I'm not sure any tyre can handle that?

[Ootohere]

@wyx087Obviously they can.  Which is why i drove Jimnys for many years with appropriate tyres, and fit All Season Tyres or Winter tyres to anything.

The Corsa Electric was perfect on the same roads even when snow or slush was on them. 

 

People that drive crap roads, or actually great roads (fun) to drive that might have been driven decades ago on cars with little power, even rallied 

laugh at Chelsea Tractors / AWD / 4x4,s on totally useless tyres that do no more than mount a kerb.

Old bobbers get their Picanto or Micra or Jazz where 'Offroads' skitter about.

 

Just been looking at Mud Flaps for the MINI but decided that there is going to be an issue with clogging up snow / freezing slush and kicking it off so will not bother.

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/489573-winter-roads-ice-snow-and-wet-or-dry-driving-in-an-ev

 

eg

 

 

Edited 20 August, 2023 by toot

[Ootohere]

Tried the MINI this morning with the original tyres & DRAGY.

18*oC and just a light wind (not me), same road i use regularly in both directions and pretty much no difference either way when no wind.

 

Just 0-60 not to 62 mph, traction control off which mattered as tc on was pretty poor.

Good surface for grip.

Slower than the Corsa which even on Michelin Primacy 4 could do nearer 6 seconds when colder weather and under 6 with All Seasons on. 

 

It was just me at 115 kG sort of and some crap in the rear.

So pretty much as it would be if i was having to actually accelerate from a standstill on my Jack Jones.

I think a bit of a rolling start and floor it will be more useful and no need to touch the Dynamic Traction Control.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 21 August, 2023 by toot

[lol-lol]

1 hour ago, toot said:

Tried the MINI this morning with the original tyres & DRAGY.   18*oC and just a light wind (not me), same road i use regularly in both directions and pretty much no difference either way when no wind.  Just 0-60 not to 62 mph, traction control off which mattered as tc on was pretty poor.  Good surface for grip.  Slower than the Corsa which even on Michelin Primacy 4 could do nearer 6 seconds when colder weather and under 6 with All Seasons on. 

It was just me at 115 kG sort of and some crap in the rear.

So pretty much as it would be if i was having to actually accelerate from a standstill on my Jack Jones.

I think a bit of a rolling start and floor it will be more useful and no need to touch the Dynamic Traction Control.

 

I would have put money on the mini being faster, how much more HP is it suppose to have ?

 

The Zoe shows a digital figure of power to the motor and is suppose to be 100 kW but I have seen more than 110 kws on it for the odd second or two. Always feels as quick as my VRSs did to about 40 mph but rapid diminishes then.  Did see 90 mph on it on the weekend (with a profession driver and on a private me Lud).  BMW X5 did looked surprised.  Dash show overspeed warning if you get to 100 mph as motor is then spinning at over 11k revs.

 

 There must be tricks to get it quicker, at least a second of the 0-60 and three or 4 off the standing quarter.

Edited 21 August, 2023 by lol-lol

[Ootohere]

@lol-lolit is officially 181 bhp / 184 ps, max torque of 270 Nm and that often gets mis-quoted as does 0-60 & 0-62 mph get mixed up or lost in the quotes. It is amazing how long that extra 2 mph can take.

I will get it on a dyno at some point.

 

The Corsa was better than the 136 ps / 260 Nm officially given or the the mixed up 0-60 or 0-62 mph (100 km)

It was more like the figures given when motoring journalists first got to drive them, and then when they were on sale the scores on the doors changed.

 

I will see how the MINI is with different tyres on, AC off and the battery hot as i had just gone 1 miles with it from home.

 

The real difference is how the MINI goes down a road with bends and gets around corners and out of them without dramas and jumping across the road like the Corsa did, and humps (jumps) in the Corsa could have it landing with a crash. (crashing.)

 

Never seen this one before. 2 years ago vid.

(the new e-208 has more power now as do the new Corsa electric and a bit more usable kWh.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 21 August, 2023 by toot